Adventure Awaits, But First…

Here’s some of the latest

• AI Chatbots freestyling? Air Canada’s AI chat assistant decided to take matters into its own hands and offer a discount to a customer. But it turned out, the airline doesn’t even offer it. When Air Canada came back and denied the customer, they took things to court. The airline argued the chatbot acted on its own therefore Air Canada was not liable 🤨. Luckily for us travelers, the court ruled in the customers favor.

• The Eiffel Tower finally reopened after a six day strike from its employees who were battling for higher wages and funding for crucial renovations. The 135 year old landmark is preparing for an onslaught of tourists as Paris is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.

• The Bahamas are welcoming the future of space tourism and positioning themselves as the premier space tourism destination outside of space. The Bahamian Government recently signed a deal with SpaceX allowing the company to perform landings on the Caribbean Islands. This will allow tourists to view these spectacles from cruise ships, resorts, and select locations.

Global Trivia!

Which is the Largest Hotel Chain?

Try this, Not that

Overtourism is really becoming a problem for many sites around the world. Here are some suggestions for sites that I think are worth visiting so we can give their counterpart a break

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is rich with culture, history, and nightlife so its no wonder why tourists have been flocking here for years. The numbers are quite astonishing with 23 million annual overnight visitors by 2025 and that is with the new tourist taxes implemented.

Amsterdam has grown to such a light that it’s easy to forget that the Netherlands offer so much more. Rotterdam has plenty of attractions and cultural staples to rival Amsterdam. Rotterdam sits right on the river Meuse and considers itself the most modern city in the country.

If you’re looking for less modern and more charm, check out Utrecht which is just 30 minutes from Amsterdam. It has its own series of canals and quaint cafes, perfect for any traveler looking to live life like the Dutch.

Passport Privilege

There was a recent debate on social media discussing the United States and its passport ownership rate. Turns out, many Americans don’t own a passport. There were quite a few that argued that Americans are just lazy and do not care to see the world outside its borders. For others, they argued that many Americans simply can’t afford a passport or have the ability to plan a trip of that magnitude.

This inspired me to research the price of a passport from varying countries to see just how the US compares. The price to renew an American passport is about $130. Disclaimer: The data does vary so don’t come for me if the price point is a bit off.

The most expensive passports include

• Liechtenstein - 264 USD

• Australia - 218 USD

• Turkey - 202 USD

• Congo - 185 USD

The cheapest passports include

• Vietnam - 10 USD

• Argentina - 10 USD

• Belarus - 12 USD

• China 18 USD

Now, the passport price doesn’t take into account other important factors like average salary or cost of living in each country. If you want to see a more complete list check out this webpage.

How does a government come up with these prices? There really isn’t much official information on this aspect but its generally agreed that the price factors in application processing, production of secure passport materials, security measures, and background checks if needed.

Travel Trends

By 2028, it is expected that 76% of total revenue of the travel industry will be via online sales. A good sign for websites like booking.com and Expedia.

36% of Airbnb guests are between the age of 25 and 34.

By 2027, there will be more than 160 million “users” in the US hotel market.

Trivia Answer:

B) Marriott is the largest hotel chain by a number of properties and by revenue with 7,887 properties and 20.77 billion in revenue. Which is your favorite hotel chain?

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