Carnival CEO on Empathy and 10 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.

>>Celebrity Cruises recognizes that fear is bad for travel — and doesn’t seem worried about rocking the boat with a politically charged ad: Celebrity Cruises Wades Into Political Waters With Its New Ad Campaign

>>An aging population of agency owners is looking for an escape hatch, adding fuel to the acquisition frenzy: Travel Agency Acquisitions Are Being Driven by Aging and Ambition

>>While we’d love to have time with the president, choosing between him and a freshly cooked meal in Vietnam would be tough. Lucky for Bourdain he didn’t have to choose: Anthony Bourdain and President Obama on Parts Unknown Season Premiere

>>By tackling the issue of trust, not only will companies in the sharing economy be able to raise standards, they might also be able to keep regulators off their backs: Is Trust Enough in The Sharing Economy?

>>Carnival Corp. had a strong quarter at a time when some competitors struggled, but questions will remain about how quickly the industry is growing in China: Carnival Corp. Says Its Cruise Business Is Strong, Even in Europe

>>Arnold Donald has done an impressive job turning around Carnival Corp.’s image. Now he has to lead it into the future in an extremely competitive global cruise market: Carnival Corp. CEO Says Empathy Is Vital in Complicated World

>>Packaged travel giant The Travel Corporation is turning to influencers and stronger narrative marketing to appeal to the next generation of tourists: Travel Corporation CEO Sees Better Storytelling as Key to Millennial Travelers

>>There’s no doubt the travel industry is hoping for a Hillary Clinton presidency as opposed to working with Donald Trump in the White House. But the U.S. Travel Association is courting both sides: U.S. Travel Association: ‘We’re Working With Both Clinton and Trump’

>>Theoretically, this isn’t your grandparents’ Club Med. Affluent millennial parents and their kids are now part of the target demographic: Club Med Targeting Affluent Millennial Families in Bid to Redefine Its Brand

>>The state of travel bookings is already complex and it’s only going to get worse, says SilverRail CEO Aaron Gowell. To keep up, the industry needs a more comprehensive booking system: SilverRail Technologies CEO Says Travel Needs Seamless Booking Tools

>>Events with cult followings like SXSW and Bonnaroo may seem magical, but they’re built on data: SXSW and Bonnaroo and the Data Behind Big Events