Articles tagged “cruise lines”

When the Trump administration took office in 2017, the popular wisdom was that it would eliminate U.S. travel to Cuba. The changes have turned out to be incremental, but now it appears that non-family travel to Cuba will be all but gone.

Contributions to the American Society of Travel Advisors’ political action committee are up this year, indicating growing awareness of the value of political advocacy. Making politicians aware of the particular needs of travel agencies — something many have little understanding of — is crucial.

TripAdvisor is smart to try to tap the ad budgets of cruise lines and online travel agencies with a relevant new price-comparison search tool. But many first-time cruisers may feel too overwhelmed by all of the review content given all of the complexity in booking a cruise.

LGBTQ consumers are a particularly well-traveled and high-spending business source for travel advisors. Serving them requires knowledge and sensitivity about their preferences, as well as the legal and cultural landscape in various destinations.

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her Green New Deal have stirred up debate about the path toward a sustainable travel future. She's right on time — and hopefully not too late.

Virgin Voyage's decision to charge high fares that include gratuities, premium dining, and other onboard features means higher earning potential for travel advisors. That's because advisors often lose out when cruise lines offer cheap fares, and then make up for it with onboard, non-commissionable charges.

Tune in to hear the reasons the travel industry could be in for a good year — or the factors that could steer 2019 off course.

Despite all the marketing interest in reaching millennials, it may be the baby boomer generation that is the most likely business source for travel advisors. It’s a high-spending demographic that values interaction with those they can trust.

A growing number of travel advisors are offering mystery vacations, created by keeping trip details a secret from clients until the departure date. It puts the surprise element back in travel, which is something often lost these days, but the challenges for advisors are many.

When it comes to their debt, easyJet has a much more liquid position than Ryanair, while United and Delta have a lighter debt burden relatively speaking than American Airlines. In the event of a recession, debt loads would be one critical factor among many in hamstringing or contributing to a company's ability to maneuver.