D/R DOWNLOAD 6.30

What’s Trending

01/ On Google

• New Yorker article The Case Against Travel trended 3,800% this week. The piece discusses the true value of travel and how it is often an action that takes rather than gives.

02/ With Media

• National Geographic Magazine recently laid off the last of its staff writers. The magazine will continue to put out monthly issues and digital content which will be handled by freelance writers and in-house editors.

• This week journalists were interested in information for fall adventures and destinations, how to save on summer travel, female cruise ship captains, the coolest hotel concierges, and more.

03/ In The Zeitgeist

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action, or considering a college applicant’s race in admissions, is unconstitutional and violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. 

• Google announced it will pull Canadian news from Google Search and its other products in Canada over legislation that would force it to share revenues with news publishers. The company claimed they would do so once the legislation, The Online News Act, took effect in December.

Industry Insights

• Qantas is developing a new model plane with an in-flight “Well-Being Zone”, new seats, meals, and lighting. The design was conceived following a study done on how to combat jet lag during long haul 10+ hour flights.

• More brands are looking into size-inclusive travel with brands such as Stellavision Travel and Fat Girls Traveling leading the way.

• The falling revenue for AirBnB listings could spark a housing market crash. Revenues per listing has dropped nearly 50 percent in popular cities for AirBnB including Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas.

•  Disney World’s ride reservation system, Genie+, now allows guests to use the reservation system for just one of four parks instead of multiple, granting flexibility for families who visit for shorter periods of time. 

• Icon of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship by The Royal Caribbean, is completing its first phase of sea trials in hopes of setting sail in early 2024. This ship can hold 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew and guarantees 40 places to dine, 20 decks, and 8 neighborhoods to explore among other amenities. 

• The Plaza Hotel and Four Seasons in Midtown Manhattan are preparing to reopen. Both closed since the pandemic, the premier hotels are in the midst of cleaning and welcoming guests back into rooms, restaurants, and amenities. 

• Pinterest is dropping a new program called “Travel Catalogs” which allows travel brands to upload their full travel catalog for Pinterest to create an ad. Success of this feature has resulted in an 8X optimized click through rate.

Best Practices

01/ The Good

• Bahama Breeze is offering travelers a free margarita if their flight gets canceled as part of their “Flight for a Flight” deal in select U.S. cities. Proof of cancellation is all that’s needed to sip on three-ounce pours of the eatery’s classic, dragon fruit and coconut-pineapple margaritas.

• Luggage brand Away used AI to combine dreamscapes and real destinations to inspire travel in a new campaign titled “Extraordinary is Out There.”

02/ The Bad

• Air Canada was criticized on social media after a  passenger was unable to bring her crutches as a carry-on item due to the airline's policy. This led to a debate  regarding accessibility and customer service.

• B-corp group travel company, Intrepid Travel was forced to remove an ad by the ASA, Advertising Standards Authority, due to providing “misleading information” about the brand’s impact on the environment. 

• Influencer and model, Dani Carbonari, received backlash for her glowing review of fast-fashion brand, Shein’s factory during a sponsored trip, despite the company's long history of labor abuses.