D/R DOWNLOAD 12.9

What’s Trending

01/ On Google

• ‘Travel Tuesday 2022’ was up by +2,650% this week as many brands offered their biggest deals last week. 

02/ With Media

• This week, the media expressed interest in boutique hotel openings, farm-to-table dining options, indigenous tourism, sustainable travel, and destinations to spend Valentine's Day.

• Gannet, the owner of USA Today, announced another round of job cuts in the company's news division after a third-quarter loss and earlier series of cost-cutting measures.

• Forbes released their Class of 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 list featuring 600 of the brightest young entrepreneurs and creators.

• BuzzFeed has laid off 12% of its workforce, around 180 staffers, in efforts to cut costs in ad spending and during its integration of Complex amidst the economic state. 

03/ In The Zeitgeist

• The term “gaslighting” was selected as Merriam-Webster’s 2022 word of the year, as the word search has increased by 1,740% this year

• After 30 years, the U.N. signed a climate agreement that aims to pay developing countries for loss and damage caused by global warming. 

• DJ Khaled is offering fans a chance to stay at his famous Airbnb baller sneaker closet in Miami, featuring a pool with an outdoor lounge, a pair of his ‘We The Best’ Jordan 5s, a private shopping session, and a catered dinner from his restaurant, The Licking.

• Pantone announced Viva Magenta as their 2023 Color of the Year - an unexpectedly bright choice practically made for the metaverse. 

Industry Insights

• Booking.com partnered with the ‘Queen of Christmas’, Mariah Carey, to create the ultimate holiday getaway curated for one pair of guests including a three-night stay in New York City’s Fairmont Hotel, and more. The experience only cost $20.19 in honor of when the singer’s hit single "All I Want for Christmas is You" first reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

• Within the next 5 years, Louis Vuitton plans to transform its headquarters in Paris into a hotel featuring unique shopping experiences, a cafe, and a chocolate shop run by Maxime Frederic. 

• To get into the holiday spirit, Uber is offering free reindeer sleigh rides in Finland on December 12-18. The experience is two-hours in duration and is first-come first-serve through the brand’s application. 

• The e-commerce and wedding registry platform Over the Moon and luxury hotels and resorts brand, Auberge Resorts Collection, partnered to launch the first-ever honeymoon registry. Newlyweds using the platform can register for exclusive honeymoon stays and experiences at 23 of Auberge Resorts Collection’s luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. 

• Resorts in Jamaica are promoting tourism that offers a mystical experience and stress relief through "Magic Mushrooms", as the Caribbean nation seeks to develop a niche industry of natural psychedelics. 

• Virtuoso, the main global network of travel agencies involved in luxury travel, reveals travelers are willing to spend more for sustainability and travel consultants, and travelers are booking further in advance than before.  

• The deadline for REAL ID has been extended to May 7, 2025, originally planned to be enforced this spring. With this extension, the Department of Homeland Security hopes that travelers will have more time to obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card.

• Yosemite National Park has removed its park reservation system initially put into place two years ago to combat summertime overtourism and to limit attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• In an effort to cut down on carbon emissions, France has decided to ban certain domestic flights where there's a train route available to take instead. 

• The European Commission will soon permit airlines to provide 5G connectivity to passengers on board, allowing for phone calls and high-speed data. 

• Outdoor gear company Yeti launched an interactive platform, ‘Year in Preview’, to help travelers plan their 2023 outdoor adventures. By answering a few short questions, the tool will auto-generate a 2023 calendar filled with outdoor events and activities curated to travelers' preferences. 

• Hotels, resorts, and trip-planning companies are launching programming designed around astrology and celestial events inspired by lunar phases and planetary transits. The events vary from tarot readings to astronomer-led stargazing, and more. 

• A new report finds that tourists are eyeing more international trips, but they’re prioritizing health and wellness—and ecotourism.

Health-Related Updates

• India has removed its last COVID-19-related travel requirements, allowing international travelers to enter the country without the previously required health declaration form as well as a negative PCR test result.

Best Practices

01/ The Good

• In collaboration with green cleaning brand Ecover, the Mr. Men series has unveiled its latest character: Little Miss Waste Less. The new Little Miss character hopes to inspire future generations to be more conscious about their plastic consumption, by encouraging families to incorporate refilling and reusing products into their daily habits.

02/ The Bad

• Balenciaga has apologized for their latest holiday campaign featuring children with teddy bears in bondage wear after harsh criticism. The fashion brand has filed a lawsuit against its production company, North Six, for $25 million. 

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