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NEW YORK--Jamaican tourism officials visiting here in February to celebrate Reggae Month and the release of a major motion picture about the island nation's most famous son, Bob Marley, were [...]

Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, and Sandals Resorts International Chairman, Adam Stewart, have expressed their confusion and disagreement with the recent U.S. State Department travel advisory for Jamaica. While the advisory did not raise the threat level, it portrayed a negative image of the country, highlighting common violent crimes and frequent sexual assaults, including at all-inclusive resorts. Holness argued that the advisory contradicted Jamaica's positive economic and crime reduction statistics, with crime at a 22-year low. Both Holness and Stewart emphasized the government's investments in national security and the safety of visitors. They also disputed the advisory's claims about healthcare and praised the improvements in Jamaica's medical facilities. Stewart mentioned that the advisory had initially led to increased cancellation rates, but they are now subsiding. He credited travel advisors for saving many bookings. Holness urged American visitors to investigate and form their own opinions about Jamaica, emphasizing the strong ties and shared values between the two countries. He also highlighted Jamaica's transformation and commitment to becoming a developed country, with tourism playing a crucial role. Stewart expressed confidence in Jamaica's positive trajectory and described the country as "amazing." The article concludes with a reference to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's recent visit to Jamaica and the country's motto of "one love." [Extracted from the article]

CUSCO, Peru--A trip to Peru in mid-March revealed that the country, which for several months starting last November was embroiled in deadly political protests, is now open and safe for [...]

Caption: CruiseWorld, Travel Weekly's annual conference, attracted advisors, executives and other VIPs to Fort Lauderdale. Among the highlights: 1) Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line; Josh Leibowitz, president of [...]

The recent updates to U.S. State Department travel advisories for Jamaica and the Bahamas, which highlighted criminal activity in both countries, have not resulted in cancellations but have raised concerns among travel advisors and clients. The advisories did not raise the level of caution for either country but did mention frequent sexual assaults in Jamaica, including at all-inclusive resorts. Despite the concerns, travel companies have reported no cancellations or changes to travel plans. They have reassured clients by providing context about the locations where crimes tend to occur compared to tourist areas and resorts. Playa Hotels & Resorts, which manages properties in Jamaica, emphasized its strong security protocols and collaboration with local officials to prioritize safety. Travel advisors have noted that advisories often lack context and can cause unnecessary worry, particularly for first-time travelers. However, experienced travelers are more familiar with the fluctuating nature of travel advisories and understand that they often do not apply to tourist areas. While advisories can influence travel choices, they have not resulted in cancellations for most clients. [Extracted from the article]

The travel industry last week braced for a potentially serious downturn of unknown length as the coronavirus continued to spread, forcing cancellations of flights, tours and cruises in China and [...]

The article offers information related to the efforts of the hoteliers to fill the needs of multigenerational travelers and distances families for the kinds of destinations they are seeking. Topics discussed include cultural-sensitivity and awareness perspective to learn by going out and visiting other places; credits for the shift to the rise of digital connectivity; and role of social media in exposing the unseen places to go to.

In 1995, Gloria Hobbins left a 26-year career as a telecommunications systems analyst and decided to turn her hobby, dabbling in travel planning, into a career. She enrolled in New [...]

For the average person, and apparently for quite a few news organizations, the difference between the State Department's 'travel warnings' and 'travel alerts' was unclear. For that reason, many in [...]

There is a certain segment of the traveling public for whom a destination's desirability is directly proportionate to how taboo it is. The more controversial its politics, the longer it [...]

News editor Johanna Jainchill spoke with Visit Florida CEO Dana Young at IPW about why tourists won't give up on the Sunshine State. I think these numbers reflect how welcoming and hospitable Florida is and how diverse Florida is. Florida made headlines over the past two weeks, first when Disney canceled its planned Lake Nona employee housing development, citing leadership as one of its reasons, and again when the NAACP issued a Florida travel advisory, calling the state "openly hostile" toward people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. [Extracted from the article]

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- After rising tensions between Washington and Beijing led China last week to issue a travel warning for the U.S., industry leaders attending the U.S. Travel Association's annual [...]

After a decrease in stayover traffic from the U.S. in 2018, U.S. travel to Cuba this year is expected to increase, according to a recent survey of U.S. tour operators [...]

In a move that could raise legal issues and alienate the hotels and resorts that provide the company with a substantial chunk of its revenue, TripAdvisor has begun flagging resorts [...]

Tour operators last week decried the U.S. State Department's latest Cuba travel warning as baseless and yet another example of the kind of blatant political posturing by the Trump administration [...]

In other words, the travel advisor has to disclose relevant information from the trade press, and that information can include articles about State Department travel advisories. It applies to destination or supplier risks that are known to the travel advisor or should be known to the travel advisor based on what has appeared in the trade press, including articles in the trade press about changes in State Department advisories. A travel advisor does have a legal duty to warn about destination risks, but the duty is much more limited than the client's attorney alleges. [Extracted from the article]

The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) last week called the U.S. State Department's new travel advisory system an improvement over its previous one but asserted there was room for 'future improvement.' [...]

In October, after the NAACP issued a travel advisory against American Airlines, CEO Doug Parker tried to spin it positively, saying American was 'excited' to work with the group on [...]

As concerns over the Zika virus mount with increasing reports about its spread and effects, travel agents are coming up with alternate plans for their clients, especially for so-called babymoon [...]

In a webinar interview with Travel Weekly Editor in Chief Arnie Weissmann on Travel Weekly.com, Mexico Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara sought to bring order out of the confusion surrounding [...]

MAP: The State Department's travel alert system is now incorporating the CDC's Covid-19 data. Travel alerts blanket the globe and risk irrelevancy "It's no surprise under these circumstances that travelers might view the State Department's travel recommendations by destination as suspect and confusing", he said. [Extracted from the article]

VisitBritain CEO Sandie Dawe was in New York last week meeting with representatives of the U.S. travel industry. Travel Weekly Senior Editor Michelle Baran caught up with Dawe to discuss [...]

There is an educational component that I think Hurtigruten especially needs to have - whether among travelers in general, but especially Black travelers - to really understand what the cruise encompasses and why it is a destination that people should consider. This year, Hurtigruten Group formed the Black Travel Advisory Board, a six-member panel that met for the first time aboard Hurtigruten Expeditions' Roald Amundsen as it cruised to Antarctica in February. Cruise lines such as Carnival, and even Royal Caribbean, probably have not had to do as much marketing to Black travelers because they tend to offer cruises to warmer destinations, which is typically where Black travelers or cruisers prefer to go, such as to the Caribbean. [Extracted from the article]

They are among Mexico's most successful resort and hotel developers. Jose Carlos Azcarraga's Posada group has almost 160 properties open, with another 52 under development. Joe Martinez, with his wife, [...]

CANCUN -- The laid-back vacation vibe at the Grand at Moon Palace, the new all-inclusive luxury resort here, seemed far removed from recent anxiety-inducing headlines about Mexico. And that's exactly [...]

The article reports on a Destination Analysts survey of travelers in the U.S. feeder markets for asking what factors deter them from visiting the U.S. Topics discussed include rejection of inbound travel by the U.S. Travel Association, the impact of the U.S.-China trade war on Chinese travelers and the use of travel warnings about shootings in the U.S. by the Chinese government.

The U.S. Embassy in Nassau warned Americans about an uptick in crime, its third warning since December. Citing five incidents in the last weeks of March, the warning said, 'Armed [...]

The article discusses the fall in demand of travel destinations to beach areas of Mexico because of travel warnings issued by the government of the U.S. Topics discussed include decline in earnings of airlines, decline in overall ratings of Mexico due to increase in crime and methods to increase travel in Mexico.

The article discusses the increase in annual travel insurance policies due to increase in traveling and awareness about the importance of travel insurance. Topics discussed include benefits of annual insurance for those who travel a lot, role of travel advisers in finding the best travel insurance for the clients and things which are covered in the policy.

The State Department last week lifted a travel alert for Egypt that had been in place since March 29, while at the same time addressing ongoing concerns about security in [...]

The Mexico Tourism Board labeled as 'excessive' the travel warning issued March 6 by the Texas Department of Public Safety urging spring breakers to avoid all travel to Mexico. 'To [...]

U.S. Embassy officials in Nassau alerted travelers about a recent outbreak of dengue fever in the Bahamas, citing more than 200 confirmed cases in the past few weeks. In one [...]

Let's try this again. In last week's issue, we ran a report headlined 'Mexico decries 'confusing' travel warning.' The article quoted Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, COO of the Mexico Tourism Board, complaining [...]

Mexican officials went on the defensive last week in swift reaction to the U.S. State Department's April 22 travel warning about security concerns that pose 'serious risks' for U.S. citizens. [...]

The article reports on the impact of U.S. State Department's travel warning on the tourism industry in Mexico. The warning is related to allegations of incidents surrounding tainted alcohol at Mexican resorts. According to Jack Richards of Pleasant Holidays LLC, the incidents could have significant impact on their business to Mexico for the remainder of 2017 and 2018.

The article offers information related to the effects of hiding like counts and video views on posts by Social media platform, Instagram on the travel advisors in U.S.

The article provides an answer to a question on travel advisors having no duty to warn clients about events or dangers that were widely publicized in the general media.

The article offers information on GTM West which is an elite appointment-only event that connects travel advisors with global travel suppliers, which took place in in Henderson, Nevada and Las Vegas, Nevada. It mentions that a step-by-step plan, a mind full of exciting ideas, or simply the enthusiasm and energy to take the rest of the year by storm, you will see a positive influence on your business.

The article offers information on the poaching of travel advisors by travel agencies including travel planning, hiring and prohibiting only solicitation of employees on corporate accounts.

The article features SafeAround, a company that offers up-to-date risk levels in more than hundred cities and countries. It mentions that the developers of SafeAround are travelers who felt that going to State Department sites was not as consumer-friendly as it might be. It notes that SafeAround is transparent of its goal to provide objective data analysis.

The article reports on the efforts of Mexico's secretary of tourism, Enrique de la Madrid in developing country's tourism. Topics discussed include campaign launched for allowing Mexican-Americans travel throughout all of Mexico; its ranking under the United Nations World Tourism Organization; and views of U.S. State Department travel advisories on Mexico.

The article offers information on the statement of the Mexico Tourism Board about the U.S. Department of State's new travel advisory system.

The article discusses the highlights of "Travel Weekly's" 2017 CruiseWorld event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Topics discussed include the move by Norwegian Cruise Line to advance the deadline for final payment on its cruises, the evolution of modern cruising as presented by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Richard Fain and executives from cruise lines offering their assessment of the importance of travel advisers.

The article discusses results of the Pulse of the Industry Survey, released by global marketing communications company Strategic Vision. It is noted that the survey found that the biggest challenge faced by luxury retailers in running their businesses is appointing talent capable of selling upscale products. According to Peter Bates, president and founder of Strategic Vision, attracting new talent in the form of travel advisers is the bigge problem.