In this episode, news editor Johanna Jainchill talks about how we review and select the stories in our annual Year in Review report, which looks at the biggest and most impactful stories of the year.

And then she and host Rebecca Tobin talk about what made 2025 so unique, from "choppy" markets to how people booked travel, to Las Vegas' occupancy woes, to Southwest's business-model changes, to cruising’s destination island expansion -- and more.

This episode was recorded Dec. 11 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Episode sponsor 

This episode is sponsored by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines https://www.aflk.biz

Related reports 

2025: The Year in Review https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/2025-year-in-review

 

In this episode, news editor Johanna Jainchill talks about how we review and select the stories in our annual Year in Review report, which looks at the biggest and most impactful stories of the year.
And then she and host Rebecca Tobin talk about what made 2025 so unique, from "choppy" markets to how people booked travel, to Las Vegas' occupancy woes, to Southwest's business-model changes, to cruising&rsquo;s destination island expansion -- and more.
This episode was recorded Dec. 11 and has been edited for length and clarity.
Episode sponsor 
This episode is sponsored by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines <a href="https://www.aflk.biz">https://www.aflk.biz</a>
Related reports 
2025: The Year in Review <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/2025-year-in-review">https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/2025-year-in-review</a>
&nbsp;

Travel Weekly's team of reporters, editors and contributors explore ideas, share experiences and provide insight into what they’ve uncovered while reporting on some of the biggest trends in travel.

Travel Weekly's team of reporters, editors and contributors explore ideas, share experiences and provide insight into what they&rsquo;ve uncovered while reporting on some of the biggest trends in travel.

Hosted by Rebecca Tobin, managing editor of Travel Weekly

The Folo by Travel Weekly

Travel Weekly's team of reporters, editors and contributors take a deep dive into the biggest travel story of the week. 

In each episode, we invite invite our team of journalists and their trusted sources to delve into major travel trends that industry insiders, or just travelers, want to know about.  

You may be wondering: Why the Folo? Well, a folo -- f o l o -- is a journalism term, a kind of shorthand that basically means to follow a breaking news story with more in depth reporting and analysis. And at the Folo podcast, that's what we do. 

Hosted by Travel Weekly managing editor Rebecca Tobin.

Travel Weekly's team of reporters, editors and contributors take a deep dive into the biggest travel story of the week.&nbsp;
In each episode, we invite invite our team of journalists and their trusted sources to delve into major travel trends that industry insiders, or just travelers, want to know about. &nbsp;
You may be wondering: Why the Folo? Well, a folo -- f o l o -- is a journalism term, a kind of shorthand that basically means to follow a breaking news story with more in depth reporting and analysis. And at the Folo podcast, that's what we do.&nbsp;
Hosted by Travel Weekly managing editor Rebecca Tobin.

The biggest travel stories of 2025

In a so-called k-shaped economy, higher earners head up on an upward angle, but lower earners, on the lower leg of the “k” drop behind. This bifurcation is also playing out in some corners of the travel industry as ultrahigh-net worth travelers spend to snap up the top level suites, but travelers with less resources are slower to book entry-level rooms.

In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin talks with hotels editor Christina Jelski and Jon Makhmaltchi, the founder of J.Mak hospitality, about how hotel companies are physically configuring their properties to appeal to those at top of the k, the pitfalls of over-relying on one market segment and how hotels and advisors are working to attract entry-level and aspirational luxury travelers.

This episode was recorded Jan. 22 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Winter series: 

This episode is part of our annual Winter Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was originally published Jan. 26 and has been edited for length and clarity. 

New episodes return next week!

Episode sponsor

This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways https://www.amawaterways.com

Related links

Luxury hotels and the K-shaped economy: A tale of two markets https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/K-shaped-economy-for-luxury-hotels

J.Mak Hospitality https://www.jmak.com/

In a so-called k-shaped economy, higher earners head up on an upward angle, but lower earners, on the lower leg of the &ldquo;k&rdquo; drop behind. This bifurcation is also playing out in some corners of the travel industry as ultrahigh-net worth travelers spend to snap up the top level suites, but travelers with less resources are slower to book entry-level rooms.
In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin talks with hotels editor Christina Jelski and Jon Makhmaltchi, the founder of J.Mak hospitality, about how hotel companies are physically configuring their properties to appeal to those at top of the k, the pitfalls of over-relying on one market segment and how hotels and advisors are working to attract entry-level and aspirational luxury travelers.
This episode was recorded Jan. 22 and has been edited for length and clarity.
Winter series: 
This episode is part of our annual Winter Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was originally published Jan. 26 and has been edited for length and clarity.&nbsp;
New episodes return next week!
Episode sponsor
This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways https://www.amawaterways.com
Related links
Luxury hotels and the K-shaped economy: A tale of two markets <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/K-shaped-economy-for-luxury-hotels">https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/K-shaped-economy-for-luxury-hotels</a>
J.Mak Hospitality <a href="https://www.jmak.com/">https://www.jmak.com/</a>

The shape of the U.S. economy -- our Winter Series finale

Last summer, Folo host Rebecca Tobin got the opportunity to cruise Mitsui Ocean Cruises, a line that’s based in Japan and created for and curated for and sold to Japanese travelers – but is also now marketing to North Americans.

On this episode, Anthony Kaufman, a cruise veteran who is now Mitsui’s head of commercial strategies, talks about how to take a cruise experience devoted to one market and entice another, and how Mitsui is a different experience from a U.S. based cruise line with Asia-positioned ships.

This episode was recorded on Dec. 5, and has been edited for length and clarity.

Winter series: 

This episode is part of our annual Winter Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was originally published Jan. 12 and has been edited for length and clarity. 

Episode sponsor

This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways https://www.amawaterways.com

Related links

Japan by sea https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Japan-by-sea-Mitsui-Ocean-Cruises

Cruise lines increase Asia sailings to meet Japan's blossoming appeal https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Increase-Asia-sailings-with-Japan-high-demand

The sun rises on Japan tourism https://www.travelweekly.com/Asia-Travel/The-sun-rises-on-Japan-tourism

Mitsui Ocean Cruises https://www.mitsuioceancruises.us/

Last summer, Folo host Rebecca Tobin got the opportunity to cruise Mitsui Ocean Cruises, a line that&rsquo;s based in Japan and created for and curated for and sold to Japanese travelers &ndash; but is also now marketing to North Americans.
On this episode, Anthony Kaufman, a cruise veteran who is now Mitsui&rsquo;s head of commercial strategies, talks about how to take a cruise experience devoted to one market and entice another, and how Mitsui is a different experience from a U.S. based cruise line with Asia-positioned ships.
This episode was recorded on Dec. 5, and has been edited for length and clarity.
Winter series: 
This episode is part of our annual Winter Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was originally published Jan. 12 and has been edited for length and clarity.&nbsp;
Episode sponsor
This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways <a href="https://www.amawaterways.com">https://www.amawaterways.com</a>
Related links
Japan by sea <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Japan-by-sea-Mitsui-Ocean-Cruises">https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Japan-by-sea-Mitsui-Ocean-Cruises</a>
Cruise lines increase Asia sailings to meet Japan's blossoming appeal <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Increase-Asia-sailings-with-Japan-high-demand">https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Increase-Asia-sailings-with-Japan-high-demand</a>
The sun rises on Japan tourism <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Asia-Travel/The-sun-rises-on-Japan-tourism">https://www.travelweekly.com/Asia-Travel/The-sun-rises-on-Japan-tourism</a>
Mitsui Ocean Cruises <a href="https://www.mitsuioceancruises.us/">https://www.mitsuioceancruises.us/</a>

A Japan-based line wants to attract U.S. cruisers -- a Winter Series episode

On this episode we’re going to tuck in to a portion of the flying experience that you might be surprised to hear about: food.

In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin, aviation editor Robert Silk and Joe Leader, the CEO of the International Flight Services Association, talk about the growth of good eating in all cabins, tech developments that make food service more efficient and more interesting, and why food tastes different at cruising altitude. Plus: Pre-ordering and new complimentary meal service on transcontinental routes.

Winter series: 

This episode is part of our annual Winter Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was originally published Sept. 29 and has been edited for length and clarity. 

Related links:

Airline food innovators have high aspirations: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Airline-food-innovators-have-high-aspirations

International Flight Services Association: https://ifsa.aero/

On this episode we&rsquo;re going to tuck in to a portion of the flying experience that you might be surprised to hear about: food.
In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin, aviation editor Robert Silk and Joe Leader, the CEO of the International Flight Services Association, talk about the growth of good eating in all cabins, tech developments that make food service more efficient and more interesting, and why food tastes different at cruising altitude. Plus: Pre-ordering and new complimentary meal service on transcontinental routes.
Winter series: 
This episode is part of our annual Winter Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was originally published Sept. 29 and has been edited for length and clarity.&nbsp;
Related links:
Airline food innovators have high aspirations: <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Airline-food-innovators-have-high-aspirations">https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Airline-food-innovators-have-high-aspirations</a>
International Flight Services Association: <a href="https://ifsa.aero/">https://ifsa.aero/</a>

The biggest travel stories of 2025

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