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China’s extended Spring Festival Holiday drives travel surge

📆 Record 9 billion trips expected during China's Lunar New Year due to an 8-day holiday from January 28 to February 4, 2025. Ctrip poll indicates 65% of participants, a 24% increase from the previous year, plan to travel during the festival. The Spring Festival travel period spans from January 14 to February 22. Domestic travel dominates, but there's a rise in outbound tourism. Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Hungary, Austria, and Saudi Arabia are among the popular destinations.
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TikTok Ban: What it means for the travel industry

📱 TikTok, used by over 170 million Americans, faced potential U.S. ban scrutiny on January 13, 2025, which could affect the travel industry's reliance on the app for marketing. Brands like Booking.com, Expedia, Disney Parks, and Ryanair with 1+ million followers would need to adjust strategies. A ban, effective January 19, would prevent new downloads and updates, disrupting marketing and bookings driven by TikTok's algorithm.
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TikTok launches new travel-focused ad product for brands

🌍 On January 13, 2025, TikTok unveiled its new e-commerce product for travel brands at the Skift Megatrends event in London. The product, named Travel Ads or Catalogue Ads for Travel, targets TikTok users with travel booking intentions. Initially in a testing phase with select brands, TikTok's Head of Travel, Hannah Bennett, announced plans for future wider availability, aiming to bridge brands with potential travelers on the platform.
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Americans are booking longer vacations

🚠 Americans are increasingly choosing longer vacations for slow travel and wellness retreats, influenced by flexible work schedules and digital conveniences. With apps and online platforms simplifying extended trip planning, and remote/hybrid work enabling longer stays, the trend is gaining momentum. Ideal vacation length for health benefits is identified as eight days, according to the Journal of Happiness Studies. This travel shift provides deeper immersion in destinations and a balanced work-leisure experience.
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How Google should fix its travel ads

📦 GetYourGuide, on Jan 8, 2025, proposed new ad modules to the European Commission, accusing Google Travel Ads of violating the Digital Markets Act by merging providers in a single ad, limiting competition. The suggested format showcases one advertiser with multiple tours, countering Google's multi-vendor, single-product displays. The Commission's ruling on Google's compliance is forthcoming.
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Aviation falling behind in efforts to reduce carbon emissions

✈️ On Jan 8, 2025, Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, expressed skepticism about the aviation industry meeting the EU’s 6% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target by 2030 and warned that the 34% target by 2040 is "extremely difficult" due to slow progress. Walsh criticized SAF mandates for penalizing producers who then pass costs onto airlines and consumers, and he noted major fuel producers are reducing their SAF commitments. He praised the U.S. for its significant investments in SAF, contrasting this with Europe's slower advancements.
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Hotels overcoming challenges to remain profitable in 2025

🏨 On Jan 8, 2025, hotel industry anticipates slower rate growth with stronger RevPAR in the US than Europe. Robert Holland highlights the need for hotels to utilize ecommerce, actionable data, and AI for profitability amid stagnant rates. Key strategies include capturing ancillary revenue during booking, leveraging business intelligence for operations, and implementing automation in dynamic pricing, marketing, labor scheduling, and inventory management.
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The new Chinese traveler

🌍 Chinese outbound travel expected to reach 130 million trips in 2024, short of pre-Covid peak of 155 million. By 2028, forecasted to hit 200 million. Modern Chinese travelers vary from Gen Z to luxury and first-time tourists, with spending set to increase; nearly half plan to spend over RMB 25,000, with some exceeding RMB 50,000. Digital bookings and payments, like Alipay and WeChat Pay, dominate, while platforms like Ctrip, Qunar, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin shape travel decisions. Reported by Skift on January 8, 2025.
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eDreams ‘sustainable’ advertising claims censured

📝 On January 8, 2025, eDreams was reprimanded by the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for misleading ads featuring "Puerto Rico sustainable destination" and "discover our sustainable trips" claims made last summer. The ASA banned the ads, instructing eDreams to ensure that future environmental claims are clear and substantiated, emphasizing that absolute claims require substantial evidence. This action reflects a broader initiative to address environmental advertising in the travel sector.
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