Hannah Sampson

Skift staffers weigh in on their travel resolutions for 2019. Prepare to be inspired, both by their goals and by the work they will continue to deliver in the new year.

Theme parks got more creative with loyalty and pricing, ramped up their building boom, and took steps to raise employee wages in 2018. One operator mounted a turnaround, while another struggled to meet expectations. Here are some highlights from a year of strategic twists and turns.

Carnival Corp. had a rough day on Wall Street after its forecast for 2019 disappointed. Executives at the world's largest cruise company are hoping to far surpass the low expectations they laid out Thursday.

To build on a cliché, the only certainty in the airline industry is uncertainty. The past few weeks provided all the evidence necessary to reinforce that this is correct.

South Africa's onerous visa regime for minor travelers continues to hobble its all-important tourism industry. Amendments published last month may look like good news, but read them closely and – industry insiders say – not nearly enough has changed.

The incoming Cruise Lines International Association CEO knows her way around Washington, D.C. and has a background in travel and tourism. That should be enough for a good start, but the cruise industry is complicated enough that she'll have plenty of work ahead.

Celebrity Cruises wanted its newest ship to be transformational for the brand and for the cruise industry. With reimagined staterooms, technology, and even hot tubs, the cruise line is following through on that goal.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes knows there is nostalgia for the days before airlines introduced so many fees. But he said he is more focused on the carrier's other priorities: legroom, entertainment, and Wi-Fi.

Disney had to lower ticket prices to boost attendance at its two-year-old Shanghai park, but that's not the story at most properties around the world. The company saw its overall theme park revenue jump 9 percent in its fiscal fourth quarter.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings keeps trying new ways to get higher-spending passengers on board. Quarterly results show the efforts are working so far.