HOW TO TELL TRAVEL STORIES WITHOUT STEREOTYPES
Getting acquainted with locals is making its way up travellers’ wishlists; but are their preconceptions, bolstered by overgeneralised marketing, journalism and social media, overriding the individuality of the humans they meet?
While plastic waste is important (and let’s not forget it!), the world has also got a bigger fish to fry. James Davidson tells us how casting away our metal will impact life as we know it, and how getting creative with our old TVs could help.
In a hyper-connected world where people are reportedly lonelier than ever, Lisa Davidson looks to technology, AI and the rise of the co-living and co-working movements for inspiration on how the travel industry can tap into the basic human need for relationships.
The jury’s out on artificial intelligence, with as many travel brands battling against it as they are incorporating it. Like it or not, AI is reshaping the way we travel – but it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) replace the human touch, writes Jen Murphy.
Born in Japan, the concept of ikigai is spreading much further afield as transformational experiences become luxury’s new mantra. Ana Andjelic considers why humans need purpose – and what the travel industry should be doing about it.
Today’s successful brands are more than a logo and colour palette: they’re a personality unto themselves, known and understood by consumers as if they were a friend. Kate Hamilton maps out the formula for brands looking to find their human side.
As an emerging ‘black travel movement’ fights against the racial prejudice plaguing the industry, Annie Maddison finds out why inclusion is best achieved from the inside out – and how it could positively impact not only a brand’s bottom line, but humanity as a whole.
Have you met the new face of high fashion, Lil Miquela? (FYI: she’s a super-cool Instagram influencer who, well, doesn’t really exist.) Find out how evolving virtual ‘avatars’ like her could impact the way travel brands behave online.
At a time when gender is an increasingly shifting notion, one thing’s for sure: we’re all human. As inclusiveness reaches new heights, James Davidson reminds us why now is not a time for complacency, but for increasing awareness, understanding, and action.
Five years after Sheryl Sandberg first told women to Lean In, the gender pay gap is still a gaping chasm and one half of the human race remains noticeably absent from top-tier positions – even in the otherwise female-dominated travel industry. So, asks Melissa Twigg, what’s to be done?
It hasn’t taken festivals long to go from novelty to calendar staple. With countless travellers trekking to Europe and beyond, find out how travel is jumping on the festival bus – and reaping noteworthy results along the way.
They’re just too good to be true. Meet Fab Lab: a corporation that gives us hope for a future devoid of the elitist modes of mass-production, where our supplies are obtained sustainably and provide life-changing opportunities for the local community.
In an always-on age where technology is evolving to mimic and even surpass human capabilities, the notion of a ‘connected’ experience is changing rapidly. As these insights from Ministry of Ideas prove, smart brands are embracing this shift and cashing in on the plentiful opportunities on offer…
We’ve been tapping into the key trends coming out of Ministry of Ideas 2018. Read today’s Top 4 Takeaways on the importance of purpose-driven experiences in luxury travel.
Dan Clay introduces the customer of the not-so-distant future and outlines six ways brands can future-proof their offering in a world where digital and reality converge.
Inspired by the surrounding waterfalls, mountains and fjords, it’s no surprise every other Icelander is a budding creative in the making. Kate Hamilton checks out the capital’s scene and seeks out its up-and-coming hotspots.
Plastic: it’s by far the most concerning threat to the environment – one that’s not gone unnoticed by influencers and the industry’s most forward-thinking hoteliers. Get inspired by the visionaries who are taking action to right the world’s previous wrongs and build a more sustainable future.
Dig in and discover the three hotel brands in China who’re enticing in locals by going to town on their foodie offerings.
A happy beneficiary from many creatives’ exodus from hubs like San Fran and New York, New Orleans is emerging as a melting pot for all things jazz-, street food– and art-related. Kate Hamilton checks out the highlights.
Get stuck into Instagram’s best online visual archives – accounts cum personal moodboards that document everything from fashion to film to push their own aesthetic agenda. Find out why hotel brands should be swapping conventional hotel photography for historical visuals to Insta-paint their own story.
Social enterprises are emerging as a potent force for empowering consumers, enlivening communities and even changing the world. #CookForSyria founder Serena Guen reflects on her realisation that no business or individual is too small to make an impact – and what this means for the travel industry.
More than just fried chicken and waffles, Austinite culture revels in all that’s cool, quirky and rockin’. Resilient to the conformist influence of an influx of tech workers, Kate Hamilton tells us how Austin’s creatives are keeping things wacky.
What do Netflix and the mile-high club have in common? Not what you’d think. Surf Air’s VP Brand Partnerships and Events, Louise O’Riordan, tells Katie Palmer why subscription models will disrupt the future of travel.
Rebels, earphones in and “Tune In” for a series of playlists spotlighting the most groundbreaking musical shifts from past to present, and from present to future. Introducing the rebellious icons of rock and pop – paired with their modern reincarnations, who’ve taken inspiration from these greats’ badass musical stylings.
Before you ask: no, this doesn’t have anything to do with She-EOs. With more reach (and girl power!) than you could possibly imagine, Lisa Davidson introduces the industry to the original – and subsequent – #girlbosses who’re using social media as a tool to empower and inspire women all over the world.
Here’s to culture putting destinations under the spotlight: Sara D’Souza looks into how and why museums are transforming cities worldwide.
Bleisure is bludgeoned, TED is dead and Burning Man is in the ashes. Olivia Squire investigates how the latest breed of ‘thinking festivals’ are taking the merging of work and play a step further by going under the radar.
From virtual chatbots programmed to surprise and delight to sci-fi novelties working the lobby, Ana Andjelic navigates the right (and wrong) way to emulate the Japanese spirit of hospitality and service with the help of AI.
From plastic cactus coat stands to inflatable swans, kitschness is enjoying a renaissance. James Davidson investigates what, to us, is so beautiful about bad taste, and how hospitality brands could harness this to their advantage.
Creative Class 2.0 is here: China’s ‘new hedonists’ are sophisticated self-optimisers, both at home and away. Beijing-based CHAO co-founder, Maurice Li, tells Katie Palmer how this psychographic is prompting China’s homegrown contemporary hotels to disrupt the future of travel.
