Wearables
fromTravel + Leisure
13 hours agoShould You Use Health Trackers on Vacation?
Wearable health tech can increase anxiety, suggesting a digital detox may be beneficial during vacations.
"What we are seeing is not just delays - it's systemic volatility. Flight schedules are becoming fluid, and that has a direct impact on the entire travel chain."
In 2020, travel was put on hold globally, leading to a drastic adjustment in content for many travel creators. The number of worldwide scheduled flights was down by 46.4% compared to the previous year.
Digital-savvy airlines use their socials to advertise special offers as a way of strengthening relationships with both new and repeat customers. This can be a win-win for both the customers and the airlines. Travelers get access to limited-time fares, and airlines can boost revenue by filling seats during slower travel periods, such as Caribbean routes during hurricane season.
Rather than chasing diminishing returns through additional advertising, the agency advocated for an entertainment product: a film that could function as a vehicle for repositioning perception while operating as a single investment with long-tail value, capable of shaping how audiences feel about a place over time and across markets.
"Fuel surcharges are not a stranger to the cruise industry," says Leslie Fambrini, a travel specialist. This indicates that such fees have been previously implemented and are part of the industry's pricing strategies.
Artificial intelligence is no longer futuristic-it's functional. Hotels are already utilizing AI to integrate siloed systems, such as PMS, accounting, CRM, and forecasting platforms, to drive faster and smarter decisions. Tools like Placer.ai and PredictHQ help identify ideal customers through demographic, behavioral, and geolocation data. As automation expands, the next opportunity lies in strategic human oversight: consultants and managers will interpret AI outputs, guiding capital investments and operational priorities rather than being replaced by algorithms.
Policy stances from the Trump administration on everything from immigration to tariffs, along with currency swings and stricter border controls, have seemingly proved a turnoff to travelers from other countries, especially Canadians - the single largest source of foreign tourists for the United States. Canadian travel to the U.S. fell by close to 30% in 2025. But it is not just visitors from Canada who are choosing to avoid the United States.
While vacation prices have increased nationwide since 2019, the sharpest spikes have not occurred in the country's most expensive cities. Instead, the steepest growth in costs has taken place across the Mountain West, where demand has surged in midsize cities that once offered affordable alternatives to pricier coastal destinations.
And yet, the U.S. tourism industry is worried. While the rest of the world saw a travel bump in 2025, with global international arrivals up 4%, the U.S. saw a downturn. The number of foreign tourists who came to the United States fell by 5.4% during the year-a sharper decline than the one experienced in 2017-18, the last time, outside the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that the industry was gripped by fears of a travel slump.
The off-season practically vanished in many parts of the world. Remote work, social media frenzy, and ruthless dynamic pricing have turned fall and spring into peak-season clones. Even winter is no refuge anymore. The idea of an off-season is 100% disappearing.
'Travel inspiration used to be aspirational. Today, it's practical. 'People aren't just seeing where to go on TikTok, they're seeing exactly how to get there, what it costs and how smooth the journey really is. 'That visibility builds confidence, particularly for solo travellers and first-time long-haul trips. 'When someone watches a real person navigate an airport or a destination successfully, the mindset shift is simple: if they can do it, so can I.'