#Trending This Week - Dry Tripping, Castle Hotels, Destination Weddings, Snack Attack, And Off-Site Dining
Issue 243 • April 22, 2025
We know you love to check out our weekly round-up of trending news snippets. So here you go…a quick, fun, and informative three-minute read. Here’s hoping you’ll pass it along to your staff to stay on top of the industry as well.
Travelers Want To Sleep Like Royalty
Castle hotel stays are becoming incredibly popular. Inspired by popular historical dramas and social media, a growing travel trend encourages travelers heading to Europe to enjoy a different accommodation style than a hotel or private cottage: castles. From popular historical dramas to heritage travel, travelers are inspired by the past and want to immerse themselves in history, admire historic architecture, and enjoy peace and quiet away from city life. Read more in Travel Pulse here.
32% Of Nuptials Will Be Destination Weddings
This is good news for all those involved in the destination weddings business. Many are seeing steadily growing demand for luxury destination wedding services in recent years. Growing trends include inviting guests for longer stays to enjoy several days of planned activities (paid for by the couple in many cases) ranging from golf rounds at top courses to entire spa days. And while luxury weddings are quite popular, some couples are sticking with mid-tier resort brands to make stays more affordable for their guests, but they are spending more on add-on ceremony services and off-site vendors to upgrade the experience. Read more in Travel Weekly here.
Snacking Is Becoming The Main Course
It might be time to rethink your hotel menu — both for the dining room and lounge as well as room service (if you still offer it). People are now eating differently. The worldwide snack attach is here to stay. Most US consumers eat traditional meals every day, but snacking is on the rise. Savvy food and drink brands help consumers see the products they make as suitable for however they choose to eat them — and that will include F&B outlets. Think pizza cupcakes (pictured above) for lunch, jianbing for dinner, and dumplings as a snack. Read more in Supermarket Perimeter here.
Dry-Tripping Is On The Rise
Call it dry-tripping or a free-spirited vacation, but a growing number of American travelers are choosing to go alcohol-free during their vacations, prompting hotels and resorts across the US to change how they serve their guests. Hotels are reporting increased sales of non-alcoholic drinks and, as a result, they are adjusting their offerings accordingly including adding alcohol-free concierge services. As more Americans rethink their drinking habits, the hospitality industry is moving to offer inclusive, health-conscious options which reflect this cultural change. Read more in Hotel Management here.
Three Quarters Of Restaurant Meals Consumed Off Site
Here’s a dining fact that might surprise you. Three-quarters of restaurant meals are now consumed off-premises. Consumers are increasingly opting for takeout and drive-thru meals instead of sitting down at restaurants. Gen Z and millennials are leading the way, with two-thirds saying that takeout is “essential” to their lifestyle. Something to consider when reviewing your F&B strategies. Read more in Chain Store Age here.
JUST HAD TO SHARE
JC Communications loves to make great things happen for our clients. This past week as we headed into the Easter holiday weekend, we were able to secure inclusion for our client, Venchi, the venerable Italian chocolatier, in the Financial Times which addressed how premium chocolatiers are handling high cocoa prices. Check out the article here.