This Week in Travel News: 11 Stories You Need to See

A roundup of the week's most newsworthy travel industry press releases from PR Newswire, including the best cities for true crime tourism and SeaWorld's first park outside the U.S.

NEW YORK, May 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the travel industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. Exploring the Dark Side: Upgraded Points Ranks the Best U.S. Cities for True Crime Tourism in Latest Study
   From the sorority house that Ted Bundy terrorized and the haunted moss-covered trees of Savannah to the Mob Museum of Vegas and the voodoo-soaked streets of New Orleans, Americans love the macabre. But which cities wield both a chilling and a cheap thrill?
2. United Becomes First U.S. Airline to Add Live Activities for iPhone
   United became the first U.S. airline to support Live Activities for iPhone, giving customers real-time access to their boarding pass, gate and seat number, and countdown clock to departure time on their Lock Screen or while unlocked in the Dynamic Island, all without opening the United app.
3. Tripadvisor Reveals Top-Rated Hotels in 2023 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Awards
   Sarah Firshein, Head of Editorial at Tripadvisor, said, "An opulent palace in Jaipur topped the charts, while hotels ranging from a 'glamping' retreat in Patagonia to a rock 'n' roll–themed boutique in Boston made their mark as well. As our savvy reviewers know, hotels can sometimes be the entire reason for the trip…"
4. Dramamine® Eases Americans' Travel Woes with 'Ditch the Drama' Sweepstakes Offering a Vacation to Anywhere in the World
   This comes as 72% of Americans say they prefer someone else handle the planning for them, and nearly a third of Americans saying their plans won't be finalized until weeks before. 
5. First SeaWorld Park Outside of the U.S. Now Open Bringing Inspiring Animal Encounters, Educational Programs and Marine-life Attractions to a New Region of the World
   Spanning five indoor levels over 183,000 sqm, the park tells a captivating One Ocean story, taking guests on an incredible journey of discovery from the poles to the tropics, seamlessly blending learning and fun across eight immersive realms that show guests how they are connected to the ocean, and how the ocean connects all of us.
6. TSA is prepared for high travel volumes this Memorial Day weekend and the summer travel season
   "TSA is ready to handle this summer's anticipated increase in travel. Our staffing levels are better and this is largely due to better pay for all TSA employees which starts on July 1st," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. "This key action, supported by the President and Congress, enables us, for the first time in TSA's history, to pay our workforce using the same pay scale that applies to other federal employees."
7. Deloitte: Despite Some Americans' Financial Concerns, Leisure Travel Continues its Upward Climb
   Whether they are making up for lost time, spending their savings, or placing higher priority on experiences and memory-making, some Americans continue to find reasons to prioritize travel — even as their financial concerns persist.
8. Booking.com and Disney Invite Travelers to be "Part of Their World" This Summer With "Under The Sea" Inspired Stays in Celebration of "The Little Mermaid," Only in Theaters on May 26
   The global campaign will run in the U.S., U.K, France, Germany and Australia, and highlights the amazing travel experiences and wide range of properties - from hotels to vacation rentals and everything in between - available on Booking.com for families around the world to enjoy, including once-in-a-lifetime "Under the Sea" themed stays for lucky travelers.
9. Research Reveals Why 1 in 4 Travelers Wish They Chose Different Vacation Destinations and 90 Percent Avoid Visiting New Places
   The research revealed that 90% of Americans are discouraged from traveling to new places based on a variety of reasons aside from cost, including safety and security concerns (40%), not being able to take time off work (26%), lack of knowledge about the location (22%), fear of the unknown (22%), and difficulty deciding on a destination (22%).
10. Holiday Inn Club Vacations Acquires Four Resorts in Mexico from Royal Resorts, Marks First International Expansion for the Company
    The four award-winning, family-friendly resorts acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated collectively will add more than 850 villas to the company's growing portfolio of destination resorts. The company expects it will take approximately one year to fully integrate the resorts, and during this process, the resorts will continue to operate normally.
11. A Grand Reveal and Momentous Return: Sandals® Dunn's River Celebrates Grand Opening in Legendary Fashion
    Sandals Resorts International unveiled its latest resort, the all-new 260-room Sandals Dunn's River, with a celebration befitting its legendary lore in Jamaica's tourism history. The night brought together leaders in the Caribbean, valued members of the Sandals Resorts family, and Jamaica's most quintessential performers.

Read more of the latest travel-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNtravel on Twitter.

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