Overtourism Meets Climate Change and 16 Other Tourism Trends This Week

How Bad Will It Get When Overtourism Meets Climate Change? The effects of climate change and overtourism on global destinations will converge over the course of the coming decades. Leaders need to start planning now for a world defined by overcrowding and limited resources.

Brand USA Finally Has a Path Forward Even as Some U.S. Airlines Oppose the Funding Plan: Plenty of lawmakers in Washington want to see Brand USA’s funding renewed — but it should come as no surprise that an increased passenger tax will leave some parties unhappy.

U.S.’ Loss of Global Travel Will Cost $180 Billion by 2022: It’s more bad news for U.S. market share of the global travel market.

Cox & Kings’ Struggles Force Closure of UK Travel Group: Things look to have deteriorated rapidly at Cox & Kings. Can it now raise enough money to stop itself going out of business?

Hong Kong Tourism Starts to Feel Impact as Pro-Democracy Protests Rage On: Major Hong Kong hotels expect to report lower earnings for the year but believe that the city will retain its global standing as one of the world’s biggest tourism hubs in the long term.

Thailand Tourism Body Needs More Than Marketing Prowess as It Turns 60: It’s one of the most astute destination marketers around, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand is facing a different test of skills as it turns 60 years old next year. Will it be as artful in developing “responsible tourism” for the kingdom?

Asia’s Elusive Chase for So-Called Quality Tourism: Quality tourism is a term that has been bandied about by Southeast Asian destinations. It’s high time they stop and give real thought to it.

Where Do Americans Spend Their Travel Dollars? New Skift Research: Take a deep dive into American travel spending habits by category, demographics, and destinations — and over time.

U.S. Job Growth in Travel for July Rises Despite Labor Shortages: A strong job market means lots of consumers are spending on domestic travel. But rising wages and recently tightened rules on visas for seasonal workers are pressuring some sectors. We take a sector-by-sector look.

The Highest Paid Travel CEOs in Europe in 2018: Amadeus’ Luis Maroto came out on top in 2018. His executive compensation is appropriate, given that the company is the most valuable European travel firm.

Theme Park Operator Merlin Finds Everything Isn’t Awesome at Legoland: Merlin’s determination to focus on the long-term potential of the company is probably one of the reasons it is keen to escape the glare of the public markets.

Expedition Cruising Is Still Small But Going Mainstream for Travel Advisors: Expedition cruises have come a long way from bunk accommodations on old Russian ships, with a growing fleet of luxury vessels presenting lucrative opportunities for travel advisors. It’s especially so for those looking for unique holiday solutions for their well-heeled customers.

Bridging the Disconnect Between Destination Marketers and Communities They Serve: The talk at the Destinations International annual conference in St. Louis was all about how destination marketing organizations need to transform themselves into destination management organizations. The shift is starting to take place. Progressive destinations that have a head-start on this strategy will take a bigger slice of the pie.

What Political Unrest Means for Global Biz Travel in the Coming Year: It all comes down to uncertainty, making consumers more cautious and businesses more likely to cancel travel. Unfortunately, this anxiety isn’t going to end any time soon.

Global Biz Travel Needs to Brace for a Slower 2020: Travel prices are starting to lag as political tensions put a damper on travel and corporate bookings go down.

Skift Global Forum Preview: Away’s Jen Rubio Created Cult Luggage by Creating a Community: Jen Rubio didn’t just co-create a luggage brand — she created an online community by understanding the way travel is an aspirational good in the age of social media. Plenty of companies could learn a thing or two.

The Highs and Lows of a Growing Wellness Beverage Market: A new wave of drinks is coming to market — and aiming to supplant predecessors that have less of a wellness edge.