Beaches will get a window of travelers, but cultural destinations get a windfall.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online 🎭 Tourism's Culture Gap Beaches will get a window of travelers, but cultural destinations get a windfall. GOOD MORNING, READERS Tourism boards typically treat culture as a backdrop for marketing, but the real dynamic runs in reverse: creative industries— film, music, food, fashion all work together to build a place's identity and desirability long before a traveller books anything. As CEO Rafat Ali explores in his latest article, marketing departments can push destination tourism for a window of time, but culture will draw interest for years and years. South Korea is a fine example of culture driving tourism, with long-term government investment in cultural production core to the country’s international allure. Modern innovation has a part to play in amplifying culture, too — as algorithmic tools handle generic destination queries, culturally distinctive places will surface more readily than generic ones. A beach is a commodity, while a recognisable film scene or cuisine is not. The big question for every country seeking tourism growth is — what kind of culture are they exporting to the global stage?     Skift Asia Forum Starts Tonight Close to 400 senior travel executives from more than 30 countries will be in Bangkok on April 29 - including the CEOs of Agoda, Wego, and RedDoorz; the APAC presidents of Hilton and Marriott; and the CPO of Grab. The room is nearly full. DON’T MISS OUT         DON’T MISS THESE STORIES The Creative Economy Is Upstream of the Tourism Economy Now April 27, 2026 The destinations that will win the next decade are the ones that understand culture is their upstream product, not their marketing asset. View Article Emirates’ Tim Clark Blames Europe’s Airlines for Their Long-Haul Decline April 27, 2026 Major European airline bosses want stronger protection from Gulf rivals. Sir Tim's message? You had decades to compete, and chose North America instead. View Article Virgin Voyages Gave 1,100 TikTokers a Free Cruise. Here Are the Results April 27, 2026 Cruise marketing has long leaned on glossy brochures and TV spots. Virgin Voyages is turning its focus to bookings stemming from someone's For You page. View Article         A Report on How Banks Can Take the Lead In the Next Era of Loyalty ALLIANZ PARTNERS + SKIFT Loyalty programs are more important than ever. Discover how banks and card issuers can unlock deeper loyalty by delivering high-value travel benefits, elevating cardholder care, and forging smarter travel partnerships. GET THE REPORT         MORNING HEADLINES Budget Airlines Are in Talks With Trump Administration Over $2.5 Billion Bailout GET THE STORY Travel’s Climate Gap Is Growing. So Is the Opportunity. GET THE STORY 64% of APAC Travelers Now Use AI to Plan Trips. Booking.com’s Laura Houldsworth on What That Actually Means GET THE STORY Middle Class Short-Term Rentals Are Dying And Luxury Is Taking Over GET THE STORY American Express Saw Strong Luxury Spending in Q1, Airline Softness in April GET THE STORY Saudi Arabia’s Business Travel Drove the Middle East’s 2025 Growth GET THE STORY India’s Noida Airport Gets a New CEO; Taj Partners With Etihad on Loyalty GET THE STORY         For $7 a week, Skift gives you something the industry is missing – the full picture. Subscribe today for 25% off.         CHART OF THE DAY Skift Research’s Global Traveler Mindset and Trends 2026 report brings together insights from traveler surveys across Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America to provide a unified view of how travelers are thinking, planning, and booking in today’s environment. Gen Z and millennials rely on social media for travel discovery far more than Gen X and baby boomers, confirming that for younger cohorts, social is the search engine for travel. Baby boomers rank official platforms highest at 22%, compared to just 15% for Gen Z, suggesting that institutional trust correlates with age. PREVIEW THE NEW RESEARCH         Travel marketing is being rewritten in real time — and most brands are still playing by the old rules. See what 10 industry leaders are doing differently. Get the report.         SKIFT TRAVEL 200 How are public travel companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to understand global market movements. Paid subscribers get full access here. GET TODAY’S INDEX SCORE         See more essential travel news in your search results. ADD SKIFT ON GOOGLE         Thanks for reading. We are switching to a new email platform to improve delivery. What does this mean for you? During this transition, these emails might land in your promotions or spam folder. To ensure you don’t miss out, please move this newsletter to your primary inbox.       DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Skift 35 W 31st St. New York, New York 10001, United States Terms of Service