● USA cities top Despegar’s list of destinations for Mexicans: Despegar.com, the Latin American OTA giant headquartered in Buenos Aires, has released the results of a study which reveals the international destinations that are among those preferred by Mexicans to travel in 2022. Among the most sought-after destinations in order of interest, are the United States (New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami), Spain (Madrid), France (Paris), Colombia (Bogotá), Argentina (Buenos Aires) , United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Canada (Vancouver).
Among the reasons why these countries are the most sought after by Mexicans to visit this year, it stands out that they are cities with outdoor attractions, which allows keeping a healthy distance and health protocols, while living great experiences. Read the complete article here.
● Brazilians can now bring up to U.S. $1,000 in purchases from abroad. The measure applies to goods that are not for personal use. The tax exemption limit for accompanied baggage was raised to $1,000 (US) by Ordinance No. 10,926 on December 31, 2021. With this move, Brazilians are now able to bring products worth up to $1,000, instead of the $500 ceiling. It includes the “other goods” category. In practice, in means that only assets up to the total or are or above the proposed thousand dollars should be declared. If the amount transported exceeds the value, the traveler must bear 50 percent of the exceeded sum. Summary effect? Brazilian international travelers are supposed to spend more on gifts to take back home.
● An apparent first: A U.S. state to use funds to train employee for the tourism industry. In announcing the move, Gov. Kay Ivey told the state’s tourism industry today that she is awarding $1 million to fund a certification program and prepare up to 2,000 students to join the state’s $16 billion hospitality industry. Leaders requested the funds, citing a shortage of new employees entering the workforce since the Covid pandemic began two years ago. Students will train within the community college system’s 24 colleges at more than 130 locations across the state. The system served more than 174,000 students, awarding more than 22,400 degrees and certifications in a recent year. Read the full news release here.
● G Adventures founder identifies top 10 trends for traveling in 2022. The founder of Toronto-based, global tour operator G Adventures, Bruce Poon Sip, says the trends clearly reveal the pandemic has produced a more conscious traveler and have presented the operators with a huge opportunity for change. G Adventures’ top 10 predictions for 2022 travel are as follows:
1. Community tourism is the solution to responsible travel.
2. Travelers care most about supporting local people.
3. “Workations” increase in popularity.
4. Hostels will make a big comeback.
5. Travelers want to disconnect from their devices.
6. Travelers will have a bit more cash to splash.
7. The staycation is over – travelers want to go further afield.
8. Lockdown life has led to a desire to be more active.
9. Travelers are prioritizing their wellbeing and mental health.
10. Revenge travel is out, reconnection travel is in.
More detail on G Adventures Top 10 is here.
● Four travel trends in 2022: While the travel industry has recovered most of their losses for 2020, it is anticipated that travel will continue to rise. With many travel brands offering assistance packages and preparing for all unexpected challenges associated with the pandemic, many people feel physically and financially safe to travel again. As the population continues to use social media influencers for travel advice, people feel more equipped to plan their own getaways. Keep your eyes peeled to see what destinations become popular throughout the coming year.
The four trends:
1. Traveling workers will continue to increase.
2. Travel regulations will continue to be tight.
3. People will visit new places.
4. Active vacations will increase in popularity.
Click here to read the complete article with commentary.
● Here are the Top 9 reasons your U.S. visa may be denied. Why 9 reasons? INBOUND doesn’t know. But from Travel Daily News International, we have this: “As much as people love to blame the United States’ immigration system for visa denials, we have to state that sometimes the fault is on the applicant’s part.
We often see applicants who can’t even answer questions correctly during a visa interview. I mean, how do you convince an embassy official of your intentions when you can’t even put them in words?”
The Top 9 reasons your US visa may be denied
1. Making silly mistakes
2. Not doing adequate research
3. Not applying for the right visa
4. Falsified information
5. Incorrect information
6. Incomplete document submission
7. Overly confident during a visa interview
8. Saying too much
9. Accent barrier
Click here to read the complete article.
● From Roll Call, a Washington, D.C. insider publication, we have this on the problem with visas: “Limited appointment availability in major cities across the globe, particularly in India, prevents foreign professionals and students with valid statuses but expired visa stamps from renewing their visas abroad and returning from short trips to their lives in the U.S.” For the complete article, read here.
