Skift Take

This week in tourism news, we dove deep into meetings and events. What does the keynote speaker of the future look like, and how can conference planners leverage such an asset?

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.

>>Great speakers can make or break an event. But what tips can meeting planners use to ensure they identify the best talent? And who are some of the top speakers generating buzz in the events world today? Meeting Planners Guide To Best Keynote Speakers 2017 is an attempt to answer these questions: Introducing Meeting Planners Guide To Best Keynote Speakers 2017

>>Now is the time for all travel companies to decline to be narrow-minded and to look at the big picture. For cruise lines to talk about the boost they might get in Cuba because hotels will be hard-hit is small-mindedness at its worst: Travel Companies Disappointed, Pleased or Studying Trump’s Cuba Changes

>>More audience participation and diverse speakers will make this year’s Skift Global Forum the best yet: We’re Building The Sexiest Program for Skift Global Forum

>>Skift’s data show many U.S. adults weren’t planning an international trip this year even with a stronger dollar, but for those who were a more favorable exchange rate largely wasn’t a make-it-or-break-it factor in the decision process: Travel Habits of Americans: Strong U.S. Dollar Means Little to Outbound Tourists

>>There’s good and bad in this report. Spending will continue, of course, but it is shifting into new markets and leaving some legacy markets in the lurch: What the Growing Market for Luxury Goods Tells the Travel Industry

>>European car pick ups have been a thing for decades now, but BMW’s move to add B&R to the mix is an additional selling point for the right kind of traveler: BMW Picks Butterfield & Robinson as Its Exclusive European Tour Operator

>>The Cayman Islands feels its new meal-kit campaign is new and exciting, and in many ways it is: Cayman Islands Tests U.S. Meal-Kit Service to Boost Its Food Tourism Marketing

>>Conference planners are shifting their criteria for sourcing speakers based on three disruptions: changing attendee expectations, the rise of digital engagement, and a batch of high-profile conferences redefining event design: Defining the Event Speaker of the Future — Meetings Innovation Report

>>We’ve seen both luxury hotel and luxury cruise companies develop private jet products, but this is the first time a hotel brand has headed to sea. This is easily the most interesting thing the otherwise traditional Ritz-Carlton has ever done: Ritz-Carlton Enters the Luxury Cruise Business With 3 Custom Yachts

>>Carnival Corp. reminds us that China is a small part of its business — which is true. But if the market is going to become the world’s largest as the company expects, there are a lot of complications to work through: Carnival Says China Is a Good Long-Term Cruise Bet Despite Ongoing Struggles

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Tags: tourism, Travel Trends, trends roundups

Photo credit: New Jersey Senator Cory Booker speaks onstage at SXSW on March 10, 2017 in Austin, Texas. SXSW is known for attracting top talent. Hutton Supancic / SXSW

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