Travel Agents

This cost-cutting package could be one of the largest we'll see in this crisis. On paper, the cuts look like they'll be enough, but there will be collateral damage to its brand with so many shop closures.

Airlines, cruise ships, and hotels rely on travel advisors to book a lot of their business. A lobbying effort is afoot to make sure that thousands of these small businesses don't get left out of recovery measures.

The coronavirus crisis accentuates the value of travel advisors as much as it highlights their plight as go-betweens in the tourism sector. But a bigger question looms: Will these travel intermediaries in Asia survive the onslaught of this latest crisis?

Spring break travel is in wait-and-see mode as travel advisors field calls from clients rattled by the coronavirus pandemic. Some travelers are swapping their trips for “safer” spots like Hawaii, Florida, and the Caribbean.

Cruise lines were set to have a banner year in 2020, but coronavirus and resultant ship quarantines are putting that in doubt. No one knows what the long-term impact will be.

This week in tourism news, destination marketing organizations find themselves in a pickle. Should they carry on with promotional campaigns amid growing fears over coronavirus? Also, Skift launches a one-on-one interview series. Founder and CEO Rafat Ali candidly talks with industry leaders on travel's path forward as the world grapples with, and recovers from, the virus crisis.

The coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the cruise industry, with travel advisors caught in the middle as they deal with cancellations and questions from worried clients that are difficult to answer. Among the most troublesome aspects is the uncertainty of how long the crisis will last and how much worse it may get.

Millennial parents have a lot in common with their generational peers without kids, but they also have some unique travel preferences and values. Their impact on the family travel segment is just beginning.

The coronavirus is dealing a blow to travel in general, but ship quarantines and other factors may be making cruise especially vulnerable. Travel advisors are scurrying to chart the best way forward for their worried clients.

Extended around-the-world travel is no longer just for the superrich or the unencumbered. It's now within reach of middle-class families. Travel advisors are showing how it can be done.