October 19, 2017 View in browser

Note From the Editor

Our outlook is primarily beyond the lower 48 states today with headlines out of or relevant to Catalonia, China, and Puerto Rico. First up, we had our London-based editor Patrick Whyte look into what Catalonia’s independenccould mean to Spanish tourism. Sneak peek: Not a ton of good.

In China, a nearly half-billion investment by Priceline into one of the country’s largest e-commerce platforms signals a new approach to relations in the region by the travel giant’s newish CEO. And in Puerto Rico, a tourism official offers a blunt assessment of the challenges and the promise ahead for the island.

— Jason Clampet, Editor-in-Chief

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Catalonia’s Bid for Independence Is Complicating Tourism in Spain
A prolonged period of uncertainty over Catalonia's future does nobody any favors. The region and the city of Barcelona have endured a difficult 2017 and it will be interesting to see if this has any impact on tourism in 2018.
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Priceline Invests $450 Million in Chinese E-Commerce Giant Meituan-Dianping
The deal shows the pragmatism of Priceline Group's new CEO toward China. Glenn Fogel chose to partner with a second local player rather than rely just on its existing partnership with Ctrip.
JetBlue Airways Drops a Dozen Online Travel Agencies in Cost-Cutting Move
On its own, this is no big deal. Not many people book JetBlue tickets on Vegas.com or whatscheaper.com. But JetBlue called this phase one, so we'll be watching closely to see the airline's next step.
Business Travelers Remain Concerned About Work-Life Balance
Travel managers may finally take the initiative to improve quality of life for their travelers in a meaningful way. Business travelers themselves remain worried about the negative effects of traveling for work.
Puerto Rico Convention Bureau CEO Is Focusing on 2018 After Hurricane Maria
The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau is actively selling for 2018 meetings and conventions despite the fallout from Hurricane Maria, but with the rebuilding efforts, the island should reposition itself more as a hub of industry innovation rather than just a U.S. tropical paradise.
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