AI Won’t Replace You. But Someone Using It Well Might.

And while AI takes over the world…

Travel Industry News & Trends

Oceania’s Allura to Launch with Star Power

Oceania Cruises (link) will christen its newest ship, Allura, this August with help from Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs.” The 1,200-passenger vessel is designed for food lovers, with expanded dining venues, new culinary concepts, and a chef-led christening cruise sailing from Trieste to Athens. It’s the second ship in Oceania’s Allura class, following the Vista, and continues the brand’s pitch for elevated, small-ship cuisine. TRAVEL WEEKLY

Who needs a bottle of Champagne when you can christen a ship with lobster espuma?

Zemi Miches Aims to Reset the All-Inclusive Bar

The Dominican Republic will welcome a new name this fall: Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton. (link) Set along Playa Esmeralda, the 502-room resort wants to redefine the luxury all-inclusive experience with multiple dining concepts, spa, eco-friendly design, and wellness-forward programming. Hilton is investing heavily in upscale all-inclusives, putting pressure on luxury brands in places like the Riviera Maya. LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR

If “all-inclusive” still makes you cringe, this one might make you flinch less.

InterContinental Moves into Manchester

IHG (link) is expanding again with InterContinental Manchester, set to open this summer in the former Hilton Deansgate. It will be the brand’s fifth property in the UK and Ireland. The 18th–23rd floors will be home to redesigned rooms and a new Club InterContinental lounge. Restaurants, meetings, and event spaces will follow. It's a major shift for Manchester’s luxury hotel scene. TACENTRAL

Manchester’s gone from “football and rain” to “football, rain, and Club InterContinental.”

Beauty Born from a Landslide

Attabad Lake in northern Pakistan didn’t exist 15 years ago. Formed after a massive landslide in 2010, the lake has become one of the country’s most striking destinations. Today, it draws curious travelers with its glacier-fed turquoise water, dramatic cliffs, and a surreal origin story. Once a tragedy, it’s now a place of quiet beauty and growing tourism. BBC

If your client asks for “unforgettable,” this just redefined the word.

The Expert’s Guild Marketing Corner

Smart Ways to Use AI (Part 1 of 5)

Your Personal Assistant: Save Time Without Losing Your Voice

This week, we begin our mini-course on how to use AI to work better, not harder.

And we’re starting with the easiest way in: writing help.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini can help you draft client emails, trip proposals, social captions, and thank-you notes in less time, so you can spend more time focusing on what really matters.

But you don’t have to figure it out alone.

🟪 SECTION 1: Why This Matters

• You already write the same types of messages over and over

• AI can give you a first draft

• You keep your personal tone by editing it, not replacing it

• You save hours each week by not starting from scratch

🟨 SECTION 2: What You Can Use It For

• Proposal outlines

• Welcome emails

• Post-trip thank-you messages

• Social media captions

• Itinerary summaries

• Newsletter introductions

🟦 SECTION 3: Example Prompts

✉️ Welcome Email

Act as a luxury travel advisor writing to a longtime client couple.
Write a warm and professional email welcoming them to their upcoming trip to [DESTINATION].
They are celebrating [OCCASION] and love [INTERESTS].
Mention 2 personalized details about the itinerary and why this trip suits them.
Use a friendly, elegant tone. Keep it under 200 words.

Download the rest of the prompts here:

🟧 SECTION 4: How to Use the Result

• Read what the AI gives you

• Tweak the words to sound more like you

• Add personal touches or client details

• Use it as a starting point, not the final version

• The goal is: AI = 70%, You = 30%

🟥 SECTION 5: The 3 Golden Rules of Using AI as a Travel Pro

1. Double-check everything.
AI can make things up. Always verify facts, links, addresses, and supplier details. It’s a tool, not a travel bible.

2. Make it sound like you.
AI gives you the draft. You add the magic. Edit for tone, polish the phrasing, and add personal touches your client will recognize.

3. Don’t automate trust.
Use AI to save time, not to replace real connections. No bot can replace a heartfelt follow-up, a surprise room upgrade, or a midnight WhatsApp when a flight’s delayed. 😁 

🟫 What’s Coming Next Week:

Part 2: Teach AI what you know, so it works like your second brain.

Sponsored by the Savvy Traveler Guides

Destination Spotlight

Maido

Today’s Destination Spotlight Is Very Specific.

It’s not a city.
It’s not a neighborhood.
It’s not even a building.

It’s a restaurant.

Each year, the release of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (link) marks more than just the pulse of fine dining.

For luxury travelers and food lovers, this list is a map.
An emotional itinerary.
A compass that doesn’t just tell you where to go, but why it’s worth going.

In 2025, Maido in Lima takes the top spot.

But what truly stands out is the diversity of cultures and destinations represented: Peru, Spain, Mexico, Denmark, and Japan.

There’s no single way to define luxury dining… but there’s a clear way to taste it.

In times when experiences matter more than things, booking a table at one of these restaurants has become as important as choosing the right hotel or securing that first-class seat.

Because for many, the journey begins when the reservation is confirmed, and ends with the final conversation at the table.