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1 week ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
On June 5, TravelAge West will celebrate a major milestone: the 20th anniversary of the WAVE Awards. And while the program has evolved a great deal from its humble beginnings, it has always stayed true to its original purpose. “It’s extremely gratifying to see how far the WAVE Awards have come over the past 20 years,” said Kenneth Shapiro, Group Vice President and Editorial Director of TravelAge West, who helped create the event.
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1 week ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
From hot destinations to an uptick in adventure travel, a wide variety of trends are being reported for spring travel this year
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2 weeks ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has received what it calls “a historic level of support” from supplier partners for its Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) certification.
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3 weeks ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
I have a confession: As a young person traveling, I never backpacked, hostel-hopped or joined a group trip. I visited family in Europe, studied abroad on a university-organized program and traveled alone on pre-set, work-arranged trips. So, when 35-year-old me was invited to go on a Contiki fam trip — the operator, part of TTC Tour Brands, is specifically designed to provide a social group travel experience for 18- to 35-year-olds — I wasn’t sure what to expect.
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1 month ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
“That’s fake,” my husband said when I texted him a photo from The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa. He clearly knew I hadn’t sent him some AI-generated image, but the shock and awe of his reaction perfectly captured the feeling I’d had from the moment I arrived at the property. Namely: How could a scene this stunning be real? The new Westin Bora Bora opened in September 2024 following a rebrand and a property-wide renovation of the former Le Meridien Bora Bora.
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1 month ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
Sitting at the Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort’s open-air bar sipping a cocktail, I couldn’t believe my eyes. But it wasn’t the beautiful sky full of stars or the twinkling lights from the overwater bungalows leaving me in awe — instead, it was a photo of the brochure my parents had saved from their 1987 honeymoon in French Polynesia, confirming that they had stayed at the exact hotel I was currently visiting.
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1 month ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
As visions of cherry blossoms, fields of tulips and sunny days start to fill travelers’ minds, the tourism industry is looking ahead to what will drive vacationers’ plans this spring. Among the observed trends so far are an increased appetite for spending among Gen Z travelers, an uptick in bucket-list trips such as safaris, demand for warm-weather escapes and more. Read on to see what else is in demand among travelers this season. Editor’s note: This story was last updated on March 6, 2025.
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1 month ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
Tourism Australia has big plans for 2025. Chief among them? Focusing on visitor growth following a multi-year period of post-pandemic rebuilding. “We've moved from a recovery mindset to a growth mindset,” said Phillipa Harrison, managing director of Tourism Australia. “The visitor economy in Australia is worth about $177 billion, and there are about 300,000 businesses around Australia that rely on it.
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1 month ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
According to the latest Consumer Confidence Index from The Conference Board, February saw the largest monthly decline in U.S. consumer confidence since August 2021. It also marked the third consecutive month-on-month decline. The study examines perceptions about current business and labor market conditions (with positive sentiments down 3.4 points) and the short-term outlook for income and business (which dropped 9.3 points, below a threshold that usually signals an upcoming recession).
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1 month ago | 
travelagewest.com | Kelly Rosenfeld
Just a couple months into 2025, business is booming for G Adventures. Not only was January the strongest month the tour operator has ever had, but the brand has seen significant increases in its guest numbers and product offerings as well. In fact, after announcing its first trips to Pakistan earlier this month, G Adventures is adding to its roster yet again, launching more than 100 new itineraries at the end of February.
