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What’s Trending

01/ On Google

• “Will the government shutdown affect air travel?” trended +1,650% this week after news broke that Congress has not come to an agreement on the government fund.

02/ With Media

• Departures has announced that they will be shutting down effective January 1st, 2024. Both the print and online versions of the magazine will no longer be available.

• Business publication Bloomberg has launched Bloomberg Travel section. The topic has been added as a subsection on the website under ‘Industries’ and will cover everything tourism-related.

• Skift hosted their Global Forum this week and announced their 2024 travel trends including an aging population, the loneliness epidemic, A.I. and climate adaptation as major influences on the future of travel.

• This week media were interested in the best places and activities for Halloween, cozy honeymoon destinations, the best resorts in the Caribbean, where to go in the off-season, and best boutique hotels to get married in.

03/ In the Zeitgeist

• The WGA writers strike is over after a historic 148 days on strike following a tentative agreement being signed on Tuesday.

• Gen Z is so lonely that some are spending up to $500 on activities to make and maintain friendships, including gym memberships, classes, and trips.

• The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states have sued Amazon for monopolistic business practices. The case is considered to be a landmark and cites the business tactics as means for the suit.

Industry Insights

• A possible government shutdown would cause a surge in travel delays, with unpaid TSA screeners and air traffic controllers, flight delays, and paused training as the main factors.

• The European Union has postponed the European Travel Information and Authorization System Visa to mid-2024 to May 2025. This push was influenced by the delay of the Entry/Exit System.

• A recent study by luxury travel network Virtuoso suggests traveling to Europe in the fall, rather than in the summer, might be better thanks to fewer visitors, fall festivities, and seasonal foods.

• Google’s new Bard AI tool can now help travelers book their trips and create trip itineraries that work for multiple people using data from the users’ Google accounts including Google Calendar and Gmail.

• Iceland will be implementing a tourism tax following an increase in visitors to the country. The tax is meant to help combat the effects of tourism and climate change on the island.

• Switzerland debuted a tourism ad featuring blind comedian, Jamie MacDonald, speaking about the beauty of fall and how it is a feast for the senses, even if you're missing some.

• More travelers are interested in “mystery trips”, even going so far as to hire a travel agent to pick a surprise, random destination for their next trip. Travelers say it removes the stress of planning while adding spontaneity.

• Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, has admitted to going too far with their changes to the SkyMiles loyalty program and promises modifications to the program in the upcoming weeks.

• JetBlue has updated its seating policy to allow children 13 and under to sit next to a family member, free of an additional fee.

• Hyatt Hotel Corporation announced the launch of Homes & Hideaways by World of Hyatt, offering short-term private home rentals where members can earn and redeem points.

• As the cruise industry aims to become net zero by 2050, lack of supply and limited sustainable options call for more creative approaches, as noted by AFAR.

The Good

• Heinz is set to re-release their “Kranch” sauce under the name “Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch” after pop-star Taylor Swift was photographed with both sauces at the Kansas City Chief game this past Sunday

• Airbnb is debuting a Shrek Swamp in the Scottish Highlands where guests will be able to immerse themselves in all-things-ogre. Booking is open to the public on October 13th.