LJRoundup: 10 Vendor News Items and an Instagram Update
Zartico shares a graphic that illustrates tourism by capturing just one week of international device movement across our country.
Co-founder Jay Kinghorn points out, “Each light represents visitors exploring, spending, and supporting local communities. The Senate’s budget bill threatens to slash funding for Brand USA by 80%. This isn’t just a budget cut—it’s a direct hit to the economic lifeline these lights represent. International tourism boosts America’s tourism economy—and right now, it’s at risk.”
Related: Sad and Bad News: Brand USA Funding Suffers a Setback
Longwoods International issued the latest tracking study of American Travel Sentiment from early Jue 2025. Survey results show 30% of are reducing the number of trips planned over the next six months, up from 26% a year ago. In addition, 26% are choosing to drive rather than fly on upcoming trips, up from 22% in May 2024. The influence of AI software tools such as ChatGPT for travel planning continues to increase with 25% of travelers having used an AI tool to plan a recent trip, up from 19% a year ago.
CrowdRiff reports: “BIG NEWS: Instagram will start showing posts in Google searches. Here’s what this means for your brand and what you should do about it:
Posts and Reels will be more directly indexed and ranked by search engines starting July 10
This update will apply to both public and professional accounts with public profiles
This is a BIG opportunity to boost your brand’s discoverability and traffic with the power of social SEO
Have a strong keyword strategy before making your content, and sprinkle these keywords wherever possible (e.g. on-screen text, spoken script, closed captions, post caption, hashtags)
This helps search engines easily categorize and surface your content to the right audiences.”
Tripadvisor has made a brand refresh for its 25th anniversary. Logo-wise, the company’s signature green is brighter and Ollie the owl has been animated with darting, blinking eyes. Inspired by UGC, a new campaign uses actual vacation photos and text from real trip reviews by travelers.
MMGY Global has announced the addition of Think Strawberries, a leading travel representation company with deep roots in India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Leadership at Think Strawberries will play a central role in shaping MMGY Global’s growth in the region. Founder Amit Kishore will serve as Managing Director and Head of Strategy, while executives Munnmunn Marwah and Sanya Zaidi will continue to lead operations in India and the GCC, respectively. TS has provided representation to travel destinations and attractions, including the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Sharjah, Portugal, Disneyland Paris, Orlando and Dubai Parks and Resorts. Learn more about MMGY’s newest investment here.
TravelAbility has partnered with Gray Digital Media to launch The TravelAbility Channel, a first-of-its-kind streaming channel dedicated to accessible travel. It’s now live on Zeam Media, a free platform reaching millions through 180 local TV stations nationwide.
Madden Media has published a practical, quick-start guide to crisis planning for DMOs — because timing, clarity, and trust aren’t things you want to improvise. Be prepared!
Coraggio Group launched a new white paper, “Destination Forward: Advancing Stewardship in U.S. Tourism Planning” providing insights, examples, and takeaways. Released at the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) international conference in collaboration with International Institute of Tourism Studies at George Washington University, the report can be downloaded here.
Madden Media writes, “In a place where the terrain speaks volumes, we’re here to help it resonate. Our newest partnership with Discover Moab, is a chance to craft stories as powerful as the place itself.”
Paradise Advertising and Marketing is partnering with “Michigan’s Thumbcoast,” the Blue Water Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, to create a five year strategic plan for tourism.
GuideGeek, the free AI-powered personal trip planner by Matador Network, has partnered with Travel Iowa to create Goldie. The name of the ask-me-anything tool is a nod to the state bird, the American Goldfinch. Real-time responses are generated by AI that is trained on extensive data from Travel Iowa and displayed for users on What’sApp, Instagram, or Messenger.