CIIC Participated in Travel Weekly’s Twitter Chat: #TWChats, The Travel Editors Roundtable

This week CIIC participated in the monthly Twitter chat #TWChats, a live-tweet session organized by Travel Weekly. CIIC live-tweeted with top travel editors, agents and experts to discuss changing travel perspectives, what makes a great hotel, and where we hope to travel in the future. Participants included top editors of Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, AFAR, and Town & Country. 

The live-Twitter chat comes after Travel Weekly conducted its annual Consumer Editor’s Roundtable with influential hotelier Ian Schrager to discuss trends in hospitality. The discussion was moderated by Travel Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissmann, and included participation from Klara Glowczewska of Town & Country, Bob Guccione Jr. of Wonderlust, Jesse Ashlock of Conde Nast Traveler, Laura Dannen Redman of AFAR, Jacqueline Gifford of Travel + Leisure, and Amy Virshup of the New York Times. 

During the discussion, CIIC gained insight and several takeaways including the important role boutique hotels will play in travel post COVID-19. When asked if travelers would prefer major resorts, boutique hotels or Airbnb for their next trip, most participants chose boutique hotels, with consideration of the more intimate environment boutique hotels provide and a higher level of trust in hotels with cleaning protocols. 

Travel editors also discussed emerging travel trends and the changes on how people will approach travel planning. Flexibility in cancellation policies and increased sanitation procedures will be crucial. Editors have also seen an interest in outdoor adventure, staycations and drive-to destinations. Experts also discussed the consideration of “travel bubbles,” in which countries will open their borders to travel to nearby countries; for the US, this means a focus not only on domestic experiences, but also Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean.

We also learned about the next wave of travel articles the media is looking to write. There is an appetite for travel storytelling that inspires travelers. Readers are looking for more personally relatable destination stories about resilience and creative adaptation during this time. 

Check out CIIC’s Twitter page and #TWChats on Twitter now to recap the discussion.