Travel Is Changing Faster Than Ever. Travelers Need Better Information.
Booking a flight is easy. According to the latest Travel Intelligence Report, travellers have more options than ever when planning their trips.
Finding a hotel takes seconds.
However, understanding what may affect your journey before you leave is becoming increasingly important.
Airline schedules change. Airports experience disruptions. Entry requirements evolve. Weather affects destinations. Major events create unexpected demand. New hotel openings create opportunities. Meanwhile, geopolitical developments, transportation disruptions and changing travel regulations can influence a trip thousands of miles away.
For travelers, there is no shortage of information.
The real challenge is knowing what actually matters.
That’s why VOA Worldwide is introducing Travel Intelligence™ Monthly Reports, a new member resource designed to bring relevant travel developments together in one place.
Our goal is simple:
Know More. Travel Better.™
What Is a Travel Intelligence Report?
A travel intelligence report goes beyond destination inspiration.
Instead of simply telling travelers where they should go next, Travel Intelligence™ focuses on information that may help them make more informed travel decisions.
Each month, VOA Worldwide will evaluate developments across the travel landscape and organize relevant insights for our members.
That includes developments across the United States as well as international destinations.
The report is designed to cover six primary areas:
1. U.S. & Global Travel Intelligence
Travel is interconnected.
An airport disruption in Europe can affect a connecting passenger from the United States. A major event in Asia can dramatically influence hotel demand. A new airline route can create opportunities that didn’t exist a few months earlier.
Therefore, VOA Travel Intelligence™ will examine important developments across both domestic and international travel.
Members can expect insights involving destinations, tourism developments, transportation, emerging travel patterns and other changes that may influence future journeys.
2. Safety & Security Updates
Travel should be exciting.
It should also be informed.
Each monthly Travel Intelligence Report will identify noteworthy safety and security developments travelers should have on their radar.
These may include government travel advisories, significant disruptions, severe weather considerations, transportation interruptions and other relevant developments.
Importantly, travel intelligence isn’t designed to create fear.
It’s designed to create awareness.
Understanding conditions before departure gives travelers an opportunity to prepare appropriately and make informed decisions.
3. Airline & Airport Intelligence
For many travelers, some of the most frustrating parts of a journey happen before they ever reach their destination.
Delays.
Cancellations.
Schedule changes.
Airport construction.
New routes.
Operational disruptions.
Changes to airline policies.
That’s why airline and airport intelligence will be a core component of VOA’s monthly reporting.
We will highlight relevant developments that may affect how members plan and experience upcoming journeys.
Additionally, VOA members should keep their upcoming travel information current with their Travel Portfolio Management™ Team whenever applicable.
Knowing about a trip before departure allows our team to better understand the member’s overall travel portfolio and provide appropriate assistance.
4. Hotel & Destination Updates
The hotel industry is constantly changing.
New resorts open.
Existing properties complete renovations.
Hotels change brands.
Destinations introduce new tourism initiatives.
Major attractions open or close.
Meanwhile, large events can dramatically change availability and pricing within a destination.
Our Travel Intelligence™ Reports will help members understand noteworthy hotel and destination developments worth knowing.
Because sometimes the difference between an ordinary trip and an extraordinary one is simply knowing what’s new.
5. Entry & Travel Requirements
International travel requires preparation.
Passport validity requirements, visas, electronic travel authorizations, customs procedures and other entry requirements can vary significantly by destination.
Furthermore, these requirements can change.
VOA Travel Intelligence™ will highlight important developments members should be aware of when planning international travel.
However, travelers should always verify current entry requirements through the appropriate government authorities before departure.
VOA Travel Tip: Never assume that because you visited a country previously, the requirements are exactly the same today.
Check again before every international journey.
6. Travel Trends & Forecasts
Good travel planning isn’t only about understanding what’s happening today.
It’s also about looking ahead.
Where is demand increasing?
Which destinations are becoming more popular?
Where could major events affect availability?
What seasonal conditions should travelers consider?
When should travelers begin planning high-demand trips?
VOA Travel Intelligence™ will include forward-looking observations designed to help members think beyond their next reservation.
After all, sometimes the best travel decision is made months before the trip begins.
Why Travel Intelligence Matters
Today’s traveler has access to more information than any generation before them.
Yet that creates another problem:
Information overload.
One traveler may receive information from an airline app.
Another notification comes from the hotel.
Weather information comes from somewhere else.
Government travel advisories exist on another website.
Loyalty-program updates arrive through email.
Then there are news articles, social media posts, blogs, travel forums and thousands of other sources competing for attention.
VOA Travel Intelligence™ is designed to help members cut through some of that noise.
Instead of asking:
“What’s happening everywhere?”
We want members thinking:
“What should I know that could affect the way I travel?”
That’s a much more useful question.
Travel Intelligence Meets Travel Portfolio Management™
Travel Intelligence™ becomes even more valuable when combined with VOA Travel Portfolio Management™.
Consider two travelers planning the exact same trip to Tokyo.
One traveler has:
500,000 American Express Membership Rewards points.
Marriott Bonvoy status.
American Airlines miles.
A preferred airline.
Known seating preferences.
An applicable VOA membership benefit.
The other traveler has a completely different collection of loyalty programs, points, preferences and benefits.
They’re traveling to the same destination.
But their optimal travel strategies may be completely different.
That’s why VOA looks beyond the reservation.
Your travel portfolio may include:
- Airline loyalty programs
- Hotel loyalty programs
- Credit card rewards
- Points and miles
- Traveler preferences
- Home airports
- Hotel preferences
- Upcoming travel
- VOA membership benefits
- Travel credits
- Bucket-list goals
Together, these pieces provide context.
And context can lead to better travel decisions.
Intelligence Before the Journey
Imagine you’re planning a trip six months from now.
Traditional travel planning might begin with:
Where are we staying?
Which flight should we book?
Those questions matter.
However, Travel Intelligence™ encourages additional questions.
What’s happening in the destination during those dates?
Is a major event taking place?
Are there seasonal considerations?
Is there airport construction?
Are new airline routes becoming available?
Have entry requirements changed?
Should the trip be booked now—or is there a reason to continue monitoring?
Do your existing points or miles create opportunities?
Are there VOA benefits that could apply?
Now you’re not simply booking.
You’re planning with context.
From Reactive Travel to Proactive Travel
Many travelers manage trips reactively.
Something happens.
Then they figure out what to do.
VOA’s approach is increasingly focused on helping members become more proactive.
Before you travel, understand the destination.
Before you redeem points, understand their potential value.
Before you book elsewhere, understand your VOA benefits.
Before you arrive at the airport, understand potential disruptions.
Before your membership benefits expire, understand how they can be used.
Before “someday” becomes another year, start planning the bucket-list trip.
This philosophy connects directly with VOA’s broader approach to Travel Portfolio Management™.
Not More Travel Content. Better Travel Intelligence.
There are already millions of travel articles online.
We don’t need to add information simply for the sake of adding information.
Our objective with Travel Intelligence™ is different.
Each report should answer a simple question:
What should a VOA member know right now?
If something isn’t relevant, useful or actionable, it doesn’t belong simply because it’s trending.
That’s an important distinction.
The goal isn’t more information.
The goal is better information.
Delivered Monthly to VOA Worldwide Members
Beginning with our August Travel Intelligence™ Report, VOA Worldwide members will receive a new report each month featuring timely travel insights and forward-looking information.
Topics will evolve based on what’s happening around the world.
One month may have significant airline developments.
Another may require more attention to weather.
Another could feature major changes to international entry requirements.
Seasonality will matter too.
For example, summer travel intelligence may focus heavily on airports, European travel demand, hurricanes and family travel.
Winter reports may place greater emphasis on holiday travel, winter weather, ski destinations and seasonal disruption.
The intelligence changes because travel changes.
Your VOA Member Dashboard Is Part of the Experience
Members can also use the VOA Worldwide Member Dashboard to create a more centralized travel experience.
Rather than thinking about each trip independently, the dashboard is designed to help members organize important parts of their travel portfolio.
Combined with the support of VOA’s Travel Portfolio Management™ and Concierge teams, this gives members an opportunity to approach travel differently.
Not simply:
Book. Travel. Repeat.
But:
Understand. Plan. Optimize. Experience.
What Should Members Do With the Monthly Report?
Don’t simply read it.
Use it.
If something in the report relates to an upcoming trip, contact your VOA team.
If you discover a destination you want to experience, add it to your bucket list.
If an airline development affects your plans, ask us about it.
If you realize you haven’t reviewed your points and miles recently, schedule a Travel Portfolio Management™ call.
If you’re unsure which VOA credits or benefits remain available, ask us to review them with you.
Travel Intelligence™ should create conversations.
And those conversations can lead to better planning.
The Future of Travel Membership Is More Personal
For years, much of the travel industry has focused on transactions.
Find a hotel.
Find a flight.
Find a cruise.
Book it.
But today’s traveler has more complexity.
Points.
Miles.
Status.
Credit card benefits.
Membership benefits.
Travel credits.
Multiple reservations.
Different traveler profiles.
Changing regulations.
Global events.
And an almost endless amount of information.
VOA Worldwide believes a modern travel membership should help members understand and manage that complexity.
Travel Intelligence™ is another step in that direction.
Know More. Travel Better.™
The world isn’t going to stop changing.
Airlines will introduce new routes.
Hotels will open.
Destinations will evolve.
Travel requirements will change.
Weather will disrupt plans.
New opportunities will appear.
And travelers will continue exploring the world.
Our job is to help VOA members understand more of what’s happening around them.
Because better travel doesn’t always begin with a better price.
Sometimes it begins with better information.
Welcome to VOA Travel Intelligence™.
Monthly intelligence. Global perspective. Designed for our members.
Know More. Travel Better.™
160 Countries. One World. One Membership.
Live Better.™
