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☆ A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-08 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Hotel prices are exploding. As the owner of Destination Europe, she is sending “record numbers” of clients to the continent this year. There’s been such a huge demand for travel in the past three years, and lots of places are pushing up prices.”Is summer in Europe already a washout? Socrates Baltagiannis/picture alliance/Getty ImagesData from Hotel Monitor, American Express Global Business Travel’s annual analysis of worldwide hotel rates, backs his theory up. His prediction appears to be coming true: although the Amex GBT analysis predicted a 11% spike in Paris hotel rates this year, so far they have only risen 8%.

Persons: “ There’s, ”, Tom Jenkins, ” Kayla Zeigler, Graham Carter, “, There’s, you’re, it’s, Eric Gaillard, Reuters It’s, they’re, Eiffel, Hagia Sophia, Jenkins, Tim Hentschel, that’s, It’s, Milos, Hotelplanner's Tim Hentschel, Socrates Baltagiannis, Hentschel, haven’t, Conde Nast, Hayley Berg, Hopper, Berg, Jaime Reina, ‘, ’ ” They’re, Daniela Santanchè, ” Zeigler, Carter, –, Charles de Gaulle, ” They’re, Zeigler, ” –, – Berg, bookers, Henry Nicholls Organizations: CNN, European Tourism Organisation, Unforgettable, “, Reuters, Getty, Hotel Monitor, American Express Global, ”, AFP, Italy –, Games Locations: Europe, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Iceland, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Turkish, Hagia, Venice, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Berlin, Stockholm, Barcelona, London, Murcia, Marbella, Windsor, Paddington, Rome, Athens, Venice’s, Mallorcan, Italy, Amalfi, Positano, Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Sicily, Slovenia, Croatia, Ireland, Portugal, France, airfare, London's, AFP

☆ Everyone you know is going on a cruise
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Harriet Baskas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Benjamin Xiang, a San Francisco-based flight attendant, went on his first cruise last August, setting aside his reservations about "cruise people" and a type of trip he'd imagined would be "not my travel style." He's among the many cruise newbies who've helped power the industry's recent growth. Some 27% of cruise passengers over the past two years have been first-timers, up 12% from the prior two-year period, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), a trade group. That's exactly what cruise operators are hoping for, and so far they're getting it: 82% of all cruisers say they'll book again, CLIA's latest report found. After welcoming 31.7 million passengers last year, 7% more than in 2019, the industry expects volumes to swell to 34.7 million by the end of 2024.

Persons: Benjamin Xiang, he'd, Xiang, who've, Will, CLIA's, Jennifer Klaussen Organizations: Voyages, Cruise Lines International Association, Sundari Locations: San Francisco, Barcelona, Mallorca, Ibiza, Malibu , California

We break down key info on booking long-term Airbnbs, including fee and cancellation policies. While long-term Airbnb listings will show up in a standard search, you can also more easily find them by going directly through the website's sublet hub. Not to mention, booking a long-term Airbnb is an easy way to earn travel points on your credit card. Long-term Airbnb discounts start at bookings of 28 days or more. Do you still have to pay fees on a long-term Airbnb rental?

Persons: weeklong, Airbnb, —, You'll, someone's, you'll, it's, you've, Airbnb's Organizations: Business, Service Locations: Airbnb, Seattle, New York City, Brooklyn, Bellville , Kansas

☆ A movie-theater veteran has launched a company that seeks to jolt the industry with AI and a new production studio
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

John Fithian, former head of NATO, formed The Fithian Group, which aims to improve movie production, distribution, and exhibition. The group is overseeing the building of a high-tech production studio in Europe and a data-infused direct distribution platform. Fithian worked for over twenty years fighting to keep movie theaters relevant in the constantly changing worlds of entertainment and technology. The Fithian Group founding partners (L-R) John Fithian, Jackie Brenneman, and Patrick Corcoran. The founders said the upcoming platform will be available free of charge for movie theaters.

Persons: John Fithian, —, Fithian, Jackie Brenneman, Patrick Corcoran, Brenneman, Corcoran, Iah Bearden, Dylan Skolnick, Skolnick, there's, we're Organizations: NATO, Service, National Association of Theatre Owners, Group, Pinewood Studio, AP, Cinema Arts, Business Insider Locations: Europe, Vrai, Long Island , New York

☆ Retiree Travels the World As a House-Sitter, Rents Own Home on Airbnb
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I resigned from my job and booked my first house sit that winter in Breckenridge, Colorado. How to choose a good house sitI have now completed over 25 house sits. When I take on a house sit, I make sure I'm close to public transport or have access to a car. However, I've been so busy with house sits recently I haven't stayed there for almost a year. My last house sit in Naples, Florida, included two dogs, two cats, a guinea pig, two geckos, and a tortoise.

Persons: —, Bernadine, you'd, would've, I'd, wouldn't, shih, I've, haven't Organizations: Service, Business, Lady, Social Security, Virgin Islands, New Zealand Locations: Bernadine Swale, Swale, Denver, Breckenridge , Colorado, New Zealand, New York, Botswana, St Croix, Virgin, Caribbean, Japan, States, Airbnb, United States, Naples , Florida

Travelers are looking to cruises in 2024 because they are still cheaper than land-based alternatives. With occupancy levels approaching pre-pandemic levels, operators plan to hike prices in coming months. "Overall the market is extremely strong, especially the top end of the market in terms of the most high-end luxury cruises," said Bob Levinstein, CEO of cruise marketplace Cruise Compete. Even as travelers have canceled or postponed planned vacations to the Middle East, cruise bookings will still hit record levels in 2024, said Truist Securities analyst Patrick Scholes. Prior to the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, industry-wide bookings for 2024 were about 25% higher than in 2019 for bookings in 2020.

Persons: Queen Mary, Andrew Kelly, Bob Levinstein, Patrick Scholes, Scholes, Jason Liberty, Josh Weinstein, Atle, Kari Dillon, Dillon, InteleTravel, Dave Spinelli, Ben Harrell, Granth, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Cunard Line, Carnival Corporation & plc, Brooklyn Cruise, REUTERS, Travelers, Truist Securities, Cruise Lines International Association, Royal Caribbean, Liberty ., Holdings, Cruisers, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn, Brooklyn , New York City, U.S, BENGALURU, Israel, Caribbean, Oslo, North Carolina, Florida, InteleTravel, Delray Beach , Florida, Royal Caribbean, Bengaluru, Doyinsola, New York

REUTERS/Ammar Awad/ Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK/LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Travelers are canceling or postponing planned vacations to the Middle East and North Africa due to fears of the Israel-Hamas conflict worsening, and as touring companies have also altered itineraries and canceled flights. Travel operators say the war is affecting demand for travel to nearby nations including Egypt, Jordan and Turkey. German airline Group Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said on Thursday their Middle East bookings have not been affected by the war, with only an initial dip when the conflict started. Spanish travel agency Essentialist said it has canceled 75% of trips to the extended Middle East and Northeast Africa region. The conflict's effect on travel demand to the Middle East may extend beyond the holidays and even just neighboring countries.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Israel, Todd Elliott, Konrad Waliszewski, Willie Walsh, Kathleen Oberg, Patrick Scholes, Essentialist, Matt Berna, Khaled Ibrahim, Doyinsola Oladipo, Joanna Plucińska, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Cruise Line Holdings, Royal Caribbean Group, International Air Transport Association, Group Lufthansa, AS OMAN, Marriott, Intrepid Travel, Americas, East Travel Alliance, Thomson Locations: Damascus, Jerusalem's Old City, East, North Africa, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Orlando , Florida, Israel . Washington, Cyprus, Lebanon, Valencia, Spain, Spanish, Northeast Africa, Australia, Norway, Sharm el Sheikh, Oman, UAE, New York, London, Chicago

☆ Premarket stocks: Wall Street is strangely calm about the debt ceiling. That could change this month
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Dire warnings about the economic chaos and catastrophe that will ensue if the US debt ceiling isn’t lifted soon abound. The debt ceiling crisis of 2011 caused Standard and Poor’s to downgrade US debt for the first time in history. Schwenkler says to expect “a lot more volatility” if debt ceiling issues don’t appear resolved by the last week of the month. By contrast, recovery from a debt-default crisis would likely start the day Congress, belatedly, suspended the debt ceiling,” he added. “A misstep over the debt ceiling would subject businesses and consumers to an economic shockwave,” he added.

☆ Restaurants are prioritizing tables for big spenders and return customers through premium programs with SevenRooms and Resy Global Access
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Certain credit cardholders and frequent bookers are now the top of lists when it comes to booking restaurant reservations. SevenRooms says it shares data with restaurant clients to identify big spenders and offer premium reservations. Members of Resy's Global Access Dining program have access to exclusive reservations at popular restaurants around the world. Through partnerships with both SevenRooms and Resy's Global Dining Access program, Amex holders have special tables set aside for them. Whether that fish is a walk-in or from the Global Dining Access program," he said.

☆ Opinion | Tucker Carlson’s Great Replacement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“Don’t Expect Fox News to Change After Massive Dominion Payout,” said a Vanity Fair headline. “Will Fox Settlement Alter Conservative Media? On Monday, news broke that Tucker Carlson, Fox News’s highest-rated and most demagogic prime time host, was out, and wouldn’t even get a final show to say goodbye. Grossberg describes an environment in which women of all political persuasions were constantly discussed in terms of sexual desirability. One of Carlson’s bookers, she alleges, was told that she should sleep with Elon Musk to secure an interview.

☆ Sherri Shepherd has dreamed of having a talk show all her life. Next she wants an Emmy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN: You were on “30 Rock,” a comedy, and obviously “The View,” how are you finding having your own talk show? And then every week I’m flying out, and it’s always a phone call going this guest dropped out. How do you prepare for those days and know you’re gonna be equipped for that? Because what you’re supposed to do is make people laugh. You’re supposed to give them a good time.”How are you balancing work and life?

☆ CNN chief Chris Licht has big ideas, but employees are nervous, and more job cuts are coming
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Courtesy: CNNShifting from ZuckerPart of Licht's challenge as the new leader of CNN is he's not the old leader. There's also a hangover effect from the sudden collapse of CNN+, which Zucker pushed relentlessly as the future of the business. The comments heightened anxiety for many CNN staffers, according to six people who were at the company at the time. The changes should also bring workflow alignments to CNN digital and linear, which should help both entities' content and organization. CNN still hasn't named a chief digital officer, although the company's job posting now says it's filled.

☆ Texas regulators have their eyes on one of the most powerful players in the crypto world
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Jon Sarlin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN Business —The big news in crypto this week came via a court filing in Texas. FTX, the crypto giant that is led by arguably the most powerful person in the industry, is under investigation by Texas regulators for selling unregistered securities. FDIC, OCC, SEC, DOL, FBI, US Treasury and IRS have all stepped up their crypto enforcement efforts. The crypto lawyer I spoke with told me that those who prefer the CFTC over the SEC fall into two camps. I interviewed Saylor last year for CNN’s crypto interactive (“The Bitcoin Billionaire” is what we dubbed him).

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