2019 Archives

The adage that U.S. presidential election years are bad for business may or may not hold true for 2020. Savvy travel advisors, however, may want to put extra effort into keeping clients confident and enthusiastic about upcoming travel plans.

Despite explosive growth, cracks in the global travel sector began to multiply over the last decade. More change and trouble will come before the industry can figure itself out again.

No two sectors in travel are seeing as many changes and opportunities as luxury and wellness. That's why we are combining our coverage in a new weekly newsletter to launch on January 2. The Luxury & Wellness Travel Report will present fresh perspectives from across the globe on trends, business models, and the game-changers shaping these industries.

The travel industry has at least 10 young private companies that have each raised more than $500 million so far while continuing to seek an exit for their investors. That's a remarkable boom in travel startups compared with a decade ago.

Heading into 2020, we handpicked 10 reports we published in 2019 that touch upon the most important topics and trends in travel. These themes should be top of mind moving forward.

One of our goals is to always surprise our readers. So we asked our editors to push the envelope on making predictions for the New Year. They did not disappoint, from Amazon buying Expedia to JetBlue going away. What we are really trying to do here is prepare our readers for more of the unexpected in 2020 — and we'll be there to cover it.

E-commerce is unlocking new opportunities for travel and tourism gurus in Egypt and the Middle East. Local entrepreneurs are attempting to capitalize on the convenience of having an online business, but filling the gap for much-needed niche tourism services can be difficult to accomplish in a highly competitive market.

Airbnb overtook Expedia in room nights booked in the first quarter of 2019, but questions loom for 2020. Will Airbnb lose its focus as it vows to go public and become a broader online travel agency? Will Expedia, which seems lost in terms of creating a revised strategy, find its way? So many headlines to come.

Tourists are being accused of crossing the line at Disney World with its characters. Disney needs to be more clear to visitors on what the rules are when it comes to Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Disney Princess, and the other characters roaming the park.

The tug-of-war between hotels and short-term rentals intensified in 2019, with both sides making strategic moves to display their strength. There were wins and losses for everyone, and the result so far has been a deeper blurring of the lines between the two sectors.