News in Travel Industry

What a rollercoaster the last 4 years have been. The years 2020-2024 we have seen it all in every industry. Travel industry had a sharp fall and then came 2023 with a sharp jump. Let me tell you - in the 30 years I have been in this business having my own travel agency - 2023 was the best year Ever. Clients seemed to be determined to travel no matter what was the price tag and demand for high-end cruises or tours was significant. There was no stopping them from making last minute travel plans and none have cancelled due to illnesses or other reasons. Everyone booked a trip or two in 2023. They even made plans and posted deposits for 2024/25. High-end clients spent a lot of money for their trips and made sure they booked with the experienced travel agent to guide them. They understood the value of working with an advisor.

Southwest Airlines is modifying its distinctive boarding process by reducing the availability of paid "EarlyBird" options, limiting passengers' ability to purchase priority boarding privileges.

The airline clarified that while "EarlyBird" has not been entirely eliminated, it is now offering fewer spots for purchase on select flights, routes, or specific days, as part of ongoing product enhancements. Consequently, the service may be unavailable to some customers seeking to buy it.

Heading to Dubrovnik anytime soon? Make sure your luggage doesn't have any wheels.

Dubrovnik, a beloved sanctuary for enthusiasts of Game of Thrones and sun-seekers alike, has become a captivating magnet for adventurous travelers. However, those planning a summer getaway to this Croatian gem should ponder the idea of traveling lightly, as they will encounter an intriguing requirement.

A fresh decree has been issued, proclaiming that those venturing into Dubrovnik's revered Old Town must relinquish the convenience of rolling their suitcases through its intricate alleys. Henceforth, weary visitors will be obliged to bear the weight of their belongings without alternative means of transportation.

A gargantuan mass of seaweed that formed in the Atlantic Ocean is headed for the shores of Florida and other coastlines throughout the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to dump smelly and potentially dangerous heaps across beaches and put a big damper on tourist season.

The seaweed, a variety called sargassum, has long formed large blooms in the Atlantic, and scientists have been tracking massive accumulations since 2011. But this year’s sargassum mass could be the largest on record — spanning more than 5,000 miles from the coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.

The blob is currently pushing west and will pass through the Caribbean and up into the Gulf of Mexico during the summer, with the seaweed expected to become prevalent on beaches in Florida around July, according to Dr. Brian Lapointe, a researcher at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.

Lapointe said this year’s sargassum bloom began to form early and doubled in size between December and January. The mass “was larger in January than it has ever been since this new region of sargassum growth began in 2011,” Lapointe told CNN’s Rosemary Church.

“This is an entirely new oceanographic phenomenon that is creating such a problem — really a catastrophic problem — for tourism in the Caribbean region where it piles up on beaches up to 5 or 6 feet deep,” Lapointe added.

He noted that in Barbados, locals were using “1,600 dump trucks a day to clean the beaches of this seaweed to make it suitable for tourists and recreation on the beaches.”

A New Night Train Network Is To Fully Connect Over 200 European Cities

The climate crisis and rising fuel prices have caused particular concern in society, with governments looking for sustainable and practical solutions.

In this direction, the Green party in Germany presented an innovative project: A trans-European night train network, the Euro Night Sprinter, which will be powered by renewable energy sources and will consist of 40 international long-distance lines. It aims to connect more than 200 cities and towns across Europe by 2030, from Lisbon in the west to Moscow in the east and from Helsinki in the north to Malaga in the south. This would favor journeys of a few hours by train rather than by air, since aviation produces almost 14 percent of emissions.

To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not confirmed a single case of COVID-19 transmission on a U.S. airplane, the risk of exposure during air travel is very low.

Luxury travel network Virtuoso, based on its latest survey, has determined 2018-2019 will be the year when its high-end customers will seek out less-visited destinations and more unusual experiences. 

Upscale consumers desire unspoiled natural beauty and reveals their preferences in high-end and experiential travel, according to the Virtuoso’s Luxe Report discovered five travel trends for 2018/19, including:

Required Entry/Re-Entry Documentation/Real ID Act - when proper ID needed

Proper documentation is your responsibility. The following information gives current requirements for United States citizens, effective at time of printing. This information may change, so see your travel agent or contact the consulate for the country to which you are traveling for current requirements. 

Passengers returning to the U.S. by air from any international destination must have a valid passport, and may be denied boarding by the airline if the passport is damaged, mutilated, or has excessive wear. A “Passport Card” is not acceptable. If your name on your passport (or for non-U.S. citizens, valid travel documents) does not match your name on your travel vouchers/ tickets, you will not be allowed to travel. 

TSA, GLOBAL ENTRY, NEXUS, SENTRI - what's the difference?

See side-by-side comparison of rules and features.