Latest news with #TravelLeisure
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
US, China Expected to Extend Trade Truce
A pivotal week of upcoming economic data, including the Fed rate decision on Wednesday and Mag 7 earnings that will lay the groundwork for the rest of the year. Samsung struck a multi-year pact with Tesla to supply AI chips that make up and power the company's self-driving cars. CEO of Travel+Leisure tells Open Interest that travel remains consistent and strong. (Source: Bloomberg)
Skift
2 days ago
- Business
- Skift
New Report: Rethinking Travel Content Marketing in the Age of AI
As AI reshapes the travel marketing landscape, brands must rethink their approach to content strategy. A new report from Curacity reveals how marketers can shift from passive awareness-building to active, measurable demand creation through targeted storytelling and strategic distribution. This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner. Travel marketers are facing a new reality: brands relying heavily on search and social media platforms face declining visibility, as AI-generated search summaries draw clicks away from even the most well-optimized content. According to a new report from Curacity, developed in partnership with media brands such as Afar, Travel + Leisure, Fathom, and A Hotel Life, sites ranking first in Google results now experience a 35% drop in clicks when AI summaries appear. The takeaway is clear: travel brands must invest in content strategies that generate demand directly rather than relying on external platforms. As AI disrupts traditional discovery channels, what travelers truly value is also becoming more obvious: authenticity and genuine storytelling. According to the report, 75% of travelers are more likely to book after engaging with trustworthy, narrative-driven content. Marketers who lean too heavily on generic content and superficial lists risk losing ground to competitors delivering human, firsthand experiences. 'We have to be the foil to the constant stream of slop that has taken over our feeds and inboxes,' said Julia Cosgrove, vice president and editor-in-chief of Afar. First-person storytelling also plays a measurable role in performance. Marketers now have the tools to track how inspirational content translates into bookings and revenue. Brands can move beyond vague awareness metrics and turn storytelling into a measurable demand engine by treating content with the same rigor as a sales channel. Turning content into a demand engine requires control over distribution. Hence, travel marketers must focus on owned media channels such as email to build direct relationships with potential customers. With open rates exceeding 42% in 2025, email far outperforms declining reach on platforms like Instagram while building consistent and lasting relationships with travelers. Unlike third-party channels subject to unpredictable algorithm shifts, email remains a reliable tool to drive awareness, inspire action, and nurture repeat bookings. 'Email invites an intimate relationship between reader and writer that is lacking elsewhere on the internet, and that was (and is) very appealing to us,' said Pavia Rosati, CEO and founder of Fathom. Insights from Curacity's new report reveal how AI is disrupting content discovery and what travel brands must do to generate measurable demand in today's shifting digital landscape. This report from Curacity provides a deep dive into evolving traveler behavior, the declining effectiveness of search and social, and the growing importance of owned media and authentic storytelling. It delivers actionable strategies for travel marketers to drive bookings, build direct relationships, and quantify content ROI. In this report, you'll find: Strategies for creating impactful, human-centered travel content. Insights from top travel editors on successful storytelling techniques. Data-driven analysis of the growing importance of email as a content distribution channel. Guidance on measuring content performance like a sales channel to demonstrate ROI. Tips on leveraging AI to streamline booking processes and improve group bookings. Strategies for early-stage content engagement to capture traveler interest before the booking stage. This content was created collaboratively by Curacity and Skift's branded content studio, SkiftX.
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
World's best holiday cities revealed and three of them are only two hours from the UK
THREE of the world's best cities are just a few hours away from the UK, offering sun and beautiful sights. Florence, Seville and Porto all won big at the Travel + Leisure Awards 2025 - and you can get to all three of them in just over two hours from the UK. 7 7 Travel + Leisure readers voted for their favourite worldwide cities, and Florence came in at number 11 with a reader score of 90.08 out of 100. Voters praised the capital of Tuscany for its shopping, quality of hotels as well as artistic treasures. There was an honourable mention of the Ponte Vecchio for its incredible views. Florence is considered a romantic city, full of beautiful architecture like the Duomo cathedral, which has its own piazza. It's the ideal destination for art lovers too as its home to work by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci. Just because it's a hub of culture, doesn't mean that it's necessarily costly. In fact in Florence you can pick up slices for pizza for €1.50 (£1.30) and pasta dishes from €5 (£4.33). Florence is 80 miles inland, but you could still be at the beach in an hour and a half. Or even head over to Pisa which is an hour and a half by both car and rail. One Sun Travel writer travelled to Florence where she tried olive oil tasting, and checked out the famous sites. You can fly directly from London Gatwick to Florence in two hours 25 minutes. San Sebastian cider season 7 7 Seville came in twelfth place with a reader score of 89.49. It was described as offering a "window on thousands of years of history" with its best site being Alcázar Palace. The Spanish city is famous for its Cathedral and Plaza de España. It's also famous for tapas, Seville orange trees and the traditional art of flamenco - if you're lucky, you'll catch some dancers in the street. Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey visited the city earlier this year - and ventured out on a secret food tour in the southern district of Triana. For anyone wanting to visit Seville Cathedral, Kara discovered 100 free tickets are given out at a certain time of day. You can fly directly from London Gatwick to Seville in two hours 40 minutes. 7 7 Porto, in the northwest of Portugal, is little but packs a punch. The colourful city came in 24th place on the list of Top 25 best cities - and was awarded a reader score of 88.24. Porto is filled with restaurants and bars and, of course, is known for its port wine production. Readers of Travel + Leisure said they love the city because of it's "wine-soaked culture". Porto is found on the River Douro where visitors can take a boat trip or even head down it on a kayak. When one writer visited last year, he couldn't get enough of the custard tarts, or pastel de nata, which he said you can pick up on every street for around €1. And of course there are vineyards aplenty and an opportunity to do tastings all around the city. Brits can fly directly to Porto from several UK airports, including London Gatwick, which takes two hours 20 minutes. Here are 20 of Europe's most beautiful islands that have direct flights from the UK - with the world's best beaches. Plus, the European city with £15 flights that feels like 'going to Japan without the cost'. 7
Skift
6 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Accor Adds Its First Las Vegas Resort
The DJIA jumped 508 points while Nasdaq was up 127, the S&P 500 rose 49 points, and the 10-year treasury yield was up .05 to 4.39%. Lodging stocks were mostly higher, led by the timeshare stocks as investors reacted positively to Travel + Leisure's earnings, sending the stock up 7% to a new 52-week high. HGV also hit a new high, up 5% and VAC was up 4% on the day. HLT, the other one who reported earnings, saw its stock go down -3% today. STR reported U.S. lodging data for the week ended 7/19. U.S. hotel RevPAR was down -3.3% with occupancy down -2.6% to lead the decline. Group RevPAR was down -4.6%. Hilton and Travel + Leisure kicked off the industry's earnings season. HLT beat estimates, but their report was described as mixed by many for various reasons. The beat was viewed as being from items like owned hotel income and other revenues and expenses, while Management Fees, Incentive managem
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Travel + Leisure
7 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
Spirit Airlines Just Launched a Flight to This Tropical U.S. Island Getaway—and Flights Start at $79
Spirit Airlines will launch a new route from Fort Lauderdale to Key West in November, making it easier to reach the Florida vacation destination. When it takes off, the new flight will be short with a duration of just 50 minutes, connecting Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) with Key West International Airport (EYW), according to the carrier. It will operate four times each week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays starting Nov. 6 and increase to daily service starting Dec. 18. Spirit said this new route will become the only direct flight between the two airports. "Key West is a one-of-a-kind beach destination, and now travelers can easily access this island paradise and enjoy Spirit's elevated Guest experience along the way," Spirit Airlines' Vice President of Network Planning John Kirby said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure. The new flight will feature a variety of cabins on board, including the airline's version of first class: "Big Front Seats." These seats feature extra leg room, an included carry-on and checked bag, reserved overhead bin space, complimentary snacks and drinks, access to Wi-Fi, and more. Travelers can also book premium economy seats, which come with extra legroom or a blocked middle seat for extra space; as well as book the airline's "Value" seats, which require passengers to pay for extras like seat selection and carry-on bags. The new flight offers Florida travelers an alternative to the drive, which can take more than 4 hours (without accounting for potential traffic during peak tourism days). And best of all, travelers can save on the new route since Spirit is celebrating with introductory one-way fares starting at just $79. To take advantage, travelers must book by Nov. 19, purchase their tickets at least 21 days in advance, and travel between Nov. 6 through Dec. 17 (minus blackout dates from Nov. 20 to Dec. 2). Known for its crystal-clear water and white sand beaches, Key West—and the surrounding Florida Keys communities—boasts a variety of adventures for every traveler. Popular activities include snorkeling, canoeing, and hiking. The island is also famous for its coral reef, which is the only living coral barrier reef in the United States, according to the Florida Keys tourism website. The tropical destination is also home to top hotels and accommodations, including the Sunset Key Cottages, The Perry Hotel, and the Ocean Key Resort & Spa (a T+L World's Best Award winner).
