Author Archives: Gina Paladini

Image: Adam Firman

Seems all tourism trend predictions for 2026 are about AI. AI itinerary builders. AI customer service. AI personalisation. AI everywhere.

But here’s the interesting thing. While we debate how AI will transform our tourism, many travellers are quietly moving in the opposite direction.

This is what I’m hearing here in the US. It comes up on chair lifts, at dinner parties and in conversations with people who travel often. It’s what Condé Nast, Vogue and major travel publications are writing about.

As technology becomes more powerful, many travellers are actively choosing trips designed around being offline and slowing down.

Digital detoxes

One of the clearest examples is the rise of digital detox retreats. What used to be a niche wellness offering is...

Image credit: Tourism Industry Aotearoa

Last month I had the privilege of returning to Aotearoa for the Tourism Industry Aotearoa Summit, my first time back in a year after relocating to California. It was a whirlwind week of reconnecting with industry friends, customers, and partners, and it reminded me just how special this community is. Distance hasn’t weakened those connections; if anything, it’s strengthened them. Stepping back into the room felt like coming home. 

Below are my key takeaways from the Summit. 

AI, AI, AI: It’s Here, It’s Staying, and It’s in Everything 

If there was a theme that threaded its way through every keynote, panel, and workshop, it was AI. It didn’t matter whether the topic was marketing, workforce development, operations, or strategy,...

Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific: Your moment is now! 

As international travel patterns shift, a timely and compelling opportunity is emerging for tourism operators, destination marketing organisations (DMOs), and regional tourism organisations (RTOs): capturing the hearts of Canadian travellers. 

Traditionally, the United States has been the top choice for Canadians heading abroad. But times are changing.  

For the fourth month in a row, data from Statistics Canada has shown a decrease compared to same month year prior.  

The data released 12 May 2025 showed the number of Canadians who had returned from the U.S. in April by vehicle totalled 1.2 million, a 35.2 per cent decline from what was seen the same month last year.  

The decline was also seen...

Channel managers claim to be 95-97% accurate, depending on which one you talk to. So as channel management becomes the norm, with one of the busiest seasons in years in NZ, a number of double bookings are an unavoidable part of distribution. But don’t despair, there are ways to minimise them.

1. Education is Power

It is vital that you spend time to learn how your channel manager works - how to update rates, specials and how the connections with each Online Travel Agent (OTA) works. There is a learning curve but much stress and frustration can be mitigated by putting in the groundwork and time to understand the system.

2. Strategy

A recommended strategy is to leave one room off the channels in high season to kep for direct bookings and/or minimise double bookings.

3....

Perhaps you have plenty of bookings during the high season, but what can you do to ensure bookings flow all year, through shoulder and low season? Here are five proven tactics that will keep your bookings rolling in every season.

1. Responsive site

To ensure year-round bookings, first you must get the basics right. According to eMarketer’s latest estimates of travel research in 2016, 51.8% of all travellers who book trips online will do so using a mobile device.

That means your accommodation, whether you’re a small two-room B&B or a large resort, must have a responsive website site that can be viewed on any size device.

2. Powerful Booking Engine

Another fundamental key to increasing your online booking lies in the system you use – namely, your booking...

Shoulder Season. Definition: Noun. The time of year right before and after high season when the weather is still favourable and tourism operators worldwide want more bookings. (Also: shoulder period)

With some forward planning and tactics before your shoulder season starts, there are tried and true strategies to stretch out the peak season and boost bookings.

1. Create a New Inclusive Package

Offering the ability to have an “easy to book in one click”, all-inclusive package motivates bookings. Create a multiple day stay with tickets to a local event, or negotiate a favourable rate with a local activity and/or restaurant.

Besides adding the package to your website and booking engine, add it to your business listing on TripAdvisor and be sure to promote on all online...