2013 Archives

It's not a surprise that Chinese tourists will be driving arrivals over the next four years, but expectations for substantial growth out of South America and Middle East prove that the U.S. needs to ease visa restrictions and increase marketing worldwide to make the most of the increase.

Pinterest's list of travel destinations represents where travelers wish to go while lists of check-ins and photos from other social networks show where they've gone. The difference in the types of places on each lists highlights the differences in travelers' fantasies and realities.

Extra fees are making airlines' profits healthier while keeping base fares low for consumers. They're on track to increase each year, which is becoming a good thing for the industry and flyers.

The rules being discussed would apply to Europeans booking rooms in the UK, and the framework would be fairly narrow in scope. They do not address broader rate parity issues, but would indeed provide for more competition and would be good for limited numbers of travelers.

With all of the politics and turf-protection habits at play, Carnival CEO Arnold Donald will have a big job on his hands in trying to nurture a more collaborative culture at the world's largest cruise company. Old habits die hard.

These tourism websites still have improvement to make in terms of featuring real-time social activity and reaching visitors on mobile. But their design sense is right on and should be an example to destinations still stuck in the era of online brochures.

It is rare, if not unprecedented, for a major online travel agency such as Ctrip to invest in a supplier, in this case a large car-rental company. Rest assured this is not a passive investment; the two parties plan to take advantage of the relationship.

Companies across all industries are getting more creative and playful with ads in hopes of a viral hit. These brands have the added benefit of working with planes, beaches, and hotel rooms, which tend to excite viewers even before adding the harlem shake.