As a tour and activity operator, you may feel disconnected from the travel industry sometimes. Everything you read seems to be about hotels and airlines; it’s tourism news you might not directly relate with or even find interesting.
Well, that doesn’t have to be the case. Because you and countless operators deliver incredible in-destination experiences, the world has taken notice. With the backing of Arival, ourselves, and many others, tours and activities finally get to be in the limelight.
From podcasts to articles, there are plenty of online publications dedicated to providing relevant information and insight for the third-largest sector. So now, you can start your day with a cup of coffee and the latest news in travel and tourism that applies to you.
But where do you subscribe? In this post, we list off the best places to get your daily update. Let’s start with the obvious number one:
1. Arival
Who better understands in-destination experiences than the team behind the biggest conference in the space? Just like their events, Arival.travel covers the hottest topics in travel technology, distribution, and marketing trends. But they also feature stories from operators around the world for relatable examples of growth strategies and optimized guest experiences.
Douglas Quinby, Alex Kremer, and Bruce Rosard first established Arival in 2017, and since then, it’s taken off at lightning speed. Coming from travel industry backgrounds, they’ve built a team of experts who are also knowledgeable and passionate about tours and activities. And every article and report reflects that.
With a free Arival account, you can access everything on the site, and they’ll also send you the latest tourism news and insights for tours, activities, and attractions.
2. Tourpreneur
Have you heard of Shane Whaley? As the producer and host of the Tourpreneur podcast, he deep dives into the journey of the tour business owner — with a soothing accent and new interview every week.
Over the years, Whaley has worked for big names in the online travel industry, including Booking.com and GetYourGuide. Now, he focuses on the stories behind the tourpreneurs that make destinations unforgettable. Each interview goes over their tactics, achievements, and challenges; giving you inspiration, advice, and fellowship.
The podcast episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Plus, there’s a Tourprenuer blog for travel industry news, as well as a daily briefing that lists the top headlines for tours and activities right in your inbox. You can sign up to receive this email anywhere on their website.
3. DestinationCTO
If you want more opinion pieces than news coverage, look no further than DestinationCTO. The editor, Alex Bainbridge, has led many global industry-firsts — including a tour and activity reservation platform. He’s innovative, influential, and not afraid to share what he thinks.
This online publication leans heavily on the travel tech side, which isn’t surprising knowing Bainbridge’s background. But there are plenty of other compelling topics. For example, he recently wrote about what to call suppliers in the tour and activity industry — sparking discussion in our own office.
You can subscribe to their newsletter and follow their Twitter account, @DestinationCTO, for regular updates.
4. Skift
Okay, this is a big media company for airlines and hotels, but we don’t expect you to sift through Skift for relatable content. While yes, the primary focus is on the most talked-about travel segments, there is a news section dedicated to tour operators.
However, you can also find tourism articles about your particular destination, emerging travel trends, and what’s happening with new technology and booking sites. And if that’s not enough, you can subscribe to many types of newsletters or Skift Research for in-depth insights and analysis.
5. PhocusWire
Unlike Skift, PhocusWire doesn’t have a separate section for tours and activities news. But amidst the overload of articles about flights and accommodation, there are still applicable stories on technology and distribution. And if you look closely, you can also discover some juicy gems in the industry.
For example, our CEO and Co-founder, Jason Morehouse, recently took the Big Chair for an interview about the recent moves made in the tours and activities space. Nonetheless, we hope to see more tours and activities content in the future. Until then, you’ll have to peruse through their Theme Months for something of relevance.
6. Checkfront
We’re so much more than a booking management platform. Of course, this is a shameless plug, but we don’t feel bad about sneaking it in. Similar to the rest, our team is made up of individuals who live and breathe tours and activities. It’s our mission to help operators thrive in all areas.
That said, we strive to deliver news, booking management tips, and the latest trends in the tourism industry. Don’t just take our word for it, see for yourself, then subscribe to our monthly newsletter to keep in the loop.
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