D/R DOWNLOAD 6.20

What’s Trending

01/ On Google

• “Chase travel” trended +50% this week following the company’s announcement that they will be raising the Sapphire Reserve annual fee to $795 and launching a new business version with elite perks. Rewards are also changing, with higher point bonuses through Chase Travel but fewer redemption benefits.

02/ With Media

• This week, media were interested in picturesque U.S. lakes, newsworthy luxury resorts, private villas, hotels and cruises, where to go in 2026, the best family golf vacations, expert advice on how to maximize microvacations, and more. 

03/ In the Zeitgeist

• Millennial trends once mocked as outdated are now making a stylish comeback, thanks to Gen Z – from big hair, photo dumps and wired headphones to a renewed obsession with Sex and the City and JNCO jeans, younger generations are embracing and reinventing early 2000s culture with their own spin. 

• For the first time, ad revenue from user-generated content is projected to outpace professionally produced media, as brands shift toward more relatable, cost-effective marketing. At Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the focus is on creators across all industries, with companies like Unilever massively scaling influencer marketing to match changing consumer trust and habits.

• Gen Z is reshaping weddings with a mix of digital fluency, personalization, and a desire for authenticity over tradition. From AI-generated save-the-dates and social media-driven planning to branded details and unconventional ceremonies, this generation is using technology and creativity to make weddings more reflective of their values and identities.

Industry Insights

• Coordinated protests against overtourism have unfolded across southern Europe last weekend, with activists calling for limits on mass tourism to address rising rents, environmental damage, and declining quality of life. Organizers stress the issue isn’t tourists, but a system that prioritizes tourism over local needs. In Spain, Italy, and Portugal, thousands marched while some sprayed tourists with water pistols, while the Louvre shut its doors on June 16 as striking staff protested overcrowding, understaffing, and deteriorating conditions. 

• The administration is considering expanding its travel ban to include 36 more countries, including regions in Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia, and the Pacific. A State Department memo gives these countries 60 days to improve security measures like passport controls and cooperation on deportations before blocking their citizens from entering.

• Interest in “challenge travel” has risen, as more travelers seek out physically and mentally demanding trips that push them beyond their comfort zones and offer deeper meaning. Similarly, “skill-cations” are gaining popularity, which are vacations centered around learning something new, such as cooking, photography, or outdoor survival. These trips blend leisure with personal growth, allowing travelers to return not only recharged but with a new skill or passion.

• Tourism in the U.S. Virgin Islands is thriving this year, with visitor numbers rising via air and sea. With the addition of new nonstop flights and ongoing cruise strategies, the islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas have seen significant growth, surpassing Jamaica and Puerto Rico in traveler preference. 

• The Bahamas has opened its first Coral Gene Bank at Atlantis Paradise Island to help protect and restore its coral reefs. Scientists will care for over 15 species of corals, helping them grow before placing them back into the ocean to support reef recovery and long-term conservation. 

• Kentucky has launched an African American Heritage Trail featuring nearly 50 key sites that celebrate centuries of Black history, from Muhammad Ali’s legacy to Civil War soldiers and historic HBCUs. Timed with Juneteenth, the initiative boosts tourism, supports local economies, and honors the stories and resilience of Black communities across the state.

• New York City is experiencing a sharp drop in international tourism, with officials projecting 2 million fewer visitors in 2025 due to growing concerns over U.S. immigration policies and political rhetoric. Tour operators say travelers – especially Canadians – are opting for destinations closer to home, leading to steep declines in bookings and billions in expected revenue losses.

• The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) projects that Mexico’s tourism sector will contribute a record $281 billion to the national GDP in 2025, accounting for 15.1% of the economy and supporting nearly 8 million jobs. With steady growth from 2024’s strong performance and optimistic long-term forecasts through 2035, Mexico is poised to solidify its position as a major tourism powerhouse.

• Hyatt acquired Playa Hotels and Resorts in a $2.6 billion deal and plans to convert five of Playa’s all-inclusive resorts to Hyatt hotels, four of which are currently Hilton properties. This will reduce Hilton’s all-inclusive portfolio to a dozen hotels throughout Mexico, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Greece, and Turkiye. 

• Resorts World Las Vegas is the first major hotel on The Strip to debut room keys that can be stored in guests’ Apple Wallet. Guests can check in via a web link or QR code and save their key directly to their Apple Wallet. 

• JetBlue is implementing new cost-cutting measures as weak travel demand makes break-even margins unlikely in 2025. The airline plans to reduce off-peak flights, trim unprofitable routes, delay aircraft upgrades, and reassess hiring and spending, even as it invests in premium offerings and a new partnership with United Airlines.

• Family therapist Deirdre Brandner is at the heart of Bluestone Families retreats in New Zealand, where luxury vacations double as opportunities for parents to reconnect with their children. Set on a private estate along the Matakana Coast, the $80,000 experience combines guided counseling, outdoor adventure, and digital detox in a setting designed to strengthen family bonds among high-achieving, time-strapped parents.

The Good

• Airbnb partnered with FIFA to create special experiences for fans during major soccer events, including the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and the FIFA World Cup 2026. Through the partnership, fans can book unique activities like watching a match with Cobi Jones or training with former goalkeeper Tim Howard.

• Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, American restaurant owner, author, and historian of tiki culture, teamed up with Omni Hotels & Resorts to launch Tiki Social, a summer pop-up cocktail experience featuring six tiki-inspired drinks available at 11 hotel locations nationwide from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2025.