Travel Spending Optimism, Eurostar’s U.S. Traveler Boom and Singapore’s Lady Gaga Boost

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, March 26. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Despite widespread pessimism about the economy, a survey released on Tuesday revealed consumers planned to increase spending on travel, reports Managing Editor Lex Haris. 

Although a survey of consumer confidence revealed a fourth consecutive month of declines, the Conference Board — which released the survey — said travel spending was projected to go up. That projection comes despite a senior economist at the Conference Board describing consumers’ expectations as “gloomy.”

The release from the Conference Board also said fewer consumers planned to spend more on movies and live entertainment. 

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Next, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said that the high-speed rail service is seeing a surge in bookings from U.S. travelers. She discussed the valuable market and more in an interview with Airlines Editor Gordon Smith.

Although the U.S. travel industry is on recession watch, Cazenave said she hasn’t seen softness in bookings from U.S. outbound travelers. Eurostar bookings among U.S. travelers for April are up 23% from last year, and the company is poised to see greater growth during the summer. 

Cazenave also addressed why the company doesn’t levy fees for seating and baggage aboard its trains. She said that making travel on Eurostar as seamless as possible would put it in a better position to grow.  

Finally, Singapore is poised for a major tourism boost when Lady Gaga performs four shows there this May, writes Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.

Bhutia notes the buzz surrounding the concerts has sparked a roughly 200% jump in bookings for the week of May 18 to 24 from last year, according to Trip.com. Data from Booking.com revealed a 16% increase in accommodation searches in the week after the tour was announced. 

The top five global markets for Singapore searches during the period of Lady Gaga’s visit included Australia, India, and the United Kingdom.

For more travel stories and deep dives into the latest trends, head to skift.com. 

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