Your Daily Dose of Travel Gossip

Mexico’s Tlaxcala State Joins the UNWTO Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories

UNWTO has announced Tlaxcala’s Sustainable Tourism Observatory as the latest member of its International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).

Global Travel Collection creates Advisor Success team to support advisors - TravelDailyNews International

The newly created Advisor Success team is focused on optimising the partnership between GTC UK and its Independent Travel Advisors.

Crystal Lagoons expands Middle East Success with Saudi Arabia master agreement partnership with A'amal Group - TravelDailyNews International

With the new partnership with A'amal Group, Crystal Lagoons consolidate its presence in the Middle East, where it already has ongoing projects in the UAE, Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Oman.

Pivot expands portfolio with two boutique hotels on the Jersey shore - TravelDailyNews International

Kushner companies taps award-winning management company to operate Wave Resort and The Bungalow.

Flight-free travel: The best new European train routes launching in 2023 and 2024 | Euronews

A full list of new routes arranged by European country.

TProfile partners with G Adventures, expanding its tours and experiences content for travel agents - TravelDailyNews International

TProfile will provide travel agents with access to rich content, including high quality quotes, images and videos from G Adventures, designed to engage travellers.

Ryanair condemns Ursula von der Leyen for repeated failure to protect EU passengers - TravelDailyNews International

French ATC strikes have unfairly cancelled over 627,000 passengers’ flights, says the airline.

Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa in Montego Bay undertakes multi-million dollar refurbishment - TravelDailyNews International

The project has consisted of the refurbishment of common areas and the 537 hotel rooms, which includes 48 suites of two new categories that now have a terrace, private pool, and sea views.

Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index down 3.4% in March - TravelDailyNews International

In March, the Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index fell behind both the S&P 500 (+3.5%) and the MSCI US REIT Index (-3.3%).

European travellers opt for early Summer trips to beat crowds and rising travel costs - TravelDailyNews International

Most Europeans planning to travel this summer will take a trip before the peak month of AugustAs travel prices continue to rise, Europeans choose to plan and book their trips well in advance.

Solmar Hotels & Resorts announces new projects for 2023-2024 - TravelDailyNews International

Additionally, renovations will be made at two of the group's properties: Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa and The Ridge at Playa Grande.

Smithsonian Journeys announces new travel offering – Smithsonian Active Journeys - TravelDailyNews International

A collection of small group journeys developed with the active traveler in mind.

UAE and Malta explore ways to enhance cooperation in tourism and aviation fields - TravelDailyNews International

UAE is Malta’s largest GCC trading partner as of 2022.

Festival Napa Valley appoints David Shimmon to its Board of Directors - TravelDailyNews International

David Shimmon is a technology entrepreneur and arts advocate with over 25 years of experience and leadership in the semiconductor and related industries.

IGLTA opens call for 2023 convention speakers in Puerto Rico - TravelDailyNews International

The annual convention brings together top industry leaders and experts from around the world to share insights and best practices in LGBTQ+ tourism.

Travel Unity and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance join forces to increase inclusion in the world of travel - TravelDailyNews International

The partnership will see both alliances act in close collaboration, holding consultations and participating in Working Groups to enable the world’s hospitality industry to become more open and accessible to all.

Carnival Corporation announces Significant 2022 Sustainability Advances - TravelDailyNews International

Carnival Corporation releases annual sustainability report highlighting continued strong environmental performance and decarbonization momentum. Report details far-reaching sustainability achievements, including new technologies and smart solutions to del

Visit Galveston names Tony Lyle Chief Tourism Officer - TravelDailyNews International

Tony Lyle will guide tourism efforts for Visit Galveston.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants opens The Forum Hotel on The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business Grounds - TravelDailyNews International

As reflected in its name, the 198-room boutique hotel is a gathering place where food, drink, entertainment, conversation, education, reflection, and more can be shared by all in a vibrant setting.

Fraport amps up the passenger experience at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport - TravelDailyNews International

Fraport Cleveland in partnership with MERA Corporation is set to open 4 new hot restaurant brands in advance of the busy summer travel season.

JW Marriott San Antonio welcomes new Resort Manager - TravelDailyNews International

David Cronin joins the resort as Resort Manager bringing over 25 years of experience to the role.

Hôtel Plaza Athénée celebrates its 110th anniversary - TravelDailyNews International

1913 was the year that the hotel and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées opened on the prestigious Avenue Montaigne.

Toscana Resort Castelfalfi reopens after extensive luxury design renovation - TravelDailyNews International

The esteemed Tuscan property debuts transformation with high-design, wellness and culinary experiences in mind.

IHG Hotels & Resorts celebrates a new era of luxury in Rome with spring openings for Six Senses and InterContinental - TravelDailyNews International

The new InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace and Six Senses Rome join IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury & lifestyle portfolio to bring an extra touch of luxury to the Italian capital.

Ramadan travel falls short, says ForwardKeys - TravelDailyNews International

GCC outbound flight bookings for the peak Ramadan holiday period, 14th – 24th April, are better, 32% behind 2019.

InterContinental Bursa set to add to IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio with new signing in Türkiye - TravelDailyNews International

IHG Hotels & Resorts announces InterContinental brand signing in Bursa, Türkiye.

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Mews expands North America operations with acquisition of Hotello | PhocusWire

The acquisition of Hotello, a Montreal-based company serving hotels in the United States and Canada, is the sixth acquisition for Amsterdam-based Mews in the past four years.

This Epic Around-the-world Cruise Will Take Travelers to 51 Countries in 116 Days

Princes Cruises just announced a 116-day voyage around the world that will depart in 2025.

Southwest’s Latest Sale Has Flights Starting at Just $59 — How to Book

Southwest's latest sale for flights across the U.S. starting at $59 is available to book now until April 20.

The FBI Just Issued a Warning About Using Public Phone Charging Stations — What to Know

The FBI is reminding travelers to beware of free, public charging stations at airports or hotels.

Paris to Venice by train: Take the slow route between Europe’s two most romantic cities | Euronews

Midnight Trains hopes to launch the service from its Paris hub in 2025.

CEO Spotlight - Kenneth Purcell of iSeatz | PhocusWire

Kenneth Purcell founded iSeatz to automate the restaurant reservation process for hotel guests, and it has since expanded to connect hospitality, airline and financial services brands with a wide range of ancillary booking products.

Deloitte: Corporate travel spending on track for ‘24 recovery | PhocusWire

While a full recovery in business travel spending appears possible by the end of 2024, the corporate travel market would be 10-20% below pre-pandemic levels when factoring in inflation, according to the report.

STARTUP STAGE: HostAI creates AI-powered direct marketing for independent travel brands | PhocusWire

HostAI uses artificial intelligence to develop marketing strategies to drive direct revenue growth for hospitality brands, starting with vacation rental managers.

OTA Insight: Hotels could piggyback off rentals' demand data | PhocusWire

OTA Insight has delved into its data to find that hotel revenue managers can pick up early demand signals by looking at what’s happening in the rentals market.

Budgeting with a bot? The ultimate cheap, eco-friendly weekend in Europe, according to ChatGPT | Euronews

Amsterdam is the best spot for a budget-friendly eco break, according to an AI chatbot.

UNWTO Strengthens Cooperation Around Tourism Investments | UNWTO

Ryanair powers 100% of Amsterdam flights with SAF blend - TravelDailyNews International

Increasing the use of SAF is a fundamental pillar of our Pathway to Net Zero by 2050 decarbonisation strategy and this increase at Amsterdam will reduce greenhouse gas emissions of our flights from there by 32%.

1.9 million passengers traveled with SAS during March - TravelDailyNews International

The flown load factor for March was 76 percent, an improvement by 7 percentage points compared to March last year.

HELM set for record charter season, Greece and Croatia are increasingly popular - TravelDailyNews International

Yacht charter brokerage HELM sees a considerable growth in 2023 summer bookings.

VisitEngland announces 15 local visitor economy partnerships - TravelDailyNews International

Developed and administered by VisitEngland, the national portfolio of strategic and high-performing LVEPs support collaborative working locally and nationally on shared priorities and targets to grow the local visitor economy.

Swan Hellenic appoints luxury cruise specialist Luke Clarke as UK and Ireland Sales Director - TravelDailyNews International

People person admired for attention to detail joins cultural expedition cruise pioneer to sustain industry-leading customer service standards.

Saudi Arabia attracts Asia's largest Ocean Park operator - TravelDailyNews International

The Ministry of Investment with Haichang Ocean Park announced the planned development of the first large-scale Ocean Park in KSA.

Experience Oxfordshire’s visitor economy research indicates cautious optimism for 2023 - TravelDailyNews International

Operators are building on the innovations adopted during the pandemic, with investment in technology to enable pre-bookings, online sales and deliveries, online events and exhibitions and to build relationships with customers to encourage repeat visits.

Quark Expeditions launches brand new Greenland Explorer itinerary - TravelDailyNews International

The 11-day Greenland Explorer: Sail and Soar the Alpine Arctic will launch in 2024.

New research: What consumers want: An easy, modern travel retail experience - TravelDailyNews International

93% of consumers say the best retailers make it easy to find the product(s) they want. 83% of younger consumers aged 18-41 want more human-led customer support. 60% of consumers say they would take longer transport routes to their destination and 49% woul