Our last episode of 2023 is about our Preview issue, our annual look ahead at the travel trends we expect to drive business in the new year.

For this episode, we’ve gathered three of our editors: Jamie Biesiada, who covers travel sales, Robert Silk, who covers aviation, and Andrea Zelinski, who covers cruise, about the outlook for the next 12 months: Travel demand, mergers, destinations – both the positive trends and the hurdles.

Preview also includes insight into what’s happening in our other beats, namely hospitality, river cruise and tour operations. Check the show notes for our links to the Preview issue and their looks at those sectors, as well as interviews with industry executives conducted by editor in chief Arnie Weissmann.

This episode was recorded Thursday Dec. 14 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations https://www.algvacations.com

Preview 2024:

https://www.travelweekly.com

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Every year Travel Weekly publishes its year in review, a cover story on the biggest travel stories of the year. Here on the Folo to talk about Year in Review 2023 with host Rebecca Tobin is news editor Johanna Jainchill, who assembles, manages and writes Year in Review, and editor in chief Arnie Weissmann.

During the discussion we examine how many of these many 2023 developments directly affected or were driven by travel sellers – specifically, NDC and the push to expand the ranks of travel advisors (hello, high demand). And we look at cruising’s comeback, airline mergers and JetBlue’s big year, the reach of war, Oceangate, space travel, what’s NOT on the list and how we pull this whole thing together.

This episode was recorded Friday, Dec. 15 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations https://ww.algvacations.com

Related links:

The 2023 year in review: https://travelweekly.texterity.com/travelweekly/december_18_2023/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=8#pg10

 

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With the new year almost upon us, we’ve been looking at which destinations might be most popular, and who better to call upon than a tour company that offers vacation packages all over the world. In this case it’s a tag team with Jack Richards, the CEO of Pleasant Holidays, which has traditionally been strong in Hawaii but has built out its offerings globally, and Amy Comparato, senior brand manager of its luxury division Journese.

In this episode, they talk with host Rebecca Tobin and tours editor Nicole Edenedo about what’s selling, what’s surprising, how operators manage sudden changes in demand and some of the biggest luxury travel trends for 2024.

This episode was recorded Dec. 1 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Related reports:

A Q&A with Pleasant chief Jack Richards https://www.travelweekly.com/On-The-Record/Pleasant-Holidays-Jack-Richards

Mexico was a pandemic-era favorite, but signs point to softened demand https://www.travelweekly.com/Mexico-Travel/Signs-point-softened-Mexico-demand

 

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It’s December, and for a certain segment of our readership it means that ski season is here.

For this episode, host Rebecca Tobin connected with our ski reporter (and aviation editor) Robert Silk and mountain expert, Storm Skiing blogger and fellow podcast host Stuart Winchester to talk about some of the developments in the industry. We’ll start with some of the expansions coming this year to Colorado, and then talk about travel logistics, advancements in snowmaking, what it takes to keep the ski industry growing and some of the best ski areas off the major passes -- plus hidden gems you may never have heard of.

We aim to do a catch-up conversation in a few weeks and continue the discussion by talking about the major ski passes and Vail Resort’s big European purchase.

This episode was recorded Friday, Dec. 1 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations https://www.algvacations.com/givesyoumore

Related links:

Stuart Winchester's Storm Skiing blog and podcast: https://www.stormskiing.com/

Vail Resorts to acquire controlling stake of Crains-Montana ski area https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Vail-Resorts-acquire-controlling-Crans-Montana

Ski resorts are urged to reach out to Gen Z https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Ski-resorts-urged-to-reach-out-to-Gen-Z

Focus on ski: Powder days for skiers of all ability levels https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Focus-Ski-Mountain-Travel-2023-Powder-days

Previous Folo podcasts:

How a 'powderful' ski season changes travelers' habits https://www.travelweekly.com/Podcasts/Folo/ski-2023-a-powderful-season

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In early October Norwegian Cruise Line made another move in the small-but-growing trend of solo cruising, saying it would more than double the number of cabins for single travelers across its fleet. And an article by cruise editor Andrea Zelinski about NCL’s plans, and how other lines are building single-occupancy cabins, quickly shot to the top of our most-read list, indicating it is a hot topic.

With Zelinski, host Rebecca Tobin and NCL's senior vice president of North America sales, John Chernesky, we talk about why cruisers traveling solo might prefer a cabin for one, the single-supplement, what cruise lines do for single travelers and the evolution of ship design and the cruise experience.

This episode was recorded Nov. 13 and has been edited for length and clarity. 

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations: https://www.algvacations.com/blackfriyay

Related reports:

Norwegian Cruise Line reserves more cabins for solo guests https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Norwegian-Cruise-Line-reserves-more-cabins-solo-guests

Lines double down on solo cabins https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Norwegian-Cruise-Line-reserves-more-cabins-solo-guests

The Serenity ship remodel ‘went down to the steel’ https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Serenity-ship-remodel-went-down-to-the-steel

Coming together for solo travel https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Coming-together-for-solo-travel

John Chernesky will head North American sales for Norwegian Cruise Line https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Chernesky-will-head-North-America-sales-for-Norwegian

 

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Our annual Travel Industry Survey is out! Produced in partnership with research company Phocuswright, it examines nearly every aspect of travel agency business: What type of travel they’re booking, who their clients are, demographics, business models, how much travel they book in terms of sales figures, how much money they make from those travel sales, marketing tactics, social media, concerns and future outlook.

On this episode we’re going to take it a step further. Host Rebecca Tobin delves into the data with Johanna Jainchill, who helped architect and publish the survey, as well as retail editor Jamie Biesiada, who really has a finger on the pulse of the agency community.

We’ll take the data and weave in anecdotes, examples and trends; tie chart findings together; and connect the dots to show how these findings manifest themselves in the real world.

This episode was recorded Friday, Nov. 17, and has been edited for length and clarity.

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by  ALG Vacations https://www.algvacations.com

Related links:

The 2023 Travel Industry Survey https://www.travelweekly.com/Industry-Survey-2023

Ensemble discusses ways to speed a path to better pay https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Ensemble-addresses-travel-advisor-pay

 

 

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This episode stems from hotels editor Christina Jelski’s cover story about the evolution of kids clubs: How resorts are pouring significant investment into children's spaces and programming to make them bigger and better, with more activities and more design upgrades to impress any parent (let alone the kids).

We also talk with travel advisor Deb Swacker about how much the kids club plays a role in travel-planning decisions, what her clients want in kids' programming, what resorts need to do to appeal to tweens and teens, and whether parents should feel guilty for taking time for themselves on a family vacation.

Finally, we delve into some bigger trends outlined in the Family Travel Association’s latest survey and ask: How much money do people actually spend on family travel?

This episode was recorded November 10 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations https://www.algvacations.com

Related reports:

These kids clubs don’t play https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/These-kids-clubs-dont-play

Resorts are making a splash with waterparks https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Resorts-make-a-splash-with-waterparks

10 days and Beyond: Long live the long cruise https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/10-days-and-Beyond-Long-live-the-long-cruise

Travel advisor Deb Swacker: https://227travel.com/pageme

Family Travel Association: https://familytravel.org/

 

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With all this will-there, won't-there talk about recession, it's reasonable to wonder whether there will be a contraction in travel and what form might it take.

In this episode, news editor Johanna Jainchill and MMGY chairman Clayton Reid talk about the changes we’re seeing in travel buying and spending patterns now that the initial “revenge travel” period is over. As leisure spending seems to be easing, corporate travel seems to be gaining. Also: Which socioeconomic and demographic groups are continuing to spend? What does high prices mean for groups like family travel? And What about older travelers, high net-worth individuals and cruising?

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations www.algvacations.com/blackfriyay

Related links:

Is travel recession-proof – this time? https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Is-travel-recession-proof-this-time

Economic concerns aren't impacting corporate travel budgets in 2024 and beyond (via Business Travel News) https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Corporate-Travel/Road-warriors-continue-to-return-poll

Family travel demand appears to be cooling https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Family-travel-demand-appears-to-be-cooling-study-shows

 

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Disney is planning to put $60 billion into its parks, experiences and products division over the next 10 years. That means new investments at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, the cruise line and other parks. But what would Disney do with $60 billion? What would YOU do with it?

On this episode, senior editor Jamie Biesiada tells us what Disney has done recently, what its competition is up to (hello, Epic Universe!), and what Disney travel experts hope to see: Simplified access and line reservation tools? A new park altogether? Different options for the youngest Disneyphiles? Or something else altogether?

In the final section, we talk about Disney's exclusive Earmarked conference for its top travel agencies and why access is so important. Plus, host Rebecca Tobin's favorite ride at Walt Disney World (hint: It's not technically inside the parks).

This episode was recorded Oct. 27 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Epsiode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Air France/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines https://www.afkl.biz

Related reports:

Cover story: Advisors' wish list for Disney parks https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Advisors-wish-list-for-Disney-Parks

 

 

 

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It’s time this week to geek out over airlines: We’re going to talk about the major U.S. carriers and what they’ve been doing right, and where they may be facing headwinds. In this episode, aviation editor Robert Silk and Brad Beakley, the founder of the Hospitio consultancy and an airline industry veteran, talk about the importance of “gauge” (the size of the airplane), route selection, the lingering benefits of revenge travel, the economy and how that might be affecting mainline carriers and low-cost airlines differently. Keep in mind that this conversation took place Oct. 20, ahead of earnings results for several carriers, including low-cost carriers Frontier and Spirit, so this conversations refers to their latest guidance.

In the later part of our episode, we’ll talk about the loyalty battle, which has been on the forefront of many road warriors’ minds since Delta reworked its SkyMiles program. How are other airlines – including Delta itself – responding? What is the right path forward for a loyalty program for an airline? Is it money, or miles, or is it something else that frequent flyers prize?

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Episode sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Air France/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines https://www.afkl.biz

Related links

Hospitio consulting https://www.hospitio.com/

Is demand for air travel falling? Depends on who you ask https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Is-demand-for-air-travel-falling

In the fight for frequent flyers, Delta pulls back SkyMiles changes, rivals step in https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Rivals-try-poach-Delta-frequent-flyers

Earnings reports: United says basic economy fares are soaring https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/United-Airlines-earnings-Q3-2023

Earnings reports: American's new biz-travel incentive is for direct business only https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/American-biz-travel-incentive-direct-bookings-only

Earnings reports: Delta reports ebbs and flows in corporate travel https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Delta-earnings-Q3-2023

 

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