Selene Brophy

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News Blog

TUI Relaunches First Choice Travel Brand

TUI-owned FirstChoice.co.uk has relaunched as a new travel and experiences booking platform as the brand looks to strengthen its position with the flexible, independent traveler. First Choice, originally well-known for its package holidays, now offers an array of travel options tailored around the needs and unique points of interest of today's travelers, according to TUI UK and Ireland…

Selene Brophy | 3 weeks ago

News Blog

South Africa to Launch Short-Term Rental Register

South Africa's ministry of tourism and Airbnb have announced a partnership to regulate the country's short-term rental industry. This agreement will include the introduction of a voluntary national registration system to help the South African government understand the rental business better. The country's tourism minister Patrcia de Lille said, "Insufficient information is available about the…

Selene Brophy | 3 weeks ago

Tourism

Morocco Tours Canceled by Deadly Earthquake as Operators Hope to Restart Soon

Morocco is the latest destination impacted by a severe natural disaster, with tour operators needing to implement contingency plans to deal with the aftermath of a deadly earthquake.

Selene Brophy | 3 weeks ago

Morocco Tours Canceled by Deadly Earthquake as Operators Hope to Restart Soon

News Blog

Pure 2023 Canceled as Morocco Reels in Earthquake Aftermath

The high-end, experiential travel show Pure Life Experience, meant to take place in Marrakesh from 10 to 13 September, has been canceled. The organizers of the annual event, now in its 14th year, issued a statement confirming its cancelation following the devastating 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Morocco on Friday, 8 September, which killed more than 2,000 people and left…

Selene Brophy | 3 weeks ago

Tour Operators

TUI’s Digital Bid to Draw in New Independent Travelers

TUI is known for its sun-and-beach holiday packages. However, its digital approach is now more attuned to independent, do-it-yourself travelers looking for flexibility.

Selene Brophy | 3 weeks ago

TUI’s Digital Bid to Draw in New Independent Travelers

Business Travel

Flight Centre Results Show Shift Back to Corporate Travel

Flight Centre is seeing a potential shift in client demographics as more than half of its new account wins for corporate travel were previously unmanaged companies.

Selene Brophy | 3 weeks ago

Flight Centre Results Show Shift Back to Corporate Travel

Online Travel

Travel Rewards Booking Startup Point.Me Raises $10 Million

Helping travel reward programs and consumers make the most of unredeemed points could be easy pickings, noting that $30 billion in rewards go unused each year — signaling a need for the mechanics of loyalty to evolve.

Selene Brophy | 4 weeks ago

Travel Rewards Booking Startup Point.Me Raises $10 Million

News Blog

Turo Saw Rise in Electric Vehicle Demand Over Summer

Turo, the peer-to-peer car rental startup, has seen an uptick in electric vehicle use for summer road trips. The platform's "electric" filter saw a 139% increase in use during listing searches, according to Turo's Chief Data Officer, Albert Mangahas who confirmed Turo guests made summer bookings in 2,700 different cities and towns for travel between June 1 and…

Selene Brophy | 1 month ago

Tour Operators

The Next Wave for Experience Travel Businesses: 3 Charts

Will the experiences sector ever be fully online? Industry analysis paints a doubtful picture, but there's considerable room to scale and grow, with the current volume at some 30% and key industry players owning marginal stakes.

Selene Brophy | 1 month ago

The Next Wave for Experience Travel Businesses: 3 Charts

News Blog

Marriott Bonvoy Launches Miami App-Based City Tour

Marriott Bonvoy has launched a self-paced walking tour, Capture the City Miami, curated in partnership with Greater Miami and Miami Beach and local fashion blogger Daniela Ramirez.  Available as a mobile app, the tour showcases an interactive map with tips and content created by Ramirez, aka @nany. Developed as part of the Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty program, the walking tour can be…

Selene Brophy | 1 month ago