Hospitality & Tourism

👩🦰 Persona Spectrum For Inclusive Design (Figma Kit) (https://lnkd.in/eGD38hs4), a wonderful little accessibility tool for designers to include permanent, temporary and situational contexts in design decisions. Open sources, with all illustrations and assets for presentations and print. By 🐝 Mahana Delacour. --- 🔶 1. Accessibility ≠ Compliance We should never rely on automated accessibility testing alone to “ensure” accessibility. Compliance means that a user can use your product, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a great user experience. Manual testing makes sure that your users actually can meet their goals in their own context. It often feels daunting to get started, but small first steps are a great beginning. First, gather people interested in accessibility. Document what research was done, where the gaps are. And then try to include 5–12 users with disabilities in a dedicated accessibility testing. One way to find participants is to reach out to local chapters, local training centers, non-profits and public communities of users with disabilities in your country. You might want to add extra $25–$50 depending on disability transportation. Once you have access to users, run a small accessibility initiative around key flows in your products. Tap into critical touch points and research them. Eventually extend to components, patterns, flows, service design. A good target is to incorporate inclusive sampling into all research projects — at least 15% of usability testers should have a permanent, temporary or situational disability. --- 🔹 2. Building Accessibility Research From Scratch If you’d like to get started, I highly recommend to check “How We’ve Built Accessibility Research at Booking.com” (https://lnkd.in/eq_3zSPJ), a fantastic case study by Maya Alvarado on how to build accessibility practices and inclusive design into UX research from scratch. Maya highlights the idea of extending Microsoft's Inclusive Design Toolkit (https://lnkd.in/eN5J7EkJ) to meet specific user needs of a product. It adds a different dimension to disability considerations which might be less abstract and much easier to relate for the entire organization. And as Maya noted, inclusive design is about building a door that can be opened by anyone and lets everyone in. Accessibility isn’t a checklist — it’s a practice that goes way beyond compliance. A practice that involves actual people with actual disabilities throughout all UX research activities. More resources in the comments ↓

Would you fly in glass-bottom planes? The real revolution in flying is way smarter than that. Airplanes are quietly becoming digital platforms. Here’s what’s actually changing the passenger experience: 🔹 Windowless concepts (yes, really) Not glass floors — digital walls. Future cabins may replace windows with ultra-high-resolution screens streaming live exterior views, data overlays, or even calming environments. 🔹 Big screens > tiny seatbacks 4K displays, projection-based entertainment, and BYOD (bring-your-own-device) systems reduce weight while improving personalization. 🔹 Cabin pressure & humidity upgrades New aircraft (787, A350) keep cabins closer to ground conditions → less fatigue, fewer headaches, better sleep. 🔹 Mood lighting driven by circadian science LED lighting synced with your destination’s time zone to fight jet lag. 🔹 Fast satellite Wi-Fi Streaming, video calls, real productivity — the cabin is becoming a flying workspace. 🔹 AI-powered personalization Entertainment, food, lighting, and services adapting to you, not the seat number. 🚫 What’s NOT happening (yet): Glass floors, gimmicks, sci-fi stunts. ✅ What IS happening: Aircraft evolving from transportation machines into experience platforms. The future of aviation isn’t about looking down through the floor — it’s about redesigning everything around the human sitting in the seat. #Aviation #FutureOfTravel #Aerospace via @bedorafizz #CustomerExperience #AI #Innovation #Boeing #Airlines #TechTrends

Mass Tourism is dead. Hilton 2026 trend report says what's next for the industry. For decades, the tourism industry was built on volume. Crowded resorts. All-inclusive packages. Selfie sticks and bucket lists made on Instagram. But that era is fading fast. The next wave of travel isn’t about where people go, it’s about why. According to Hilton’s new 2026 Trends Report, travellers around the world are making a radical shift: from mass tourism to meaningful tourism seeking connection, calm, and authenticity instead of crowds and checklists. Here are the key trends reshaping the future of travel: 1. “Hushpitality”: Seeking Silence and Stillness In an overstimulated world, travellers crave peace. Hilton found that almost half of travellers now add extra days to disconnect before or after family trips and many are choosing destinations where they can simply breathe. Wellness, mental clarity, and calm have become new luxury. 2. Home Comforts Are the New Carry-On The modern traveller wants familiarity. From favourite streaming shows to pet-friendly rooms, people are bringing their routines with them. Even abroad, 77% of travellers enjoy browsing grocery stores, proof that comfort and local discovery can coexist beautifully. This is also why long-stay travel and remote-work destinations are booming: people want a “home away from home” they can trust. 3. Generation Remix - Families Are Redefining Travel Family vacations aren’t what they used to be. Children help plan itineraries. Grandparents take grandkids on “skip-gen” trips. Families are seeking shared play, not screens. Travel is becoming a tool for bonding and shared growth across generations. 4. Inheritourism: Travel With Legacy and Meaning People no longer travel to escape their lives, they travel to understand them. More than half of families now plan trips to connect with their roots and local traditions. “Cultural immersion” isn’t a buzzword anymore — it’s a priority. 5. Purposeful Journeys: The Rise of the “Whycation” The biggest transformation is philosophical Travellers are asking why they travel. To rest. To reconnect. To grow. This emotional motivation — rather than location — is now the foundation of modern tourism. And This Is Why We’re Transforming Roatán At the Roatán Tourism Bureau, we see these shifts as a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We’re helping local businesses evolve from mass tourism to meaningful tourism, from quick visits on cruiseships to long-term value. That means: - Supporting hotels and hosts to create spaces that feel like home. - Training local operators to attract digital nomads and wellness travellers. - Promoting authentic cultural experiences that connect visitors with the island’s people and traditions. - Partnering with communities to ensure growth benefits everyone. Travel is changing — fast. And Roatán is getting ready to lead this new chapter: quieter, deeper, and more intentional.

I independently planned my first solo international trip to Thailand and realized – Solo traveling is not as daunting as I assumed it to be. (Please note, I’m not a seasoned pro – this was my first time too.) Deciding to travel solo, especially as a woman, felt both thrilling & terrifying. Safety, comfort, and planning were all top of mind. But with the right strategy, I turned my anxiety into an unforgettable experience. Here’s how I did it and how you can too: 📌 STAY: → I chose hotels with ratings above 8/10 (verified through online reviews and social media). → Being a vegetarian, I checked for breakfast options that fit my diet. → I prioritized proximity. My hotel was near major locations, in well-lit, bustling areas safe for women. → I splurged on a 4-star hotel to ensure extra safety and peace of mind rather than going with a hostel or a dorm room. 📌 TRAVEL ITINERARY: → ChatGPT, social media (YouTube, Instagram) and advice from friends who’d been there helped me map out my trip with minute details. → Bangkok’s BTS local trains were my go-to – affordable, fast, and scam-free. → I skipped taxis and tuk-tuks to avoid haggling or potential scams. 📌 FOOD: → Apps like Google Maps and HappyCow made locating veg-friendly spots easier. → Finding good vegetarian options was a workout – I clocked 20k steps daily to get to those restaurants! → Drinking water isn’t free in malls, so I relied on bottled water from 7-Eleven. Solo travel might seem intimidating at first, but it’s all about preparation. Plan smart in advance, prioritize safety, and embrace the adventure. Trust me – If I could do it, so can you! Got questions?  Ask away in the comments!  What’s that one thing holding you back from your first solo trip? #drishtiispeaks #solotrip #Thailand #travel #female

💥 Tourism’s Breaking Point: A Wake‑Up Call for Hotels 💥 Yesterday, cities across Southern Europe hit a boiling point. From Barcelona to Lisbon, Venice to Palma de Mallorca, residents took to the streets with water pistols, banners, and smoke bombs — a dramatic cry for help. The target? A tourism model that no longer works. ⸻ This isn’t about hating tourists. It’s about resisting a system that floods cities, chokes infrastructure, prices out locals — and burns out hospitality professionals in the process. 📈 Exploding volumes: Spain welcomed 94 million international visitors in 2024, aiming for 100 million this year. 🏘️ Housing crisis: Barcelona rents are up 68% in a decade. The city will ban all short-term rentals by 2028. 🏨 Hotel pressure: In EU urban centers, hotels represent 63–80% of overnight stays — and now face growing backlash alongside platforms like Airbnb. ⸻ 🔍 Why this matters for hotels: 1. Local frustration is real — and increasingly visible. 2. We’re no longer outside the conversation. We are the conversation. 3. Solutions are demanded—and fast: • smarter tourism management • yield-over-occupancy strategies • deeper local integration 4. This is a leadership moment. Support policies that serve both your hotel and the community that surrounds it. ⸻ As hoteliers, we must ask ourselves: • Are we growing demand or managing it? • Are we delivering value or fueling volume? • Are we building a long-term ecosystem, or just chasing short-term gains? ⸻ Across the continent, cities are responding: 🔒 Airbnb bans (Barcelona) 💸 Visitor fees (Venice, Trevi Fountain) 🚫 Overnight stay caps (Lofoten, Portofino) 📈 Tourist tax hikes (Balearics, Italy, Norway) It’s time we stop blaming OTAs and cruise ships and start stepping into the solution: ✅ Better yield, not just occupancy ✅ More local integration, less commodification ✅ Smarter pricing, smarter planning ⸻ 👉 Call to action: We can no longer afford to be passive players. This is about stewardship, community investment, and responsible growth. Let’s lead the shift toward measured hospitality — before the backlash defines us instead. #Hoteliers #Overtourism #HospitalityLeadership #UrbanTourism #SustainableTravel #HotelStrategy #RevenueManagement #TravelTrends #Barcelona #Venice #Lisbon #MeasuredHospitality #RegenerativeTourism

It is popularly believed that social media is a net negative for young people. Outsized and unevidenced claims by a handful of pundits are driving the conversation. Solid data and careful analysis tell a very different story. The way young people use social media and its integrated into their social lives is complex and often positive. We all want a safer and more healthy overlap between the digital and analogue, we won't get there with polemics and quick fixes. We need good data and evidence-based policies. 🔍 Employed data from the Trondheim Early Secure Study, observing a Norwegian birth cohort at ages 10 to 18 through biennial assessments. Social media engagement was quantified via self-reports on activities such as liking, commenting, and posting. Assessments of social skills and the quantity of time spent with friends offline were based on parental and self-reports, respectively. 💡 Found no predictive relationship between increased social media use across ages 10 to 18 and changes in social skills, countering the argument that social media might impair social skills development during adolescence. 🤝 Detected a positive correlation between social media use and time spent with friends offline, especially between ages 12 to 14, suggesting that social media engagement may encourage more offline social interactions among young individuals. 📈 The study conducted a rigorous longitudinal analysis to explore the evolution of social media use and its impact on social skills and offline friendships over time, providing valuable insights into how these dynamics change during critical developmental periods in adolescence. 🔄 The research did not find support for the theory that social media use hampers the development of social skills. On the contrary, it indicated that social media might actually aid in strengthening offline friendship connections, echoing previous research that online and offline interactions can be mutually beneficial. #digitalwellbeing #adolescentwellbeing #evidencebasedpolicy https://lnkd.in/eN7TvTiS

Switzerland built tiny hotels for bees 🌍 Switzerland Tourism has created nine miniature structures designed specifically for bees, birds, hedgehogs, and other pollinators. These structures are placed next to real hotels across the country and are inspired by the architectural designs of their full-scale counterparts. Each installation was selected through a national architecture competition. The initiative is more than a creative concept. These mini-hotels are functional, built with sustainable materials, and maintained by professionals. They provide safe nesting spaces and contribute to biodiversity conservation in both urban and rural areas. Bees and other pollinators are essential to ecosystems and global food systems. They contribute to the reproduction of nearly 90 percent of flowering plant species and over 75 percent of the world’s food crops. Their role in supporting healthy ecosystems is fundamental. Pollinators are under significant threat. Intensive agriculture, pesticide use, habitat loss, climate change, and disease have contributed to dramatic population declines. More than 40 percent of insect pollinators are now facing extinction risks. The decline in pollinators directly impacts food availability. One in every three bites of food depends on pollinators. Their reduction has already led to a measurable drop in the availability of fruits, vegetables, and nuts, with broader consequences for food security and nutrition. This Swiss campaign is a concrete example of how tourism can be used to support conservation. By integrating biodiversity into the hotel experience, it offers a model that other destinations can adopt to promote environmental responsibility. Public installations like these serve as educational tools. Visitors are encouraged to learn about pollinators, observe their behavior, and understand the value of protecting them. Awareness is a first step toward action. The campaign reminds us that conservation does not always require large-scale interventions. Small, well-designed actions can contribute meaningfully to protecting biodiversity and inspiring long-term change. Design, tourism, and sustainability can work together to create spaces where nature is welcomed and supported. This campaign invites us to rethink how we design environments that serve both people and the planet. #sustainability #business #sustainable #biodiversity

There's a consistent theme in many of the conversations I'm having in the industry... many businesses are wrestling with the invisible weight of technical debt, while others in the industry are pulling away. At the heart of this is legacy systems, fragmented IT, and siloed upgrades that undermine innovation and ROI. Our latest research with Enfuse Group | B Corp™ reveals a stark reality where digital transformation has become a key battleground for survival. Successful businesses are increasingly defined by agility, scale and speed, which is widening the performance gap. Our research found that businesses investing in their digital transformation the longest plan to invest an average of £66m in digital transformation over the next 2–3 years, compared to just £17m among early-stage companies. Underlying this paralysis is tech debt, which has become a silent value destroyer. Fragmented systems, disconnected data, and under-investment in IT infrastructure are now the biggest barriers to transformation, driving ROI challenges and stalling scalability. We found that early-stage businesses focus on customer-facing improvements, while those who have been longer in the game are investing heavily behind the scenes in AI, automation, real-time inventory, and data-driven decision-making. This is creating the infrastructure for long-term competitive advantage and in my mind, we're seeing many of the successful businesses leveraging the benefits of significant levels of previous investment. Leadership and culture are critical. Only 22% of businesses say their digital strategy is fully aligned with their corporate goals. Without executive-level alignment and digital fluency, transformation efforts risk staying stuck in pilot mode. For retail and hospitality leaders, the message is clear: 💥 Build digital readiness before scaling investment: robust IT systems, data governance, and workforce capability are critical. 💥 Shift from cost-cutting to strategic investment: leading businesses are using AI and predictive analytics to unlock new revenue streams, improve decision-making, and future-proof their operations. 💥 Treat back-end infrastructure as a growth engine: true transformation happens behind the scenes as without it, customer experience gains will plateau. Download our report here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eSizaBXr

💥 Will fiber be the next big thing in food and beverage? That’s what CEOs are saying. But not the CEOs of health startups. The CEOs behind soda, chips… and hamburgers. Wait. What??? 👀 When some of the world’s most indulgence-driven companies begin talking about fiber within months of each other, a strategic shift is underway. For over a decade, protein dominated the conversation. It aligned perfectly with fitness culture, weight management, and performance. Fiber is rising for a different - and potentially larger - reason. 👉 We are entering the era of regulation over optimization. Consumers no longer focus only on building muscle. They want to: • Manage blood sugar • Support gut health • Feel full longer • Live healthier Big Food is not pivoting away from indulgence. They are engineering permission to keep it. Fiber helps brands resolve the modern tension: 👉 How do we stay craveable, while becoming defensible from a health standpoint? Expect fiber to creep into places you never imagined: 🥤 Functional sodas 🦠 Prebiotic beverages 🥨 Snacks with benefits 🍔 Even fast food Global consumer data already points in this direction (sources Mintel): • 46% of UK consumers say a product highlighting the grams of fiber it contains is more appealing than one simply labeled “high fiber.” • 53% of Chinese consumers believe daily fiber supplementation is necessary, yet 35% struggle to know if they are getting enough. • U.S. consumers show a willingness to pay more for bars with higher fiber content. 👉 Awareness is rising. 👉 Willingness to pay is emerging. 👉 A guidance gap is forming. And unlike protein, fiber is easier to formulate, carries fewer taste penalties, and supports multiple benefit territories - digestive health, satiety, heart health, blood sugar. Translation? Adoption could move fast. ⚔️ Call it now: the Fiber War is coming. 👉 We are moving from performance nutrition → metabolic resilience. Protein helped consumers build. Fiber helps consumers regulate. And regulation might define the next decade of food innovation. The real question is: 💡Which brands will lead - and which will make fiber believable? ➡️ Are you already seeing fiber creep into your categories? Let me know in the comments. 👇 #FoodInnovation #CPG #ConsumerTrends #FutureOfFood #Strategy #Leadership

Identifying your target audience is step one. Success in business requires much more: It's one thing to know who you're selling to. It's another thing to know: - Where they spend their time - What mindset they're in when they encounter your message - What triggers them to take action That's the message behind this Lamborghini quote: Don't spend money trying to reach buyers in the wrong places. Most brands ignore this principle. They launch campaigns and run ads without asking fundamental questions: ➡️ Where does our customer actually spend time online? ➡️ What moment are we trying to reach them in? ➡️ What problem are they trying to solve when they see our message? The platform matters as much as the message. But so does the context. If you're selling enterprise SaaS to tech leads... They're searching Google for solutions. That's intent-driven behavior. Instagram won't capture that moment. If you're targeting founders running DTC brands... They're listening to podcasts during commutes,  checking Slack between meetings, and reading emails at night. They're not passively scrolling TikTok looking for business tools. If you're marketing luxury wellness retreats... Your buyers are researching through referrals and testimonials. They want proof from people they trust,  Not direct response ads interrupting their feed. Understanding this changes how you allocate budget. Your customer isn't everyone. And being present on a platform doesn't mean they're in buying mode. Someone scrolling Instagram at 11 PM is in entertainment mode. Someone searching Google at 2 PM is in solution mode. It’s the same person, but with a different intent and conversion likelihood. That's why relevance is a critical component of any scalable advertising system. At Ad Pros, we map out three things before launching anything: ✅ Audience behavior:  Where they spend time and what they're doing there ✅ Platform mechanics:  Which platforms reward the type of content that fits your message ✅ Timing and intent:  When they're most likely to act and what triggers that action The right message is only half of the work that needs to be done. To convert, you need the right message, at the right time, on the right platform. Ready to add $1m/month to your eCommerce business? Join the waitlist: https://lnkd.in/e-Av-tdY Do you know where your audience spends most of their time?  Leave a comment below with your thoughts. ♻️ Repost to share this reminder with your network.  Follow Nehal Kazim for more advertising strategy.