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HAPPY SUNDAY 👋

You have to ask yourself one question: "Do I really want to go into debt for this?" Well, do you? Plus, we're discussing why Gen Z is travel-obsessed, real life Jetsons, and there's a cotton candy lobster in the mix...

🤑 ‘Beach Please’, I’m taking a vacation on credit
🚀 Dude, we're living in the Jetsons
👺 Favorite vacay spots might be hiding skeletons
💡 Oh, and that viral video of the two-colored ocean? Hate to burst your bubble, but...

🚀 Grab Your Passports, Let’s Go…

✈️🏖️ The Great Escape of 2024

Why are we saying 'YOLO' to budgets and 'HELLO' to let’s go

Apparently, we've all caught a serious travel bug this year—fever-pitch levels, in fact.

About 68% of us are set on taking a vacation in 2024, the highest percentage since they started counting way back in 2009.

🙃💰 Here's where it gets interesting - and a little crazy. Almost half of Americans are pulling a "justi-vacation" move. A whopping 36% are ready to dive into debt to feel some sand between their toes. That's right, we’re jetting off even when our bank accounts are giving us the side-eye.

• 🏄‍♀️ The young folks are leading this charge. Millennials and Gen Z are like, "Debt? Never heard of her. Pass me another cocktail!" 

• 🫠 Now, before you start thinking it's the young and reckless, hold onto your hat. Even the 55+ crowd is getting in on the action. They're like, "Retirement fund? Meh. Have you seen the beaches in Bali?"

So, what's the takeaway from all this travel madness? Basically, we're all desperate for a change of scenery, even if it means eating ramen for a month when we get back. But hey, memories are priceless, right?

🛸🚖 The Jetsons Called

When Science Fiction Becomes Science Fact

Soon, we’ll be commuting like George Jetson.

😆 Remember when we used to joke about The Jetsons and their flying cars? Well, guess what? The joke's on us because the future's looking mighty familiar, and it's got Hanna-Barbera written all over it!

First up, Joby Aviation's hydrogen-powered sky taxi soared across California for an impressive 561 miles. That's like flying from San Francisco to San Diego with enough oomph left for a scenic detour over the Pacific. And get this - the only thing it's emitting is water vapor. Talk about eco-friendly frequent flyer miles!" 😲

The skies are about to get busy!

Archer Aviation is constructing a massive facility in Georgia. How big? It's making regular airplane hangars look tiny. Their goal? To produce 650 electric flying taxis every year. That's not a taxi service; that's a sky army! 🤯

• Archer's already completed 233 test flights this year and they're gunning for 400 by the end of 2024.

Time zone hop 🌍 🕒

"Your passport to the latest travel news around the world!"

🏟️ Saudi Arabia's futuristic world cup bid includes a jaw-dropping plan. A stadium atop "The Line," a 170-km mirrored city-skyscraper in the desert. The Neom Stadium would sit 350 meters high, offering 45,000 fans a truly unique viewing experience.

🇫🇷 Paris Olympics: Where Are the Tourists? The City of Light is surprisingly dim for the Olympics. Empty cafes and quiet streets paint an unexpected picture, with visitors shying away from high prices and security concerns. Airlines report booking slumps, restaurants struggle, and even apartment rentals sit empty.

🏝️Heads up if you're planning a Jamaican getaway! The U.S. government suggests a second thought. While tourist areas are generally safe, crime rates elsewhere are causing concern. Healthcare might not meet U.S. standards, so pack extra meds and don't skimp on travel insurance. Some areas are even off-limits for U.S. embassy staff.

🌍 Gen Z: The Most Travel-Hungry Generation

The 2024 McKinsey tourism report is hot off the press, and Gen Z is shaking up the travel world! These young travelers are more eager to explore than ever, with 76% of them more excited about travel. Is social media feeding their FOMO? You bet! 📷✨

…Speaking of which, these young globe-trotters are all about that international life. While the rest of us are content with a domestic road trip, Gen Z is out there collecting passport stamps like they're Pokémon.

• Hot take: Gen Z isn't just talking the talk; they're walking the walk. Their travel dreams are all about chasing authentic experiences, embracing sustainability, and – ironically – "digital detoxing" (yes, the TikTok generation is unplugging, LOL). 🤳

👵👴 Now, here's the kicker: this travel bug seems to lose its bite as we climb the age ladder. Sorry, Boomers, but only 55% of you are feeling that travel itch. Guess, It's time to take a page out of the Gen Z playbook?

Lets cruise the web 🛳️ 🌐

Fly-by weekly updates…

👆️ One in 100 million cotton candy lobster caught in New Hampshire. The colorful crustacean was saved from the dinner plate - view

👻 7 Popular vacation destinations with bone-chilling secrets…See the list

…Last Sunday, an unexpected flash flood at Dollywood forces fans to flee in high water - view the madness

🛫🍦 | Sky high scoops

Fasten your seatbelts for the hottest travel news at 30,000 feet

💺The most sought-after seats on an airplane - selling kidneys for seat 1A

💻 Delta CEO says CrowdStrike-Microsoft outage cost the airline $500 million - Ooo, you’re in trouble

🛫 Boeing names its next CEO while posting a quarterly loss of more than $1.4 billion - read

👨‍✈️ Top pilots’ union sounds alarm as regulators consider smaller crew size - cue Randy Jackson - it’s a no for me, dawg 

🧳 🫠 | Suitcase snippets

Bite-sized travel tidbits that fit into your mental carry-on

🏖️ The resort voted best in the Continental U.S. overlooks an underrated California beach and has a Michelin-star Mexican restaurant - view the resort

🗼The Paris hotel in Vegas now has balcony views of the strip - video

🏙️ This city was just named the most outdoorsy in the U.S. — and it's near both the mountains and the ocean - the city

🏎️ Lagging F1 sales slash Las Vegas hotel prices by half, MGM exec says - SMH

🔍🫡 | First class finds

Essential travel stories and updates from around the globe

🌕 Photographer captures spectacular moon behind Olympic Rings in Paris - perfectly timed pictures

🌎 TIME magazine list the world's greatest places of 2024 - see the list

🍾 Divers strike liquid gold: 19th-century shipwreck containing Champagne - the wreckage

🚐 Experts predict 'bright future' for US economy as RV industry drives into 'sweet spot' - read 

🚆🗣️ | Choo-choo chatter

All aboard the gossip express! We're tracking the latest buzz

🛥️ Futuristic €490 million superyacht dazzles Mykonos - wow

🛳️ The world’s two largest cruise ships, compared by someone who’s been on both - the differences 

🐳 ‘Absolutely incredible’: Man rowing solo across Atlantic is surrounded by whales - magical moment

🦟 Invasion: ‘Hundreds of thousands' dragonflies swarm beachgoers in Rhode Island → see Video

🔥 The Hot Zone

🐋👀 Stat of the week: The Travel & Tourism market is expected to generate a revenue of $214 billon in the United States by 2024.

• The Hotels market is the largest market and is expected to reach a projected market volume of $110 billion in 2024.

🤔 A day in travel history...On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, on his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

📰 Worth a Read: Genetically enhanced humans may be the future of space travel. Imagine astronauts with radiation-resistant DNA and crops that thrive in the harshest environments. As we set our sights on Mars and beyond, scientists are exploring how genetic engineering could transform humans into the ultimate space travelers. → Read

👀 Travel Fact-Check

When the River Meets the Ocean

Over the years, various social media posts show an ocean divided by a line, with waters clear on one side and murky on the other. But don't be fooled by the viral hype! One famous video, viewed by millions, isn't two separate seas refusing to mix.

Captured by American tourist Maryan Steve-Pearson in Canada in 2015, it actually shows a river meeting the ocean, creating a stunning but temporary boundary.

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💬 Weekly Travel Tidbit

Kiribati, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, is one of the few countries situated in all four hemispheres (Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western). This unique geographical position means you can be in two different hemispheres at once!

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