#Trending This Week - Food Flights, Femmefluence, Consumer Perspectives, Cruise Value, And Business Travel
Issue 245 • May 20, 2025
We are back to the trends after a two-week hiatus to move cross country! Did you miss #Trending? Here’s what you need to know this week in a quick three-minute read.
Food Flights Are Growing In Popularity
Sure we’ve all heard of wine and beer flights, but nowadays food flights are joining the menu. At restaurants across the country and beyond, diners are seeing double or triple. Perhaps inspired by social media and a need to continually elevate the dining experience, guests can find butter flights to enhance bread service, bite flights to pair with wine flights, mozzarella flights, Jell-O shot flights, taco flights, and more. It’s actually a very creative way to add pizzazz to the menu as the only limit to a potential flight, is your chef’s imagination. Read more on Today here.
It’s The Age Of Femmefluence In Travel
According to McKinsey, with women set to control $34 trillion in the US alone by 2030, the future of travel is being shaped by "Femmefluence," the rising financial and cultural power of female travelers. For hospitality brands, personalization isn’t optional — it’s the baseline. The five key trends centered upon Femmefluence include New Herizons, Girl Grouping, Healing Retreats, Earth Mothering, and Souvenir Scouting. Read all about them in detail in Hertelier here.
Value-Driven Travelers Are Fueling Cruises
New research targeting prospective cruisers across UK, Germany, US, and Canada found iconic destinations, bundled value, and wellness-focused experiences as the key drivers influencing cruise decisions. Cruise travelers are motivated by value, personal well-being, and immersive itineraries which go beyond the expected. The perception of value for the cost remains the top barrier to cruise bookings, yet bundled offers, early booking discounts, and extended time in destinations are strong motivators for travelers seeking affordable cruise options. Read more in Seatrade Cruise News here.
Business Travel Is Seeing Cutbacks
Many road warriors are being grounded as companies face uncertain times due to economic conditions and tariffs. US corporate travel bookings are down, with airline and hotel sectors feeling the effect of reduced spending. The current declines are actually a reversal from last year, when companies sent more employees out on the road again to counteract the effects of remote work. Many hotels are therefore working to focus on leisure travel in an effort to counteract the declining demand. Read more in The Wall Street Journal here and Hotels here.
What’s Changing From The Consumer’s Perspective
This is one of our favorite times of the year as leading travel editors get together to talk about what’s changing in the industry from the consumer’s perspective. If you’re involved in marketing and public relations, you’ll want to click through to see how today’s travelers are planning around climate change, safety, politics, perceived value, etc. Read more in Travel Weekly here.