Tour Operators

Video: Why the Reported Demise of Packaged Travel Was Greatly Exaggerated

Hannah Sampson, Skift

Speaking at Skift Forum Europe in Berlin, analyst Richard Clarke made the case that packaged travel is back in style. But how does that square with the push for authentic, one-of-a-kind experiences?

3 days ago

Royal Caribbean Tour Venture GoBe Calls It Quits

Hannah Sampson, Skift

As we've said repeatedly: Everyone wants a piece of tours and activities, but not everyone can be successful. Royal Caribbean Cruises tried something different for a cruise company with GoBe, but the space was crowded.

1 month ago

Thomas Cook Is Pulling the Plug on Its Spring-Break Style Vacation Brand

Richard Weiss, Bloomberg

It's funny how the definition of cool can change over the course of a generation. Like Beanie Babies, AOL Instant Messenger, and mixtapes – Club 18-30 vacations belong to a different era.

1 month ago

Thomas Cook’s Personalization Ploy Is Paying Off

Patrick Whyte, Skift

Thomas Cook is desperate to shake off the impression that it's old fashioned and the 176-year-old travel company is trying different ways to make itself relevant to young travelers. Not every one will work but at least it is trying.

1 month ago

TUI Has Big Plans for Its Soon-to-Be Enlarged Tours and Activities Business

Patrick Whyte, Skift

Connecting up such a diverse, offline industry like tours and activities is not going to be easy, but the reward for a company like TUI is massive.

1 month ago

New Skift Research Report Offers Best Practices For Attracting Chinese Tourists

Meghan Carty, Skift Research

Chinese outbound travel continues to boom and shows high potential for future growth. Travel brands and destinations need to understand the evolving behaviors and preferences of Chinese travelers in order to most effectively appeal to this market.

2 months ago

Tour Operators Are Selling Runners on Extreme Marathons in Picturesque Places

Naureen S Malik, Bloomberg

None of these 26.2-milers is run-of-the-mill, as travel companies and tourism boards see the potential of marketing adventure runs to amateur athletes seeking experience-based travel. Any takers for a running safari in Kenya?

2 months ago

Chinese Tour Groups Don’t Always Deliver a Boost to Destinations

Mason Hinsdale, Jing Travel

It's a classic overtourism quandary: Will an influx of visitors be good for a destination — or will those visitors drain resources without giving much back to the local economy? This story illustrates how countries are pondering the issue when it comes to tour groups from China.

3 months ago

TUI Is Buying a Destination Services Business From Hotelbeds for $136 Million

Patrick Whyte, Skift

TUI is using some of the cash it amassed from selling companies such as Hotelbeds to buy a business from ... Hotelbeds. Maybe its taken a bit of time for the management to realize that tours and activities are strategic and a potential growth area.

3 months ago

Apple Leisure Group CEO Believes Vacations Are Much Better Than Virtual Reality

Hannah Sampson , Skift

The CEO of Apple Leisure Group isn't concerned about the prospect of virtual reality or other technology taking the place of actual vacations. But he is worried about the impact of policy that throws up roadblocks to traveling — a much more immediate concern.

3 months ago

Skift Forum Europe Preview: Thomas Cook CEO on Reinventing Mass-Market Tourism

Dan Peltier, Skift

Thomas Cook is an old dog in the travel industry that has definitely learned some new tricks. From Thomas Cook Money to offering the ability to book a specific hotel room, the company is personalizing the travel experience for the future.

4 months ago

TUI Group Wants a Bigger Slice of the Tours and Activities Market

Patrick Whyte, Skift

With TUI accumulating so much customer data, it makes sense to deploy that knowledge to its transfers, and tours and activities business. The sector is still fragmented and a player with deep pockets like TUI should be able to make inroads.

4 months ago