Joel Pieper

💡 Your cultural IQ matters! Possessing cultural intelligence is a competitive advantage. Business travelers who demonstrate cultural awareness can inspire greater confidence and rapport with the people they encounter on business trips. Here are five things you need to know before going on a business trip: https://ow.ly/bajr50TLzxm #BusinessTravel #HowTo #DEI #GlobalDiversityAwarenessMonth #BCD Travel

9

💡 Your cultural IQ matters! Possessing cultural intelligence is a competitive advantage. Business travelers who demonstrate cultural awareness can inspire greater confidence and rapport with the people they encounter on business trips. Here are five things you need to know before going on a business trip: https://ow.ly/bajr50TLzxm #BusinessTravel #HowTo #DEI #GlobalDiversityAwarenessMonth BCD Travel

23

Have Cruise Bookings Reached the Tipping Point? I'm scratching my chin and wondering if cruise bookings have peaked and reached their tipping point. YTD, our total new bookings have reached $9.3 million. This puts us on track to have $18.6 million in new bookings for 2024, a 25.68% year-over-year increase. For a small travel agency, we are very proud of those numbers. I'm scratching my chin because it "feels" like we are seeing deeper discounts from cruise brands, and I've had more than one conversation with cruise brand booking reservationists that things have slowed up somewhat. However, we are all in new territory, right? The industry exploded after the pandemic with revenge travel, and there are 80,000,000 baby boomers at or near retirement who want to do two things: travel and see their grandchildren. I asked Perplexity AI this question and got this response: "Cruise bookings have not reached a tipping point in terms of decline or oversaturation. On the contrary, the cruise industry is experiencing a surge in demand that is pushing bookings well into the future. Travel advisors are reporting strong demand for cruise vacations, with bookings extending into 2025 and beyond. In fact, some advisors are seeing more bookings for 2025 than for 2024, which is considered remarkable for the industry. This trend indicates that cruise enthusiasts are planning their vacations far in advance, likely due to high demand and limited availability for closer dates." The cruise lines will all be reporting their quarterly results in the coming weeks, and while I expect to see record bookings again, it will be interesting to listen to their forward guidance. One thing is for certain: just like Nvidia stock, these cruise bookings can't go up forever. At some point, we will reach a tipping point. I am not suggesting that we have reached a tipping point, but it is something that we should all keep our eyes on. In the meantime, let's ride this wave! What say you? Let's begin a dialog on the subject.

1

Disneyland just cleared a major hurdle in getting its multi-year, $1.9 billion expansion plan approved. Learn more about what Disneyland Resort could look like in the coming years in my latest:

28

Cancelled or delayed U.S. flight? It’s not all bad. New U.S. rules mean you’re automatically entitled to a refund for delays over 3 hours domestically or 6 hours internationally, regardless of the airline. The new rules also cover significant changes including changes to departure or arrival airports, added connections, downgraded classes, and a number of ancillary delays and changes. Graham Turner from Corporate Traveller Australia’s parent company, Flight Centre Travel Group, spoke about the changes on Sunrise. "I think it's worth looking at here in Australia. The government is appointing an ombudsman to actually look at this and to make decisions and recommendations on how we move forward in Australia. So, I think you'll see some action on this in the reasonably near future. Whether it'll be like the American, European scheme or something that suits the Australian market is yet to be seen." Graham Turner, Flight Centre Travel Group. Read more about the new rules here 👉 https://okt.to/l89idq

1

Your team doesn’t need more meetings. But it does need more action. Meetings often waste time when they lack focus and purpose. Start by setting clear agendas for every meeting. Outline specific objectives and stick to them to avoid off-topic discussions. For example, send the agenda in advance and ask attendees to prepare key points. Next, reduce meeting frequency. Switch to weekly or bi-weekly check-ins, allowing more time for your team to execute. For instance, replace daily meetings with asynchronous updates on project management tools. Empower your team to make decisions without waiting for meetings. Establish clear guidelines so they can move forward confidently. For example, give team leads the authority to approve tasks up to a certain budget without a formal meeting. Finally, track outcomes, not hours. Focus on the results produced by the team, rather than how much time is spent discussing them. For instance, review deliverables at the end of the week instead of micromanaging through constant meetings. Less talk. More impact. P.S. How do you keep meetings efficient? #Leadership #Sales #Marketing

3

2 Comments

DMOs, campers can be lucrative to your local attractions and, interestingly enough, to your local non-camping accommodations, according to a new report about camping trips and travel experiences put out by KOA. For 2024, almost half of campers (43%) plan to camp more often, with an interest in traveling for natural events (64% vs. 50% overall), engaging with local communities (42% vs. 30% overall), or participating in food tourism (34% vs. 26%). And consider this...KOA's research shows 92% of all campers blended their trips with other types of travel or accommodations and, of those, 67% stayed at hotels or resorts during their trip. Here's the report attached...we encourage you to take a look. https://lnkd.in/e7BuNnqN?

2

Standing out in a crowded vacation rental market is key! For professionals in the industry, does the term “amenities arms race” feel all too familiar? It’s all about offering the extras that make a difference! #VacationRentals #Hospitality #StandOut

10

1 Comment

Coaching & Leadership are one in the same and the ones who do it best never stop serving the Team.

22

3 Comments

Sharing to expand view! Mike is a great manager who can easily help you reach the best level. Check out below

6

1 Comment

interesting facts about Washington state cherries. I am amazed at the level of economic value these little ones pack!

1