Tours and Activities Come Into Their Own and 10 Other Tourism Trends This Week

Throughout the week we post dozens of original stories, connecting the dots across the travel industry, and every weekend we sum it all up. This weekend roundup examines tourism.

For all of our weekend roundups, go here.

>>The Prime Minister’s speech was her most significant yet on the subject of Brexit, allowing us to analyze how this might affect the travel industry: What the UK Prime Minister’s Latest Brexit Speech Means for the Travel Industry

>>Every winter we get the best travel porn of the year: the ubiquitous Where-to-Go-This-Year lists, filled with panoramic photography and sexy descriptions of the destinations that made the cut. Here’s a look into the thankless editorial process of creating those lists: How Where-to-Go Lists Get Made: 5 Podcast Takeaways

>>It’s clear some European destinations had a tough year convincing international travelers to visit and Western Europe bore the brunt of that: Western European Destinations Had Little to No Tourism Growth in 2016

>>Venezuelan travel agencies have refocused their strategies to face the economic crisis. The shift has not been enough to boost the business, which shows no signs of recovery: Venezuelan Travel Agencies Get Creative in Reinventing Themselves After Very Tough Year

>>Airbnb’s entry into the tours and activities market certainly brings the sector to the fore. Competition is a healthy thing and all the players will have to up their games: Travel Megatrends 2017: Tours and Activities Are Finally Coming Into Their Own

>>The upscale meetings, events, and incentive travel market is seeing a spike in demand for more immersive and experiential connectivity: The Future of Luxury Meetings and Events — Meetings Innovation Report

>>Business travel spending has increased tremendously in India and Brazil since 2000 — but most of that money is spent domestically: Business Travel Is Expected to Soar in India, Struggle in Brazil as Economies Diverge

>>While fewer international travelers visited the U.S. last year based on available data, the travelers who did visit made trips in spite of a stronger dollar and likely had higher spending power or more disposable income to flirt with for international travel: International Traveler Spending in U.S. Snapshot for November 2016

>>It takes patience and methodical planning to build a new market — and the cruise industry seems to be settling into China until that’s done: Travel Megatrends 2017: Cruise Lines Play the Long Game

>>Tune in for our take on the biggest — some might call them mega — trends we see in store for travel this year: Skift Podcast: Megatrends Defining Travel in 2017

>>There’s a lot of year left, but Royal Caribbean executives must be feeling pretty confident to use a word like “sensational”: Royal Caribbean CEO Says Signs Point to a ‘Sensational Year’