North America & Caribbean

Mexico’s Mystifying Tourism Move Leaves Competitors Ready to Pounce

Hannah Sampson , Skift

Mexico's new government has priorities for tourism, but that doesn't include a tourist board. Will other destinations seize the opportunity?

Universal Is Going for Full-On Immersion With New Harry Potter Ride

Hannah Sampson, Skift

Universal has seen huge returns on its Harry Potter investments. The latest addition is a ride — as opposed to an entire land — but it will still likely draw crowds, especially in the months before Disney's Star Wars expansion opens in Florida.

Disney Will Open Its New Star Wars Expansions Early to Meet Demand

Hannah Sampson, Skift

Disney's new Star Wars additions will open earlier than expected, but one big piece will be missing. Will fans flock to be first or wait until everything is operational?

Video: VisitDallas President and CEO on How Destinations Are Fighting Against Discriminatory Legislation

Phillip Jones, president and CEO of VisitDallas, joined Greg Oates, SkiftX’s editor-at-large, at Skift Global Forum 2018 to discuss the value in banding together with fellow organizations and stakeholders to fight discriminatory legislation.

SeaWorld’s Rebound Appears to Be Sticking

Hannah Sampson , Skift

The news has been consistently positive for SeaWorld lately after a long stretch of disappointing results. With new leadership and a strategy that has been working, 2019 is shaping up well.

China Tourism Stall Leads to U.S. Drop in Foreign Visitor Spending

Hannah Sampson , Skift

Even though official government data is still unavailable for 2018, reports show the United States is losing ground when it comes to international tourism — and especially key markets like China. What will it take to turn that trend around?

Florida Sees Tourism Gain Despite Another Decline in Overseas Visitors

Hannah Sampson, Skift

Florida's tourism picture is still setting records, but the persistent drop in overseas visitors is troubling — especially for a warm-weather destination with global appeal.

Still Healing, Caribbean Predicts Strong Tourism Growth

Isaac Carey, Skift

It didn't take long for travelers across the world to start booking their vacations in the Caribbean again, even in the hardest-hit areas. That being said, the threat of another disaster always looms.

Mexico Makes Risky Bet by Moving Global Tourism Effort to Embassies

Hannah Sampson, Skift

Mexico's tourism promotion body probably needed some changes, but this is likely going too far. Will Mexico's travel industry find a way to fill the gap?

The Bahamas Launches Marketing Blitz After Fyre Festival Fiasco

Kim Bhasin and Polly Mosendz, Bloomberg

The old adage is that there is no such thing as bad publicity. The Bahamas plans to turn the popular focus on the Fyre Festival debacle into a showcase for the beauty that led those scammers to select the destination in the first place.

Disney Doesn’t Plan to Spend a Fortune Promoting New Star Wars Attractions

Hannah Sampson, Skift

Disney's CEO seems to expect the company's upcoming Star Wars lands to basically sell themselves. He's probably right, but we still expect to hear plenty about Galaxy's Edge in the coming months.

U.S. Travel Predicts Strong Biz Travel Growth

Andrew Sheivachman, Skift

Although leisure travel growth will probably slow this year, business travel will continue to pick up. This is good news for those who suspect a recession is on the way.