Listen to today’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-travellers-daily/id1842920062
True Travellers Society Podcast – October 21, 2025
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
Fliggy reports surge in booking among college students during 2025 National Day holiday as Gen Z travelers dominate
Gen Z led holiday travel on Fliggy this season, with college students fueling a 63% jump in flight bookings and a 110% spike in international trips, lifting average booking values by 31% year over year. Fliggy’s AI assistant, AskMe, saw daily users surge more than 5x, while travelers leaned into experiential and self-drive trends: rental car orders rose 60% and domestic activity bookings climbed 78%.
New hotspots like Jingdezhen and Luzhou broke out, and niche outbound destinations across East and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe gained ground as travelers ventured beyond traditional tourist paths.
Why a Pixel phone is my most valuable travel companion
Google’s Pixel lineup stands out for travelers thanks to on-device language tools like Live Translate, camera-based text translation, and Live Captions, with new features such as Voice Translate rolling out on Pixel 10. The author highlights real-world saves—from translating handwritten menus on the spot to navigating offline with downloaded language packs.
While other brands are catching up, Google’s pace of AI-driven translation remains a key reason to stick with Pixels on the road.
What can you do for free during Sweden’s autumn break?
Families staying local for läslov will find a full slate of free activities across Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö—from library storytelling and museum workshops to manga drawing sessions, roller discos, and spooky nature trails. Highlights include Gothenburg’s Culture Night, Malmö’s Horror Week in Folkets Park, and Stockholm’s Monster Trail in Sorunda.
It’s a timely reminder that memorable school-break fun doesn’t have to cost a krona, especially with helpful city calendars to find more.
Brand USA targets 9 countries with new tourism campaign amid travel slump
Brand USA launched its ‘America the Beautiful’ campaign to revive inbound tourism across nine key international markets, following an 80% cut in federal funding and the first drop in overseas visits in five years. The push spans connected TV, streaming, out-of-home, and social, and includes a new multilingual, AI-powered trip-planning site.
With major events on the horizon, the organization is betting on immersive storytelling and digital tools to rebuild demand despite budget pressures.
Citi Strata Elite vs. Venture X: Which is better?
Capital One Venture X offers a lower $395 annual fee, an easy-to-use $300 travel credit, 10,000-mile anniversary bonus, and broad lounge/transfer partner access—making it the simpler, high-value pick for frequent travelers. Citi Strata Elite costs $595 but counters with up to $700 in annual credits, elevated dining earnings, four Admirals Club passes, and the rare ability to transfer points to American Airlines.
Choose Venture X for straightforward value and everyday earning; choose Strata Elite if you’ll maximize merchant credits and prize AAdvantage transfers.
Turkey loyalty programs intelligence report 2025: market to grow by 17.4% to surpass $1.5 billion this year
Turkey’s loyalty market is set to expand 17.4% in 2025 to US$1.51B, with a projected CAGR of 14.6% through 2029 reaching US$2.61B. Growth is driven by analytics-led platforms, mobile-first engagement, and expansion across retail, financial services, travel, and more.
The report details 50+ KPIs, consumer demographics, and platform use cases to help brands target high-growth segments and refine loyalty strategies.
Malaysia loyalty programs research report 2025: market to grow by 16.2% to reach $471.7 million this year
Malaysia’s loyalty sector is forecast to rise 16.2% in 2025 to US$471.7M, on track for a 13.5% CAGR to US$784M by 2029. Momentum comes from personalization, gamification, and coalition models, with ecosystems like GrabRewards and AirAsia BIG Rewards setting the pace.
Fintech and digital wallets are accelerating adoption, while new use cases in healthcare and financial services broaden engagement and stickiness.
Your guide to Bilt transfers: top picks, mid-tier maybes, and skips
This practical ranking of Bilt transfer partners spotlights top performers like World of Hyatt, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Air France–KLM Flying Blue for their mix of value and ease. Mid-tier options can deliver big wins if you learn their quirks, while several hotel programs are best reserved for topping off a specific redemption.
Actionable tip: always locate real award space and compare total miles plus fees before transferring—points only move one way.
Have a Thanksgiving road trip coming up? AI can make your travel route planning easier
Curiosio is a free AI trip planner built for road trips, generating routes, day-by-day itineraries, and budget/time estimates in under two minutes. Its Travel, Geek, and Beta modes balance simplicity with deep customization, plus easy export to Google Maps.
For budget-minded, multistop travelers, it’s a fast way to optimize routes and uncover stops—especially ahead of crowded holiday weekends.
Disney celebrates America: festivities announced for America’s 250th anniversary
Disney will mark the nation’s semiquincentennial with ‘Disney Celebrates America,’ running from Veterans Day 2025 through July 4, 2026. Highlights include Soarin’ Across America at Disneyland Resort and EPCOT, plus an all-day, cross-network July 4 broadcast culminating in fireworks from both coasts.
The initiative also expands veteran and military family support through Blue Star Families, special screenings, and 2026 offers across parks and Disney Cruise Line.
