The Pokemon Craze and 11 Other Tourism Trends This Week

Every week we post hundreds of stories across various sectors in travel, connecting the dots across various global trends, and in these weekend posts we highlight the stories that tackle these trends. This one looks at top tourism trends.

For all of our trends roundups, go here.

>>Tourism bureaus can create dynamic experiences to engage conference planners: Visit Denver Invests Big In Event Marketing to Woo Event Planners

>>If hospitality is what travel businesses are built on, how hospitable do the front line employees feel about their work? New Skift Monthly Series: Voices From the Front Lines of Travel

>>There is progress when it comes to letting employees book the accommodations that they want: Airbnb Scores Another Win With Corporate Travel Management Integration

>>It makes sense that business travelers who don’t travel very much would try to include some leisure elements when they do hit the road: Bleisure Travel Isn’t Growing, Despite What Trends Might Say

>>Uncertainty remains the key word, but a year of record spending followed by “moderate” growth is still good news: Global Business Travel Outlook Is ‘Cautious Optimism’ With a $1.2 Trillion Year on the Books

>>For almost any kind of conference to evolve, it needs to leverage the collective knowledge of the community: How South by Southwest Crowdsources New Programming Ideas

>>The national political conventions and South by Southwest provide baseline case studies about how to drive passionate engagement: The Future of Conference Attendee Engagement — Meetings Innovation Report

>>As more millennials become business travelers, they’re certainly going to look to explore during their business trips: Is Bleisure Overblown? — Skift Corporate Travel Innovation Report

>>James Cameron is the latest A-list celebrity to be hired for a major tourism campaign, and this one actually seems like a decent fit: James Cameron Is New Zealand’s Latest Tourism Ambassador

>>Giving students a great experience while they’re young likely leads to repeat business when they’re older: 5 Charts Showing Student Traveler Preferences in the U.S. and Abroad

>>Tech should continue to evolve to make the cruise experience easier to navigate: How Royal Caribbean Wants to Make Smart Ships Smarter

>>Since people are already wandering city streets in search of Pokémons, tourism marketers are trying to guide them to local attractions: The Smart Tourism Groups Already Leveraging the Pokémon Craze