Norwegian to invest $5B in luxury cruising
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(Pixabay) |
Norwegian Cruise Line plans to invest $5 billion in new ships and refurbishments for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises over the next five years. Jason Montague has been appointed chief luxury officer to oversee this initiative, which includes the introduction of new ship classes and enhancements to existing vessels.
Full Story: Travel Weekly (1/13) 1/12) Airlines are increasingly partnering with popular restaurants to enhance inflight dining. Delta Air Lines has teamed up with Shake Shack to serve cheeseburgers in first class, United Airlines offers Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding, and JetBlue Airways collaborates with Dig Inn and Delicious Hospitality Group for meals in economy and Mint class.
Full Story: The Points Guy (1/11) The travel industry is stepping up to support Los Angeles amid devastating wildfires that have destroyed more than 9,000 structures. Hotels are providing shelter and supplies, Airbnb is offering free temporary housing, and Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines have made significant donations. The Hotel Association of Los Angeles notes that more than 70 hotels still have availability and are offering discounts to displaced residents.
Full Story: Hotel Dive (1/10), TravelPulse (1/10), Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (1/12) Big hotel brands are forging partnerships that allow them to offer vacation home rentals, aiming to compete with platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo for group travel accommodations. Most recently, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Evermore Orlando Resort in Orlando, Fla., which features 69 houses, 206 apartments and 41 villas with resort-level amenities.
Full Story: NerdWallet (1/10)  |
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Tripism has introduced a leisure travel platform for business clients, allowing companies to offer promotions and corporate rates for personal travel. CEO Adam Kerr notes strong demand, highlighting the platform's role in enhancing employee well-being and engagement.
Full Story: Business Travel News (1/8) AI is playing a crucial role in the B2B buying process as 89% of buyers are already utilizing it, with more planning to adopt generative AI within a year, per Forrester's 2024 State of Business Buying report. B2B marketers can enhance their impact by aligning their content with AI search queries, ensuring relevance and intent. By creating unbiased prompt guides, marketers can showcase their expertise and build credibility, ultimately improving their brand's acceptance among buyers.
Full Story: CustomerThink (1/12) Chief marketing officers from companies including Delta Air Lines, Mars and Hilton shared their top technology takeaways from CES 2025, with six of the eight CMOs citing AI as a major focus. Delta CMO Alicia Tillman praised Alembic's AI measurement platform for its real-time insights, while Mars CMO Gulen Bengi discussed the potential of agentic AI. Hilton CMO Mark Weinstein highlighted Delta CEO Ed Bastian's keynote on AI as a tool for creating customer experiences.
Full Story: Ad Age (tiered subscription model) (1/13)  |
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Social media scorecards can drive key business metrics, writes Sprout Social's Scott Morris, such as brand discoverability and resonance, customer feedback and competitor analysis, which can inform strategies across departments. "A social media scorecard with the right data can change how businesses market themselves and what they make, who they make it for and how they sell it," Morris writes.
Full Story: SmartBrief/Marketing (1/13) 
