Hi, Managing Editor Kate Zaliznock extended the courtesy of offering me the opportunity to write this week’s Smart Travel column, and I jumped at the chance. Today is my fifteenth day serving as Smart Meetings senior editor and community concierge, and I’m genuinely excited to join such a whip-smart team. I cut my teeth writing about travel for Frommers.com, where I had the privilege to work for 13 years, first as a web producer, then as the site’s editorial director. But, enough about me. Let’s look at some news items that should intrigue any professional meeting planner.
The travel industry continues to deliver headline-worthy developments this week, from strong luxury demand to new wellness benchmarks, cruise ship debuts and theme park surprises.
Luxury Travel Defies Gravity
At Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, the luxury consortium made it clear: Its customers aren’t following mainstream travel slowdowns. According to Virtuoso’s database, the average booking window has held steady at 122 days, bucking the broader trend of last-minute travel. Sales across hotels, cruises and tours are all up double digits, with hotel bookings leading at a remarkable 25.5% year-over-year increase in the first half of 2025.
Read More: The Changing Definition of Luxury
In March 2025, there was some concern that such growth was unsustainable.
“We didn’t have any cancellations,” Brownell Travel’s Kerry Dyer said, “we just had a pause.”
This momentum extends forward, too—2026 bookings are already looking “awesome,” according Dyer. Even as overall trip lengths ticked slightly down (from 8.1 days to 7.8). Incentive travel planners would do well to heed the lessons here: luxury travel remains popular, but careful planning is required to secure those bookings.
Hotels Confront ‘Wellness-Washing’
For hotels, the bar on wellness has just been raised. The Wellness in Travel & Tourism (WITT) organization and the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) have partnered to launch Core Wellness Standards for Hotels—a set of 12 criteria designed to help guests distinguish between marketing spin and authentic well-being. Covering healthy eating, holistic healing, nature integration, movement opportunities and local impact, the standards call for everything from inclusive meal options and restful sleep environments to meaningful ties with local culture.
Read More: Caesars Wellness Roadshow Event Resonates
“Wellness travel is no longer a niche—it’s a priority,” said Oxana Spivey of WITT. These guidelines aim to give credibility to properties that truly deliver on the promise, and they are standards that meeting profs should take to heart.
Disney Doubles Down on Attractions
Disney is constantly reinventing parts and parcels of its theme parks and properties, which makes it attractive to planners looking for something new for incentive travel. Orlando is gearing up for a blockbuster 2026, with Walt Disney World unveiling a wave of attraction updates. The biggest buzz is around Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where the long-running Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will be reimagined as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, featuring The Electric Mayhem in a psychedelic, one-night-only concert experience.
The Magic Kingdom isn’t left out: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen with fresh special effects, including a mysterious new Rainbow Caverns sequence. At Animal Kingdom, guests won’t have to wait until 2026 for new experiences—the 4D show “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” opens this November, complete with character greetings outside the theater. Meanwhile, Star Wars fans can look forward to a new adventure on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, inspired by “The Mandalorian” and Grogu.
Royal Caribbean’s ‘Star of the Seas’ Shines Bright
On the high seas, Royal Caribbean is making waves with its second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas. Though larger than its sibling Utopia of the Seas, the ship carries fewer passengers, giving guests more room to spread out. Among its standout features: seven pools, the Category 6 waterpark and the infinity-edge Hideaway Pool. Suite guests enjoy exclusive perks at The Grove, while thrill-seekers can test their courage on Crown’s Edge, a skywalk and ropes course 154 feet above the ocean with a surprise drop finale.
Dining is another highlight—the new AquaDome Market introduces fresh flavors like Cuban sandwiches at La Cocinita and pad thai at Mai Thai. Entertainment also shines, with “Back to the Future: The Musical” debuting onboard to rave reviews, alongside an inventive ice-skating production. Looking ahead, Royal Caribbean is already charting its next moves: a third Icon ship (Legend of the Seas) in 2026, a new Discovery series of smaller ships and even an entry into river cruising by 2027.
