Travel

Leigh Barnes, the chief customer officer of Melbourne, Australia-based tour operator Intrepid Travel, can attest to the challenges companies like his face when incorporating new technology. "One day, we accidentally sent a test email to a small segment of our customers with song lyrics by Lionel Ritchie," he said. "There was no data breach, and we owned the issue straight away." "But we did receive some very funny replies from our customers. It was a reminder of the care you need to take with embracing technology at such massive speed." Although Barnes chuckles about the story, tech issues regularly haven't been a laughing matter for tour operators. Companies in the sector have long struggled due to their reliance on outdated technology that has inhibited their ability to make bookings. But multi-day tour operators today are benefitting from technology advances giving those companies a much-needed boost after the pandem

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When Eric Goldmann took his first business trip after 15 months of being grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, the avid road warrior sensed he was getting back to his true self. Goldmann, who traveled almost weekly in pre-pandemic times for his health-care technology sales job, was so pumped for his first in-person customer meeting in June 2021 that as soon as he landed in Jackson, Miss., "I just ran up to the Hertz counter, grabbed the keys, left the airport." "I just felt — I felt alive," Goldmann said. It wasn't until after his meeting he realized that in his thrill to get back to business travel, he'd forgotten to claim his checked bag. More than two years after the pandemic disrupted business trips and corporate junkets, work travel is ramping up. Atlanta-based Delta Air Linessays it has seen strong business travel this fall, a season that typically brings more work trips and conferences after the summer break. Delta is based at Hartsfield-Jackson Internat

We've all seen the movies where a "whimsical" character goes to the airport, chooses a flight off the daily departure list, and hops on a plane without a second thought. It's exciting, mysterious, and more than just a little unbelievable as a plot point. First of all, wouldn't a last-minute ticket be incredibly expensive? And how do you know what to pack? Would you just buy everything once you get there? Really, who can actually do that? As it turns out, any of us can actually do it—and it's much more affordable than you might think. Over in Norway, they've long enjoyed jumping into unfamiliar waters with something called a blåtur—translation: "blue trip," or "into the blue"—when a traveler throws caution to the wind and embarks on an excursion completely laid out by someone else, often a boss. There's even a thriller based on it (though it's murdery and probably not the best illustration of the concept's playfulness).

Since 1998, Louis Vuitton has been sharing his nomadic spirit through his  City Guides . Eagerly awaited each year and met with high acclaim from travellers all over the world, they reveal the spirit of cities and offer a fine selection of addresses chosen with a sense of originality and a hint of bias. The collection stops off on all the continents, via cities like Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Paris, Sydney and Tokyo. Offering an attentive and informed commentary on the changes that shake up the hearts of cities and taking an offbeat look at fashion, design, wellbeing, contemporary art, gastronomy and culture, Louis Vuitton's  City Guides  express the character of each city, which is decoded by independent authors and guests from all backgrounds. Over the course of the different editions, the guide has been enriched by new topics, new perspectives and new writers, with a view to allowing the reader to feel at home and travel while finding the same poi

Retail giant Walmart  ( WMT )  has been preparing for the holidays and making strategic decisions to hopefully generate sales for the holidays. Walmart has already extended return by dates for holiday exchanges to Jan 31, 2023, allowing customers confidence that if they are early holiday shoppers, products can still be returned or exchanged well after the holiday. Walmart also launched Walmart Land and Walmart's Universe of Play with the Roblox  ( RBLX ) , the metaverse mega-platform with over 52 million daily users. Roblox is a gaming platform played online that allows players to program other games and play other games created by other users. Roblox is free to play, but purchases are available throughout the game. Purchases are made with Robux, the virtual currency within Roblox. Walmart's Universe of Play is free to access. Walmart Land is available on PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Amazon devices, Xbox, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The immersive games incl

Getty Images Everyone should be able to pack their authentic selves and feel welcomed when they travel, but for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, this notion is often supplanted by hesitation. Luckily though, with travel specialists who cater to the community, and organizations like the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) , there's no need to go it alone.  While LGBTQIA+ folks may have more to think about when it comes to planning a trip, leaning on a tour operator or trip designer can make all the difference. These savvy industry experts have made it their duty to learn the ins and outs of queer travel, whether it's for a group of gay men, a lesbian couple, a solo transgender tourist, or a family with same-sex parents.  Working with a specialist is about more than obtaining reliable inspiration on where to go in the first place (that'll likely be informed by the status of LGBTQIA+ rights in that destination), but also which specific queer-fri

Last Updated 4 weeks ago This year, Google has been making significant updates on its products and services that benefit travelers and provide interesting information about new destinations. A few months ago, Google relaunched Google Travel, an app previously known as Google Trips , to help users plan their next trips and book hotels and flights, and now the company has released four new cool features for Google Maps.  According to the official information shared by Google, the new updates hope to make Maps look and feel more real, including more "immersive" content and experiences. These are the four main features:  A "vibe check" before visiting a destination. 250 landmark aerial views around the world. A new type of search with Live View. The expansion of the eco-friendly routing service. Here are more details about the new features and how these can help travelers get helpful insights and improve