The Fight to Save American Destination Marketing and 12 Other Tourism Trends This Week

Fight to Save U.S. Tourism Marketing Dollars Tracks Politicians’ Threats: The fight to protect destination marketing organizations from losing their funding has always been political — but the tactics used are getting more sophisticated than you might think.

Thomas Cook Closes In on $1.1 Billion Rescue Deal: Thomas Cook’s chances of escaping its current financial mess still rest in the hands of Fosun and its creditors. While Wednesday’s announcement is good news for travelers and the company’s employees, there are still a number of hurdles to clear.

Fast-Growing Travel Companies Break With Agency Traditions: Eschewing the usual travel agency business model, two travel companies on the Inc. 5000 list are enjoying significant success by providing highly curated itineraries and hiring staff with specialized expertise. Their approach is clearly resonating in today’s on-demand culture.

Dubai Tourism Launches Ads as Hotels Show Softness Ahead of Expo 2020: As Dubai deals with the disruptions for planning for Expo 2020, the tourism authority is leaving no stone unturned to market the destination on a global level. But while tourism volumes are increasing steadily, the hospitality sector needs to work toward bumping its rates back up.

Former Silversea Cruises CEO Takes Over at Luxe Travel Giant Abercrombie & Kent: The co-chairman structure is an unusual one in business and rarely lasts for long. But given the friendship of the two occupants, maybe this one stands more chance of success.

Mozambique’s Higher Visa Fees Stymie Tourism’s Post-Cyclone Recovery: Already reeling from a spate of natural disasters, a steep hike in visa fees for foreign visitors is the last thing Mozambique’s tourism industry needs right now.

Australia’s Landmark Uluru Is a Case Study for Immersing Tourists in Local Culture: To be sure, there is a sudden surge of people, mostly domestic visitors, who want to climb Ayers Rock before October 26 when a ban is enforced. But there’s more to the boom in the famous park in Australia’s Northern Territory than just the rock.

Australia’s Uluru Sees Bright Future From Visitors Interested in More Than a Rock: All roads lead to Uluru, even after October 26 when a ban to climb “The Rock” is put into effect. Customers are changing, a reason why it should all be rock-steady for the red desert in Australia’s Northern Territory long after the ban is enforced.

Skift Global Forum Preview: How the Faroe Islands Got the Tourism World’s Attention: The Faroe Islands has managed to punch above its weight with its tourism campaigns in recent years. Smaller, more remote destinations often have to be pretty creative in order to get attention.

Travel Agencies Find Success in Not Acting Like, Well, Travel Agencies: Breaking with the usual travel agency practices has proved to be a winning situation for two travel companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 list. New approaches to hiring and travel planning are resonating in today’s culture.

Top 5 Reasons to Attend Skift Global Forum 2019: Skift Forums offer attendees a unique mix of mind-expanding inspiration, actionable insights, and superior networking opportunities that open the mind and connect the world.

Learn More at Skift Global Forum Breakout Sessions: There’s a lot more to Skift Global Forum than just speakers, we have a host of breakout sessions for you to learn and network with some of the biggest names in the travel industry.

It’s Good to Be in the Boutique Fitness Business, at Least for Now: The fitness industry is thriving — especially high-end boutique studios. But those will likely be the hardest hit if a recession strikes. If and when that happens, you can expect luxury fitness studios to shutter.