Travel Agents Vs. Booking Sites 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.

>>Skift will explore the disruptions in hospitality on the big stage at WTM London: Join Skift at World Travel Market on Nov. 9 to Explore Disruptions in Hospitality

>>Meet L.A.'s new VR/360 video initiative helps planners better understand how to incorporate the sprawling city's event venues and local communities into their programs: L.A. Tourism Launches Virtual Reality Platform for Meeting Planners

>>Recent advances in DNA testing have made the service more accurate and affordable: DNA Testing Becomes a Heritage Tourism Hook for Black Travelers

>>Tourism can be a great economic driver, but massive growth isn't always sustainable: 5 Lessons From Iceland and the Perils of Overtourism

>>Governments, convention bureaus, and universities like those in Australia are collaborating more strategically: Sydney Positions Conferences As Catalysts for Economic Development

>>When it comes to reaching consumers, travel agencies don't have the resources to fight against travel providers: Travel Agents Struggle to Market Against Online Travel Giants

>>Our storytelling ambitions at Skift are growing bigger. Expect deeper reporting from us over the coming year as well: 11 Big Editorial Projects From Skift In 2016 You May Have Missed

>>Sydney, Los Angeles, and Omni Hotels are showing how tourism and hospitality companies are disrupting the meetings and events industry: How Tourism and Hospitality Sectors Can Disrupt the Events Industry — Meetings Innovation Report

>>The most famous theme park operators in the world are expanding globally and improving their original properties: Skift Podcast: The Serious Business of Modern Theme Parks

>>Travel brands need to start paying attention to how younger travelers book travel: Millennials Are Now the Most Frequent Business Travelers

>>Millennials are a driving force in society, and business travel is no exception: The New Face of Business Travel — Corporate Travel Innovation Report

>>Travel is in our DNA. Getting to the root of this travel instinct can help us build lasting relationships with our customers: The Hero’s Journey: A Human Framework for Building Modern Travel Brands