Theme Park Battles Rage and 12 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.

>>You’ve waited this long already. Don’t wait another minute to get your ticket to this year’s Skift Global Forum. Tomorrow, we’ll officially be two months away: The Skift Global Forum Two-Month-Out Update

>>Leaving for your summer vacation? Take these podcast episodes with you to decode the travel trends you see on the road: Travel Podcasts to Get You Through Your Summer Vacation

>>Over 100 travel agencies have ceased operations in Singapore in the first six months of the year. But a closer look shows the trade is not dying; it is renewing: Singapore’s Old-School Travel Agencies Struggle While Innovators Thrive

>>Epcot, the theme park that once represented Walt Disney’s vision of an experimental future, is about to get a transformation that will bring it more in line with the parent company’s current strategy: Disney’s Once-Futuristic Epcot Is Getting a Modern Overhaul

>>Demographics always defy preconceived notions, but the mindsets of consumer segments are where the focus should be: Where Millennials and Baby Boomers Agree on Luxury Travel

>>The wholesale travel sector is under pressure from shifts in how hotel companies distribute their rooms. Tourico’s new tech for agencies and airlines may help boost sales and margins in the face of these trends: Tourico Holidays Tunes Up Its Technology After Hotelbeds Merger

>>Cabin seeks to bring style and a “moving hotel” approach to the overnight bus journey. They’ve nailed the design and approach, but will Californians choose it over flying? Lux Bus Startup Hopes Design and Flat Beds Will Make Overnight Trips Appealing

>>Disney still wins this round with the sheer volume of announcements it made earlier this month, but Universal definitely steals some theme park thunder with news of a new thrill ride at the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Universal Has More in Store for Harry Potter as Theme Park Battles Rage

>>Israel doesn’t really have a problem bringing in visitors. But bringing visitors who are not driven by religious beliefs is a challenge. Diversifying the country through food could help convince some travelers that a trip here is worth it: Israel Looks to Food Tourism to Attract a Different Kind of Visitor

>>While spending on business travel is forecasted to grow significantly in the next five years in both developed and emerging markets, there has also never been so much uncertainty collectively around global political, social, and economic disruptions: Business Travel Is Expected To Grow Amid High Uncertainty — Meetings Innovation Report

>>Analysts sounded concerned that a stretch of bad weather could put Six Flags Entertainment’s financial targets for 2017 at risk. The company better hope for clear skies moving forward — or find ways to reach the goals despite rainy days: New Six Flags CEO Is Blaming a Disappointing Quarter on the Rain

>>Travelers never like to be told what they cannot do, but perhaps Venice can strike the right tone: Venice Tackles Overtourism by Telling Visitors to Follow the Golden Rule

>>Under CEO Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook has quietly managed to turn itself around. The situation this year has undoubtedly been aided by an improving geopolitical climate but a more focussed, higher-quality product offering has also helped: Thomas Cook To Let Guests Choose Their Own Rooms as Operator Accelerates Hotel Improvements