Traveling Blog: London's Overtourism Solution + Travel Ban Upheld + Luxe Goes Solo

June 27, 2018

Note From the Editor

President Trump is supposed to be the business president. But one industry that has yet to have a formal audience with the president is travel. That is why the U.S. Supreme Court's decision Tuesday to uphold the president's travel ban policy (see News Editor Hannah Sampson's story below for some reaction) stings even more.

The U.S. Travel Association, the industry's main lobby group, put out a statement that said: "The economic stakes around strong and healthy international travel are too high—and speak too squarely to the president's priorities of growing exports, jobs, and the GDP—for the welcome message not to become a featured part of the administration's calculus." It's a good statement, but more needs to be said, and with greater volume. Now is the time for everybody in travel to stand up against this president to remind him how crucial the travel industry is to the global economy and what we stand to lose from this ban.

— Tom Lowry, Managing Editor

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The hotel tech stack of today should focus entirely on the customer journey and be arranged so that it provides guests a seamless experience. A hotel tech stack that is not integrated on the back-end will feel fragmented on the front-end.

London Uses Mobile Gaming App to Help Tackle Overtourism

Many travelers are glued to their phones, so why not put them to even greater use? That's what London tourism officials are hoping to do but whether this will actually help disperse tourism throughout the city rather than generate revenue for already crowded attractions remains to be seen.

Trump Border Policies Are Bad for Business Travel, Survey Finds

The initial travel ban caused widespread chaos and confusion, and uncertainty has remained amid court challenges. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the ban, will business travel suffer as this survey suggests?

Inside the Rise of Solo Luxury Adventure Tourism

Forget millennials. It's their parents that have the money and time to sign up for luxury experiences around the globe. With the aid of digital communications, going alone no longer feels like tragedy but an asset.

Video: GetYourGuide Is Playing the Long Game With Activity Booking

The vast majority of tours and activities are still being booked offline the old-fashioned way, so theoretically, the digital players can each have their piece of the pie.

Travel Ban Upheld in Divided U.S. Supreme Court Decision

In 2015, then-candidate Donald Trump called for a shutdown of Muslims entering the country. More than a year and much chaos after he was elected, the Supreme Court has allowed him to make a version of that bigoted campaign rhetoric the law of the land.

Online travel agencies remain essential to the travel industry as consolidators of, and clearinghouses for, advertising dollars throughout the space. We do not see OTAs being removed from this position easily, but growing challenges have hurt ad efficiency. OTAs must remain nimble to keep pace.

More Black Travelers Hit the Great Outdoors as Camping Activity Jumps

Black outdoor enthusiasts are camping, hiking, rock climbing, and RVing in greater numbers. But it's not because white America, which dominates the sector, reached out. Black America made it happen.

Carnival Lowers Full-Year Forecast as Hurricane Season Looms

Carnival's shares took a beating Monday after the company lowered its forecast for the full year. Executives pointed out the reason was a hit from fuel and currency, not a lack of demand. That said, they (and the rest of the travel industry) could really use a quiet hurricane season this year.

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