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What’s Trending

01/ On Google

• The term "travel advisory Florida" trended 350%+ this week, due to the Florida NAACP's push for a travel advisory to be issued following Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' recent legislation banning diversity and inclusion initiatives.

02/ With Media

• Travel writer Apeksha Bhateja has joined Fodor's Travel as a staff writer.

• Hundreds of WGA east members employed at Hearst Magazines Media staged a walkout and rally on Thursday, March 23 to demand a fair contract. The walkouts took place at four of the company’s offices in New York City, Easton, PA, Ann Arbor, MI, and Birmingham, AL. 

• This week journalists were interested in specialty cruises, where to go in July, the best destinations for spring, the best destinations for parents, and unique food-related packages.

03/ In The Zeitgeist

• The United Nations Climate Change Report predicts that in less than a decade, global temperatures will surpass an alarming threshold if nations don't drastically transform their economies and transition away from fossil fuels.

• On Thursday, March 23rd, Shou Zi Chew, CEO of the China-based social media app TikTok, provided testimony before a House of Representatives committee in regard to the potential banning of the app in the U.S. due to worries about privacy and data protection.

Industry Insights

• Condé Nast Traveler announced the creation of its first-ever Global Advisory Board to advise the brand on issues most relevant to travel, participate in editor-hosted panel discussions, and provide editorial guidance.

• OpenAI announced that it will gradually roll out ChatGPT plugins for travel booking platforms Expedia and Kayak. The plugins will enable travelers to talk to ChatGPT about travel information and help plan all aspects of a trip including flights, hotels, car rentals, and activities.

• With record snowfalls across the country, skiers and snowboarders will be able to book ski resort stays until June this year. Several ski areas are approaching record snowfalls, including Palisades Tahoe (662 inches) and Mammoth Mountain (618 inches) in California, as well as Alta, Utah with 681 inches, the most snow recorded to date.

• Attracting millions of visitors a year, Rome’s Pantheon will soon begin charging visitors five Euros for admission into the historical site. However, Roman residents, anyone under age 18, and teachers accompanying school groups will still be able to enter the site for free, and tourists under 25 will only have to pay 2 Euros to enter.

• A total of 15 European countries now offer a digital nomad visa, including Spain, Croatia, Germany, and Greece, as there are now an estimated 35 million digital nomads around the world.

• The Aruba Tourism Authority is hiring a new weather person promoting it as the “easiest job in the world” due to the island experiencing more sunny days than any other Caribbean island. With no experience needed, the individual hired for the position will spend a week on the island at the new Embassy Suites by Hilton Aruba Resort and take over the weather reporting duties on Aruba's social channels.

• Google began testing a price guarantee offer on flights, giving consumers a refund if the airfare purchased drops before departure due to the company’s confidence in its algorithms. The pilot program is available now for select itineraries.

• Luxury membership club Vivrelle announced a new partnership with the Four Seasons that allows guests to borrow designer handbags, jewelry, and diamonds when they stay at select properties, free of charge. The partnership launched at the Four Seasons Houston and Four Seasons Private Residences Los Angeles and plans to extend the complimentary amenity to more locations soon.

Health-Related Updates

• After closing for three years due to the pandemic, China fully reopened for all travelers and will be issuing visas of all types.

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