By volunteering around the world, I found my purpose in life, my husband and my roots

Working with charities, farms and rural development projects has been life-changing for our writer – and is something anyone can do, regardless of background

The first time I joined a volunteering trip I was 22, and had no idea what I wanted to do in life. It was in the summer of my third year at university, in 2018, and the project was a 10-week expedition with Raleigh International in Malaysian Borneo.

Raleigh offered bursaries, covering flights, insurance and vaccinations, to people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds [Raleigh International Trust went into administration in May 2022 and was acquired by The Impact Travel Group but still offers expeditions]. I was thrilled to be given a place on the scheme, and the bursary was a huge help. It also meant my fundraising target before the trip was reduced from the £2,000-plus they typically ask for to £800. Continue reading...

Oyo to Buy Motel 6 for $525 Million in U.S. Expansion Bid

Oyo, based in India, has tried for years to gain traction in the U.S., but it has claimed that competitors have played hardball. It's now betting that buying a network is its best way to gain scale fast. -Sean O'Neill

Sabre Hospitality Is For Sale … Again

If Sabre sells its hospitality unit this time around, it can use some of the proceeds to pay off debt, and then refocus on its core airline and travel agency business. -Dennis Schaal

10 Things We Learned at the Skift Global Forum

Executives speaking at this year's Skift Global Forum offered no shortage of opinions about the current state and future of the travel industry, and here are some of the most noteworthy comments. -Rashaad Jorden

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