Gadling

We write about fun, interesting & relevant travel.

[Gadling @Gadling]

Travel search was built around a useful limit: people eventually stop looking. AI agents don’t. That turns comparison shopping into a cost problem for airlines, intermediaries, metasearch, and hotels trying to keep control of demand.

https://t.co/zFNoxjs6ra

[Gadling @Gadling]

Expedia‘s IShowSpeed partnership is another signal that creator marketing has moved from experiment to core strategy among travel brands — though it’s not yet clear how its social media impressions are converting to bookings.

https://t.co/igVTgWx4AU

[Gadling @Gadling]

10 years after Hilton, Marriott and other chains began coaxing travelers to book direct online travel agencies still control the same slice of the pie. Yet chains have won economics: lower commissions, better contracts, and stronger loyalty. Here’s why:

https://t.co/Y6EJv6T2Xv

[Gadling @Gadling]

After a decline in inbound travel to the U.S., Brand USA is making moves to win back international travelers: The destination marketing organization is gearing up a new campaign aimed at frustrated and ticked-off Canadian travelers.

https://t.co/LMJaXKVenM

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A strike threat timed to the World Cup gave hotel workers maximum leverage. Every hotel union negotiator in other major cities will see this deal the new national labor benchmark.

https://t.co/vWN1GCvlPL

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The 2026 World Cup is bigger than ever. So are its ticket prices.

But how many travelers are willing pay record prices? Resale ticket sale prices are starting to soften, and hotel bookings are falling short of forecasts.

Catch up on everything here:
https://t.co/RR2OQR8yI3

[Gadling @Gadling]

With the World Cup less than a month away, corporate hospitality planners face a daunting problem: getting clients to a stadium. It has effectively killed the traditional VIP model and forced planners to rebuild the matchday experience from scratch.

https://t.co/iMPiGXl86H

[Gadling @Gadling]

The travel industry has misunderstood loyalty for years. Travelers are leaving destinations highly satisfied, recommending them to friends — yet still have little intention of returning. Repeat visitation isn’t automatic. It must be actively earned

https://t.co/jVi0tDm6sm

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The Trump administration is waiving visa bond requirements of up to $15,000 for confirmed World Cup ticket holders from certain countries, the State Department told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

https://t.co/Pfjmk91yJE

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Nick Adams wants the world to know that America is open and welcoming. He also wants the world to know that anyone suggesting otherwise is, in his words, “full of it.”

https://t.co/Ilc32u6o3x

[Gadling @Gadling]

TikTok turned scrolling into buying with TikTok Shop — now it wants to do the same for trip booking. TikTok Go lets users tap destination videos to compare rates and book hotels, tours, and experiences through OTAs and experience partners.
https://t.co/KTFI0gfzFD

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Japan is moving to charge visitors more than residents across a range of tourist sites, with the Tourism Agency announcing plans to publish formal guidelines by March 2027.

https://t.co/syC0hz4fgt

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Kayak founders Steve Hafner and Paul English are collaborating on an AI startup for Booking Holdings called Lola, according to English and a source familiar with the plans.

https://t.co/laZQ5qFtPZ

[Gadling @Gadling]

Priceline has been a savvy marketer over the years, and this new/old ad campaign tease hits the right notes at a time when affordability concerns are a major trend.

https://t.co/p25zTsGgT5

[Gadling @Gadling]

Five U.S. states accounted for nearly 60% of overseas visitor spending in 2024, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office: New York, California, Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts. But the states have since reported a slowdown in inbound tourism.
https://t.co/WvBIPydfjY

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Google is expanding AI Max ads – which go beyond keyword campaigns and connect ads to AI Overviews – to travel brands.

The move brings hotel ads, property promotions, and booking links into a system designed to match ads to conversational queries.

https://t.co/2bbcda5opN

[Gadling @Gadling]

More than 120 organizations back a travel advisory warning World Cup visitors to “exercise caution” when traveling to the U.S. under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The advisory outlines 6 potential risks to fans and other visitors:

https://t.co/r0yOI5oNvC

[Gadling @Gadling]

Spirit Airlines, once among the most profitable carriers in the U.S., has become a case study in how an airline can unravel — 2 bankruptcies, tons of furloughs, and many failed merger attempts in under 4 years.

Here’s a timeline of how Spirit got here:

https://t.co/N22u5H5O9t

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Travelers are increasingly adjusting where and when they travel to avoid extreme weather such as heatwaves, as well as overcrowding and overtourism, according to new data from Booking Holdings.

https://t.co/0sFeedf4GG

[Gadling @Gadling]

In 2026, the American traveler has traded the pursuit of the best deal for the stable experience, as geopolitical shockwaves transform predictability into the ultimate luxury.

https://t.co/pWSEHA2nru