Dec 17th, 2012 at 4:00PM: Want to know where to go and what to do in 2013? Leading luxury travel network Virtuoso has released their 2013 Luxe Report, revealing the top travel trends and destinations for 2013, as chosen by their travel advisers.
We're seeing a number of new destinations emerge as must-visits, including Myanmar, Bhutan and Chile, lesser-developed destinations that give a more immersive experience than a ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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2013's Top Luxury Travel Trends And Destinations
Dec 17th, 2012 at 4:00PM: Want to know where to go and what to do in 2013? Leading luxury travel network Virtuoso has released their 2013 Luxe Report, revealing the top travel trends and destinations for 2013, as chosen by their travel advisers.
We're seeing a number of new destinations emerge as must-visits, including Myanmar, Bhutan and Chile, lesser-developed destinations that give a more immersive experience than a ...Restaurant Offers Diners Discount For Conversing
Aug 19th, 2012 at 12:00PM: It's not uncommon to be at a restaurant where patrons are texting on their phones, tweeting on their iPads and Skyping on their laptops. Well, one Los Angeles restaurant has had enough of people going out together, only to not even converse with each other. In fact, Eva Restaurant Los Angeles is offering a 5 percent discount to diners who leave their cellphones with staff while seated.
On ...Study Reveals What Travelers Want Most When Flying
Jun 20th, 2012 at 3:00PM: There's been a lot of talk lately about customer satisfaction and future plans for air travel. To help get to the bottom of what fliers really want, Skyscanner surveyed airline passengers and asked them.
The findings showed:
20% of travelers want capsule-style bunks on flights
18% would like to see soundproof sections for children
8% hope airplanes will soon have kick-proof ...Summer Travel Trends: Experiential Travel, Weekend Getaways And Digital Tools
Jun 16th, 2012 at 9:00AM: A lot has changed in the way people take summer vacations from last year. According to the American Express Spending & Savings Tracker, consumer behavior is shifting towards experiential travel, with 42 percent looking to learn about local culture. Furthermore, 22 percent of travelers are looking for more "soft adventures," like cooking classes, spa retreats and trekking. Likewise, 36 percent ...Airline Trends: Fliers To Be Charged Extra For Window Seats
Jun 15th, 2012 at 1:00PM: While you can usually purchase your flight ticket and then reserve any seat you'd like in your section, airlines are beginning to charge extra for window seats. Certain airlines, like Delta, American Airlines, US Airways, Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant, have already implemented the "preferred seating" fees, charging $29 each way on domestic flights in the U.S. and $59 on international flights in ...Travel Trend: Jaguar Spotting In Brazil
Apr 10th, 2012 at 2:30PM: While tiger tourism is still the most popular type of cat viewing, there is another trend that is on the rise: Jaguar spotting. For those who have already watched tigers in their natural habitat – and even for some who have not yet had the pleasure – traveling to see wild jaguars is becoming a must-have experience.
There is a big difference in spotting tigers and jaguars, ...'Guam: The New Maldives' and other Chinese tourism trends
Mar 27th, 2012 at 9:00AM: In 2012, trips originating from China will comprise an estimated 8 percent of total world travel. The China Tourism Academy estimates that 80 million Chinese residents will travel overseas, spending an estimated US$80 billion. That's a significant chunk of the market.
In a recent article, CNNGo's Shanghai editor Tracy You set out to demystify the Chinese traveler and predict the future of ...After the royal wedding: a boost for travel to UK
May 5th, 2011 at 7:00AM:
The big event is over and the attention of the world has moved along to other stories but the verdict is in: the Royal wedding brought a huge spike in travel to the UK.
"Travelers from across the globe arrived in London to watch and be a part of one of the biggest events in history, with visitors from Europe, to Australia and Asia. Londoners and tourists camped outside Westminster Abbey for ...Travel Trends: Theme park attendance down, Disney remains strong
Jun 16th, 2010 at 5:30PM: The outlook for theme parks in 2010 is quite upbeat compared to 2009. Last year, attendance slipped as the rough economy forced millions of people to stay home and snap shut their wallets.
This year, the improving economy, coupled with dozens of new attractions opening at parks around the country, is expected to pump up attendance figures at North American theme parks.
"The industry is well ...Travel Trends: Caribbean is most popular cruise destination, but niche markets growing fast
Jun 11th, 2010 at 1:28PM: For the first nine years of the 21st Century, the Caribbean Islands have been the most popular cruise destination for travelers from around the world, according to figures provided by the Cruise Lines International Association.
Each year since 2000, about one-third of people who cruised chose to do so in the Caribbean. However, from a high of 42% in 2002, the number of travelers dropped to 32% ...Travel Trends: Train travel in the USA
May 27th, 2010 at 8:27AM: Paul Theroux, the great American travel writer, once said, "Almost anything is possible in a train" -- and that still holds true today. While the U.S. has not embraced rail travel as a primary means of transportation for several decades, a resurgence is growing. Passengers frustrated with airline delays and rising costs, the high cost of gasoline and road construction are beginning to give train ...Travel Trends: The effect of Southwest Airlines' cheap fares on competitor fares
May 21st, 2010 at 1:00PM: The last time you wanted to book a trip somewhere in the U.S., what airline did you think of first? If you're like thousands of U.S. air passengers, you checked to see if Southwest Airlines flew in and out of the city you wanted to visit. Since its inception almost forty years ago in 1971, Southwest has been providing passengers all over the country with low-cost travel options.
Southwest uses ...Travel Trends: Pet travel
May 19th, 2010 at 1:05PM: From doggy daycare to feline pampering to gourmet food and beyond, pet owners in the United States shower their furry companions with a healthy dose of attention. Although this affection is shown through lots of play time and generous ear scratching, it's most easily recognizable by the billions of dollars spent every year in the pet industry.
...Travel Trends: The rise of the 'Free Independent Traveler' (FIT)
May 12th, 2010 at 11:30AM: Over the last few years, the world travel landscape has undergone significant changes brought by security concerns, the economic crisis and green considerations. These new conditions have given rise to a new type of tourist: the "Free Independent Traveler," or FIT. The term refers generally to people over 35, of above average income, and who like to travel in small groups or as couples. They avoid ...Travel Trends: Airlines spending less on food in 2010, but are healthier options around the corner?
Apr 29th, 2010 at 5:25PM: Given the harsh economic conditions in the airline industry and the hyper-competitive market, it's not surprising to find that the top US airlines have cut back the average amount of money spent on passenger meals.
According to the US Government's Department of Transportation, from a high of almost $6 per person in 1991, to an average cost of $3.58 per passenger in 2009, the costs per ...Travel Trends: Orlando, Las Vegas top summer destinations for 2010
Apr 28th, 2010 at 1:28PM: Perhaps fueled by a sense that the economy is improving, millions of Americans are gearing up to travel this summer. And when it comes to summer travel, Americans are nothing if not decisive about where we want to go.
This summer's top two destinations – hands down – are Orlando and Las Vegas, according to a recent survey conducted with members of the American Society of Travel ...Travel Trends: Cruising in Alaska is up, so why are people angry?
Apr 23rd, 2010 at 11:55AM: Alaska: The "Last Frontier."
It's a trip of a lifetime for many of us. We imagine towering snow covered peaks with flowing glaciers draping down their sides, eagles soaring overhead while brown bears pluck spawning salmon from wild rivers right in front of our camera lenses. In short, we dream of a pure untouched landscape straight from a lost primordial world. And in truth, this beauty and ...Travel Trends: How do men and women travel differently?
Apr 13th, 2010 at 12:58PM: We all know that men and women are different -- different bodies, different brains, different planets of origin -- but how different are they when it comes to travel?
Both men and women average the same number of domestic trips per year (3), spend about as much money per foreign trip ($2,479 for men, $2,357 for women), and spend about the same on luggage in a year ($111 for men, $107 for ...Travel Trends: Online booking for travel expected to increase through 2014
Apr 6th, 2010 at 11:00AM: Like much of the rest of the travel industry, online travel bookings in 2009 took a hit. Spending by consumers dipped for the first time in recent memory, from $112.9 billion in 2008 to $104.3 billion in 2009 (down 7.6%), according to a report from research firm Forrester.
However, while online bookings for virtually every segment slipped -- including air travel by a punishing 7.7% to $61.8 ...Travel trends: 2010 to be the best year ever for America's parks? [update]
![Travel trends: 2010 to be the best year ever for America's parks? [update]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/media/2010/03/resscreen-shot-2010-03-27-at-9.48.34-am-1269697945_thumbnail.png)
Mar 30th, 2010 at 10:30AM: More than 285.6 million people visited America's national parks in 2009, making it the fifth busiest year in the 94-year history of the national park system. About 10 million fewer people visited the parks in 2008. The all-time visitation record was in 1987 with 287.2 million visitors.
Weak Economy Was Good for Park Visitors
During a phone interview with David Barna, the chief of public ...
