D/R DOWNLOAD 1.20
What’s Trending
01/ On Google
‘Valentine’s Day getaways’ trended +120% this week as couples search for the best destinations and experiences to enjoy on the most romantic day of the year.
02/ With Media
This week journalists were interested in information about romantic vacations, spring break packages, culturally-inspiring destinations, uncommon wellness experiences, and luxury hotel openings.
The New York Times released its interactive list of “52 Places to Go in 2023” with some of the top places being listed as London, New Haven, Morioka, and Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. This year’s list highlights the food, culture, adventure, and natural beauty of destinations across the world as individuals begin to solidify their travel plans for 2023.
03/ In The Zeitgeist
Netflix will stream a live awards show for the first time, marking the streamer’s latest expansion into live programming. Beginning in 2024, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards will be live-streamed globally on Netflix as part of a new, multi-year partnership. The awards show has previously aired on cable television on TNT since 1998 and honors the best performances in film and television.
This Valentine’s Day, the Bronx Zoo in New York City is bringing back its annual Name-a-Roach gift package, where with only a $15 donation to the Zoo, anyone can name one of the more than 10,000 giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches in the zoo after a loved one or maybe a deserving ex.
Industry Insights
Travelers will soon be able to cruise over the North Pole in low-altitude luxury in an aircraft reminiscent of the blimp era. OceanSky Cruises, a Swedish startup firm, crafted an airship where passengers can comfortably view the region's exquisite scenery while flying in fully inclusive luxury. Reservations for the 36-hour journey are now open for eight two-person cabins starting at over $200k.
The hotel giant Hilton has just debuted its newest budget brand, Spark. Spark, what Hilton calls a premium economy offering, is geared toward simple, reliable, and clean stays and will grow entirely through renovating existing hotels and converting them to the new brand. With over 100 deals for Spark hotels in various stages of development across the U.S., the first properties are expected to open later this year.
Discount travel membership service Scott’s Cheap Flights has officially rebranded into Going. The budget flight search engine has expanded past offering great deals and will be rolling out an app shortly to their 2 million subscribers.
Travel essentials brand Away launched a partnership with the NY-based, twin sister astrologers, The AstroTwins to help travelers select the perfect luggage based on their sign. Users must input their birth month and day to get personalized travel accessory recommendations.
Hospitality brand, The Orient Express, is launching the world's largest sailing yacht named Orient Express Silenseas in 2026. The 722-foot vessel includes 2 pools, an oyster bar, a recording studio, a speakeasy, and world-class luxury suites
As more travel brands market during the Super Bowl, Booking.com is expected to run a 30-second commercial during the 4th quarter of this year’s game. Following its Big Game debut in 2022, the brand will highlight its Booking.Yeah campaign again.
Starting June 2024, the United Kingdom will no longer be enforcing the rule requiring liquids in carry-on bags to be 100ml/3.4oz or less. Passengers will now be able to have liquids up to two liters in volume in their carry-on as well as be able to leave their electronics, like laptops, in their luggage.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is in the midst of a major makeover that starts with the closing and demolishing of the 60-year-old Terminal 2. The demolition will make way for “New Terminal One,” which will replace the existing Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 spaces and will be 2.4 million square feet. It is expected to be fully completed in 2030.
United Airlines announced the return of its ice cream sundae cart that was previously suspended as a result of the pandemic. Business class passengers flying with the airline will now be able to indulge in the sweet treat onboard all long-haul international flights starting in February.
American Cruise Lines is celebrating their 50th anniversary by offering travelers discounts on its U.S River cruises along with free domestic airfare. The offering is exclusive to lower 8-Day Mississippi River cruises and $1,000 off per stateroom for 8-Day Columbia and Snake River cruises from April 8 to May 8.
Honoring the first National ‘Lose the Jet Lag’ Day on January 17, United Airlines and Chase are partnering with the high-tech jet lag app Timeshifter to award one million United MileagePlus Miles and a year-long subscription to the Timeshifter app to a traveler who pledges to combat jet lag in 2023.
Online booking engine CheapCaribbean launched its new astrological campaign ‘Cosmic Caribbean’ giving customers the opportunity to book their next vacation by looking to the cosmos. Partnering with astrologer and visual storyteller, Valerie Mesa, the brand will help travelers know where they should go next and what experiences they should try while in the destination.
By 2025, France will become the most visited country on the planet with 93.7 million international travelers visiting the destination annually. While Spain is currently in the lead for the most visitors per year, France is on track to reclaim its pre-pandemic title in 2022-2025.
Health-Related Updates
On January 8th, Thailand announced that the country would implement new COVID-19 restriction guidelines for international travelers, but due to travelers' negative response, the decision has been reversed. Although the destination does not require proof of vaccination or negative coronavirus test results before entering the country, it announced plans to start collecting a $12 fee from foreign tourists arriving in the country, starting in June.
Best Practices
01/ The Good
Frontier Airlines has teamed up with the Las Vegas Animal Foundation to help three kittens be adopted. The airline is offering $1,000 in vouchers to the person who adopts the kittens named “Spirit” “Delta” and “Frontier.”
02/ The Bad
A recent report proves that Exxon Mobil predicted global warming with incredible accuracy beginning in the late 1970s and acknowledged human-caused climate change internally while denying it in public. People are now rallying against the oil company with the phrase and hashtag “ExxonKnew.”
London’s Natural History Museum is under fire for greenwashing after contractually agreeing not to badmouth its donor, Danish energy company Ørsted. In 2022, the museum was under fire for a similar contract with oil company Shell, which sponsored an exhibition featuring carbon-mitigation technologies titled Our Future Planet.
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