This week highlighted the many mixed signals that the U.S. air travel system is giving off. On one hand, U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales for January hit its highest levels since before the pandemic, according to Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC). Ticket sales were up over 5 percent compared to last January, as well as January 2020. And while total passenger trips reached 26.7 million, that number fell nearly 6 percent short of January 2020’s 28.3 million travelers.
Looking forward, however, the U.S. Travel Association believes the U.S. is not equipped to handle increased levels of international visitation stemming from a decade of “mega-events,” including 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup, 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics and annual Formula One races in Las Vegas, Miami and Austin.
Said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of U.S. Travel: “Washington has a small window to fix major travel pain points and unlock a $100 billion economic opportunity—but it will require a level of urgency that has been missing in recent years.”
U.S. Travel’s major pain points did not even mention the slew of recent plane crashes in North America, which will very likely increase the level of people who are concerned about air travel safety.
The “White Lotus” Effect
In more positive news for the industry, HBO’s “The White Lotus” returned this week, with Season 3 taking place in Thailand. We spoke with several travel industry executives who believe the show will signal a boom in travel to the country and Southeast Asia as a whole. Among the show’s filming sites were Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket, Rosewood Phuket, and Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.
Global Travel Collection’s advisors are keeping a close eye on Thailand travel trends because of the show, noting a growing interest in the destination. Thailand’s popularity as a travel destination remained strong in 2024, ranking No. 22 in international sales with $2 million in hotel bookings for GTC clients.
Europe Still Going Strong
While many eyes are on Southeast Asia, Europe continues to fare very well in the international tourism market. Research by the European Travel Commission’s (ETC) for Q4 2024 showed a rise of 6.3 percent in foreign arrivals over 2019 levels and a rise of 6.7 percent compared to 2023. ETC said that U.S. transatlantic travel helped sustain momentum during Europe’s post-pandemic recovery; however, uncertainty under the Trump Administration is growing and fears of inflation could shrink disposable income, potentially reducing international travel. Not unexpectedly, then, ETC also found that consumers are increasingly opting for value-for-money destinations.
If you’re looking for an under-the-radar destination, Travel Agent recently spent three days in Riga, the capital of Latvia. We were enticed when we learned that Riga has more Art Nouveau buildings than anywhere else in the world. Here, we explored several museums including the Art Nouveau Center and Art Museum Riga Bourse, not to mention a myriad of excellent cafes and restaurants, also with Art Deco and Art Nouveau design elements.
Elsewhere in Europe, Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, unveiled the largest expansion in its 129-year history. The Serlas Wing expansion—the culmination of a seven-year project—includes 25 contemporary luxury guestrooms and suites, as well as an underground pedestrian tunnel system.
In Italy, R Collection Hotels has acquired Bianca Relais, a 10-room property set on the banks of Italy's Lake Annone and sheltered by the Venetian Prealps. It is located just south of Lake Como and offers a variety of wellness-inspired experiences, including hydromassage tubs on the balconies of each suite.
In other acquisition news, IHG Hotels & Resorts announced Monday plans to take over “premium urban lifestyle” brand Ruby, a 20-property collection of hotels in Europe, for roughly $116 million. The brand will be IHG’s 20th brand overall and while Ruby is currently centered in Europe, IHG plans to take the brand global.
Industry Tips and Tricks
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Internova Travel Group’s annual Internova PLUS event kicked off 2025 by convening its top advisors and suppliers at the Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, FL. At the event, attendees came together for a series of Think Tank sessions where they tackled industry challenges and ways to create richer future partnerships. Five key insights emerged from the 28 individual sessions, including data-drive connections, unique marketing, relationship-building shortcuts, supplier selection and more.
One of Internova’s brands, Travel Leaders Network recently hosted trade media for an update at the consortium. Among the highlights were updates to the network’s SuperAgent designation and lead-generation tool, a new CRM-agnostic API that will give more flexibility to agency members, and updates to cruise booking tools like Cruise Complete and Empower Cruise.
Separately, MeetMeOnBoard, a Cruise Planners franchisee, announced a partnership with all-LGBTQ+ cruise, resort and tour operator Vacaya. With this partnership, cruisemates on Vacaya’s charter cruises can use the MeetMeOnBoard app to connect, build a community, and thrive in a space that is owned and operated by members of their own community at a time when such spaces are increasingly under threat.
This initiative officially launches Saturday on Vacay's Caribbean cruise departing from New Orleans. MeetMeOnBoard CEO Adam Martindale and Daniel Wulfkuhle, LGBTQ+ Travel Specialist, will be onboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas to assist Vacaya guests with downloading the app, setting up their profiles, and navigating the app’s features.
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