Expedia’s Evolution, JetBlue’s Challenges and Dubai’s Sphere

Today's podcast looks at Expedia's new focus, Jetblue's frustrations, and a sphere for Dubai. -Rashaad Jorden

‘A perfect place to build a film community’: a tour of Scotland’s island movie clubs

The Sea Change film festival on Tiree is a DIY affair that celebrates women and also connects communities on a series of small, scattered isles

Think of a film festival and images of celebrities, paparazzi and throngs of tourists might spring to mind, but one festival on a Hebridean island does things a little differently. The Sea Change film festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday, has been attracting the public and the film industry to Tiree (population about 650) in the Inner Hebrides for the past five years.

It’s Scotland’s only annual festival dedicated to celebrating women through film, and hosts screenings, workshops and talks, as well as beach walks, pilates classes and swimming sessions. The community centre becomes the main cinema and an after-party might mean a few pints at a pop-up bar rather than a glitzy hotel. Continue reading...

Where Certares Plans to Invest Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

There is huge untapped potential in getting Americans to travel to Europe or the Middle East for lower prices on high-tech wellness services. -Justin Dawes

MGM Shares Plans for Dubai Sphere, ‘Equally Compelling as Las Vegas Sphere’

MGM Resorts is building its own "Dubai Sphere." Though not linked to the Las Vegas Sphere, the hotelier says it will be just as exciting. -Josh Corder

JetBlue to Open Airport Lounges in Major Premium Push

Speaking to Skift, JetBlue president Marty St. George said it’s possible to balance a low-cost airline with high-end lounges. If realized as planned, these could be some of the most exclusive spaces of any U.S. carrier.  -Gordon Smith

Waterford revival: the reinvention of Ireland’s oldest city

From Viking history, to its wild coastline and even its ‘damp’ weather, Waterford has taken its natural assets and run with them

It was a pretty long interregnum, about 1,000 years, but Waterford is once again a hot travel destination.

The Vikings were the first to popularise this corner of south-east Ireland, liking it so much they settled, built a town and called it Vadrarfjordr, Norse for “winter port”, around AD914. There was no better refuge for weary raiders to rest and recuperate. Continue reading...

Wyndham’s New Ways to Make Money — One Text at a Time

Wyndham's CEO says its tech investment is paying off. Other travel brands need to up their game. -Rashaad Jorden