Matt Turner

Signature Travel Network on 3 September kicked off its annual Owners’ Meeting in San Diego at the Hotel del Coronado. The event has brought together more than 500 Signature agency owners, preferred partners and Signature leaders.

CLIA is suing the state of Hawaii over its “Green Fee.” The so-called “Green Fee” was signed into law in May 2025 and would require visitors to pay a tax that would help support “funding for environmental stewardship, hazard mitigation and sustainable tourism.”

Private jet tour operator Captain’s Choice in 2026 will offer a new journey following in the footsteps of “the legendary Qantas Kangaroo Route.” Recreating the iconic route in a modern Qantas A330-300 aircraft, the Captain’s Choice ‘Pioneering Spirit of the Kangaroo Route’ will depart Sydney on 3 February 2026, with stops in Darwin, Singapore, Kolkata, Colombo, Cairo, Toulouse and Rome en-route to London.

SmartFlyer this month released its third Travel Trends Report, detailing—based on insights from its global network of advisors, firsthand scouting and conversations with its peers—“the patterns, passions and pivots” shaping the way luxury travellers will explore the world in 2026.

At Virtuoso Travel Week, a panel of luxury travel advisors brought up the trend of shifting brand loyalty dynamics. Notably, Bharti Keshwala, partnerships director – Global Elite & Luxury, Reed & Mackay Travel, in the U.K., said that her clients are increasingly less loyal when it comes to the airlines they book with.

Virtuoso—and the travel industry at large—has boomed over the past 20 years, mostly due to the proliferation of the independent contractor (IC) model. According to The Travel Institute, in 2008, less than a third (29%) of travel advisors were ICs; now, it’s the exact opposite, with 71% of advisors working as ICs.

Whether you are a fan of Formula One or not, the next time you’re in Las Vegas, do yourself a favor and stop by the recently opened Grand Prix Plaza. This space—the actual Las Vegas Grand Prix Pit Building—has nearly 9,300 square meters of guest-facing attractions across three ticketed attractions open year-round. Comprising the full experience is F1 X, F1 Drive and F1 Hub.

Since Orient Express first re-emerged in 2016, following a near-40-year disappearance, and its subsequent acquisition by Accor, the company is in its “most exciting phase” of its renaissance, according to Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Chief Strategy Officer of Accor and CEO of Orient Express.

More than three-quarters of Virtuoso travel advisors have observed more interest among their clients in booking sustainable travel experiences when compared to five years ago. In developing its sustainability initiatives, Virtuoso determined three pillars it would focus on: supporting local economies, protecting the planet and celebrating culture—which, in that order, are of most to least importance according to Virtuoso clients.

Despite the perception that “travel is down,” Virtuoso is reporting that all travel categories are up when compared to 2024 numbers. Said Misty Belles, Vice President, Global Public Relations for Virtuoso: “Luxury travel just behaves differently.”

At Virtuoso Travel Week, taking place in Las Vegas this week, Matthew Upchurch, Chairman and CEO, and other executives from Virtuoso shared at its opening session Sunday night a slew of tech updates that are available to the network’s members.

In its 2025 Mid-Year Travel Trends Update, titled “Navigating Uncertainty in Affluent Travel,” Kensington’s president Helen Giontsis said that “tariff battles and geopolitical struggles” have had “an unexpected yet real impact on travel in 2025.” With that, some trends are emerging.