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Top 5 Travel Destinations for 2016: Which One Will You Visit?

What do you want out of your next vacation? According to a recent Daily Record article, what most travelers desire from upcoming 2016 trips is a genuine cultural experience. Thanks to the accessibility of typical vacation locales like, say, Palm Beach or Paris, and due to the wealth of information available online, travelers seem to be seeking less well-known vacation spots for the sake of novel experiences and educational opportunities (and, not to mention, stunning shots of pristine landscapes).

As a global limo service serving cities from NYC to Moscow, EmpireCLS is always on the lookout for this year’s hot travel spots. Check out the top five that the Daily Record selected as 2016’s most hyped destinations, and see if any are on your list.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Across the Adriatic from the Eastern coast of Italy is a less-frequented medieval gem, the walled city of Dubrovnik. Built in the 8th century as a defense against attackers, Dubrovnik is now a 21-century oasis of natural splendor and gorgeous architecture. Along the coast, the waters of the Adriatic sparkle like sapphire, while within the city, it’s easy (and pleasant) to get lost wandering among Gothic churches as well as contemporary shops and restaurants.

Cinque Terre, Italy

In Italy, it’s hard to find a bad meal or a town that isn’t worthy of hundreds of photographs. Cinque Terre is no exception, and there’s something particularly charming about these five fishing villages’ narrow, pedestrian-only streets and pastel-colored buildings heaped together on the coastline. It’s the perfect place to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine paired with a generous glass of wine.

Oahu, Hawaii

Hawaii is a classic vacation destination, especially for Americans, but the Daily Record notes that Oahu is, for some reason, overlooked—until now, that is. More travelers are drawn to Oahu, especially its North Shore, which is well-known for surfing and sport fishing. Oahu is shaping up to be Hawaii’s prime destination for travelers who want to learn about the state’s history and experience authentic island life.

Norway

Americans have long had Nordic fever, with our popular culture embracing Sweden for its literature and film and flocking to Iceland for natural sightseeing. Norway, too, is quickly becoming a favored vacation spot.  With its towering mountains, glittering glaciers, and peaceful fjords, the Northernmost country in the Scandinavian region is neck-and-neck with Iceland for natural beauty, while the country’s rich cultural history will satisfy any traveler hungry to learn about Viking history, experience the Oslo opera, or see works made by local Bergen artisans.

National Parks

Finally, you don’t have to leave the country, or even your home state, for a rich cultural experience. The Daily Record concludes its overview of this year’s best travel destinations with a note on the centennial of the National Park Service. There are over 400 sites maintained by the NPS, including the majestic Grand Canyon in Arizona and Colorado, the awe-inspiring Statue of Liberty (something to consider when reserving car service in NYC), and the humble yet fascinating Edgar Allen Poe House in Philadelphia.

We’ll be keeping an eye on whether any of these predicted locations prove to be the most talked-about spots for 2016. Keep up to date with the latest travel trends by following EmpireCLS on Twitter and Facebook.

Photo: flickr

Peninsula Beverly Hills Celebrates Silver Anniversary

Twenty-five years in luxury is a long time. In an industry where one’s reputation must be earned by proving exclusivity, quality and exceptional service time and again, many starting players drop out early. Celebrating a 25-year milestone, therefore, is something to be immensely proud of—we know we at EmpireCLS were when we hit our silver anniversary. This year, it’s the turn of the Peninsula Beverly Hills to mark this very special occasion. The hotel is celebrating their 25 years with an appropriately lavish parade of commemorative gifts, unveiled restorations and lots (and lots) of Champagne.

The most important purpose of the hotel’s celebration is to thank the guests who have returned throughout the years, spread the word and earned the hotel its reputation for outstanding luxury. According to American wedding tradition, gifts exchanged on a couple’s 25th anniversary should be made of silver. Accordingly, the Peninsula Beverly Hills is giving back to their guests with a strong silver theme. During this celebratory year, guests can stay in the Silver Suite, a 1,500-square foot penthouse decorated in shades of gray and paneled with mirror walls. The hotel is also offering a specialty cocktail for guests’ enjoyment: The Silver Mule, a kicky concoction made with green chili vodka, lime and ginger beer. And silver can be found adorning the rims of tea service pieces that the Peninsula will sell to guests throughout its jubilee year. Based on the China tea service used during the hotels’ traditional Afternoon Tea, this special set is the first of its kind that the hotel has ever made available to guests.

Not all of the hotel’s gifts this year are strictly silver, but that doesn’t make them any less luxurious. On Mondays in August (the hotel’s birth month), the Peninsula’s time-honored Afternoon Tea in the Living Room gets a celebratory twist with endless Champagne service, during which guests can drink bubbly to their heart’s content. More Champagne can be found at the hotel’s spa this month: On the 25th each month, spa guests will be treated to surprises like a flute of bubbly, beauty products and complimentary services. And all varieties of sumptuous food and wine will feature freely on the renovated Belvedere Terrace, where the hotel’s famed Belvedere Restaurant is located.

EmpireCLS congratulates the Peninsula Beverly Hills on 25 years of luxury, and wishes the hotel 25 more. Learn more about our luxury hotel partners at http://www.empirecls.com/partners.

The Four Big Changes Coming to the Auto Industry by 2030

The auto industry has stayed strong throughout the years despite economic setbacks, and according to a recent report by McKinsey & Company, the industry is now “ripe for disruption.” The organization identified four key interconnected trends that will shape the industry in the next 15 years, possibly rendering it much different by 2030. In fact, the report’s authors assert that there’s no way of telling what the industry landscape will look like by that year, but have sketched out several compelling possibilities based on trends in mobility and vehicle technology.

Diverse Mobility

The way the world gets around is changing rapidly. The McKinsey report points out that the rise of shared mobility (as in the case of car sharing and e-hailing) as well as urban environments that discourage car use, the need for flexible transportation options, the decline of private car ownership and the use of multiple modes of transportation to reach one destination have created significant shifts in the automobile industry—and that’s not a bad thing.

They predict that that diversification of the automotive revenue pool, driven by on-demand and data-driven mobility, will create an additional $1.5 trillion in revenue potential, due to the inclusion of apps, remote services and software upgrades in the revenue pool. Additionally, vehicle units sales will continue to grow despite shared mobility, albeit at a slower rate, which will drop from 3.6 percent to 2 percent per year. This will be due to the development of a new market for vehicles designed specifically for sharing.

Autonomous Driving

As “advanced driver-assistance systems” (ADAS) continue to be developed by tech giants like Google, the possibility of fully autonomous vehicles by 2030 becomes more feasible. McKinsey predicts that up to 15 percent of all cars sold in 2030 could be fully autonomous. This will lead to serious lifestyle changes surrounding how drivers and passengers use their cars, and will allow them to both get more work done and consume more media and entertainment while driving (although we at EmpireCLS maintain it won’t change the preference for chauffeured luxury travel service).  This trend, in turn, can lead to greater technological integration in vehicle design. The hurdles for driverless car systems? The breadth of regulatory oversight and consumer’s acceptance of taking their hands off the wheel.

Electrification

As we’ve already touched upon in previous blogs, the sale of electric cars like the Tesla Model S have exceeded expectations in the past few years. Electric cars are becoming increasingly more viable and competitive in the auto market due to stricter emissions regulations, lower battery costs, a widening infrastructure of vehicle chargers and greater consumer acceptance. The McKinsey report authors predict that anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of vehicles sold in 2030 will be electric, depending on where they are sole.  Adoption rates will vary at the local level, dependent on the push-pull of consumer demand and governmental regulation and highest in dense urban areas where regulation is strongest.

Connectivity

The aforementioned factors will result in heightened connectivity among vehicles themselves and with different technologies. Automated driving will allow passengers to consume media and services from their vehicles, and sharing technology will dictate the need for built-in applications. Electrical and shared cars will likely come with software, technological advances and upgrades much like smartphones and computers, meaning that tech companies will play an increasingly important role in the vehicle industry. In order for this dynamic to work, vehicle makers will have to learn how to cooperate and collaborate with tech competitors.

Of course, there’s no way to tell how many of these predictions will come true (and we still hold fast to our conviction that we won’t see driverless wedding limo service anytime soon), but we can say for certain that the future of the auto industry is full of rich possibilities. Keep up with industry news by following the EmpireCLS blog for the latest updates.

Photo credit: flickr

To Protect the Transportation Industry, TNC Laws are Essential

On March 17, over 300 travel industry leaders from forty states met with Washington, D.C. policymakers to talk about the travel industry. The event, as reported by Global Travel Industry News, was an opportunity for policymakers to gain a better understanding of why the travel industry is one of the strongest industries in the nation and to celebrate its role as an “essential economic contribution.” Industry leaders met with policymakers and encouraged them to support the travel industry with policies that are pro-growth, pro-competition and pro-traveler. These policies included those that would modernize transportation infrastructure and maintain the US as a welcoming destination that still has strong national security. The event also recognized lawmakers and government officials who continue to support the health and growth of travel businesses nationwide.

At EmpireCLS, we’re proud to be a part of such a robust travel industry, and applaud both our lawmakers and the leaders in attendance who advocated for the issues that are central to the industry today. However, we can’t help feeling disappointed that Global Travel Industry News didn’t touch on transportation network companies (TNCs), also called ride-sharing apps, in their reportage on the event. TNCs have been a point of concern for the travel industry for the past few years, but have also been an educator. They’ve encroached on traditional travel options with the promise of on-demand rides and cheaper rates, but as we’ve seen over the past few years, those claims haven’t necessarily held up. They’ve also pushed the traditional ground transportation industry into technological innovations.

TNCs have been disruptive in all senses of the world, as we’ve written about extensively over the past year. Their presence has led to protests by medallion taxi drivers in cities like Paris, who see the apps as occupying at best a legal gray area and at worst a definitely unlawful one. TNCs have also caused trouble for the passengers that they supposedly protect, with reports of incompetent or violent drivers and complaints about “price surging” belying TNCs’ flattering self-presentation. However, they’re not going anywhere any time soon, and it’s foolish not to look at what traditional providers can learn from them. Namely, the convenience of using a mobile app to request on-demand transportation service is clearly something that customers have come to expect. It’s now up to the ground transportation industry to incorporate technologies like apps into their operations to deliver the best customer service possible. We hope that policymakers will take these issues into consideration as they act to support the travel industry.

Get in touch with EmpireCLS at http://www.empirecls.com.

Photo credit: flickr

Partner Spotlight: St. Regis New York

New York visitors are spoiled for choice in their luxury hotel selection. The island of Manhattan is home to dozens of hotels, from hidden jewels to veritable palaces (some of which we can proudly call our partners), that deserve the luxury moniker. But hotels with a pedigree like the St. Regis New York are still hard to come by, even in such a worldly city as Manhattan. This five-diamond, Beaux-Arts building was designed by architect John Jacob Astor IV, one of the city’s Gilded Era elite, and built over a century ago. Considered a landmark, the St. Regis embodies the timelessness of New York glamour with its gilded molding, Waterford crystal chandeliers and parquet floors. Recently, EmpireCLS became the house limo service provider for this NYC legend’s guests.

Our white-glove, chauffeured ground transportation service is just one of the many amenities St. Regis guests have at their disposal. Each of the hotels’ 171 rooms and suites is a feast for the senses and a paragon of five-diamond service. Each room and suite was redesigned and renovated by design firm HDC in 2013, in keeping with the philosophy that “timeless is modern.” The result: Gorgeous interiors with carefully harmonized textures and accent colors for a sumptuous experience. St. Regis is now home to some of Gotham’s most stunning suites, which feature Old World touches combined with contemporary chic and the latest technologies. Each suite has an entirely customized layouts and aesthetics, from the Chinoiserie and East Asian furnishings of the Imperial Suite to the designer-inspired palette of the Dior Suite.

It goes without saying that along with spa-like baths and hi-definition entertainment, guests can enjoy 24-hour room service. However, it would almost be a crime not to dine at the St. Regis. This hotel is home of the famed King Cole Bar, so named for its Maxfield Parrish mural of the fabled king and his courtiers. This sophisticated cocktail lounge is the preferred place for Manhattan elite to sip the establishment’s signature drink, the Bloody Mary (yes, your brunch staple was invented here) and savor a meticulously prepared seasonal tasting menu. And from breakfast until the last after-dinner drink, guests who dine at the Astor Court can soak in the glamorous open-lounge atmosphere and feast on international cuisine by the fireplace.

It’s understandable that you’d never want to leave the St. Regis once you set foot inside. But we strongly recommend that you do some exploring during your stay. Located in the heart of Manhattan, the St. Regis is steps away from the MoMA and a short distance away from must-sees like the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Call, St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Met and Central Park. Our NYC executive limo service will be standing by to take you anywhere on the island, and back to the St. Regis New York for one more Bloody Mary.

China Luxury Market Predictions for 2016

Like many other luxury service providers in the world, we’ve been keeping an eye on China’s market to see what the global luxury world has in store. Recently, Jing Daily, the go-to source for Chinese luxury and business news, ran a review of five predictions for the country in the coming year. Here’s a quick summary of their predictions:

1. Shoppers will spend most of their time in Asia.

Wealthy Chinese shoppers frequently travel to Europe and the US to buy luxury goods, and are responsible for boosting sales on both of those continents. However, most will continue to shop within Asia for convenience’s sake. In particular, Chinese travelers will continue to spend the most in Japan, which enjoys a booming exchange with its neighbor.

Last year, various safety concerns prevented Chinese shoppers from venturing much to other Asian countries like South Korea and Thailand. However, due to improved conditions, travelers will have more incentive this year to branch out beyond the Chinese and Japanese markets.

2. Daigou isn’t going anywhere.

Daigou refers to the “gray market” where luxury goods purchased overseas are sold to customers in mainland China. This channel of commerce is hugely popular, since sellers profit and buyers get a bargain. But the enormous cost difference between daigou goods and domestically manufactured ones has caused concern among government officials as to the effect it will have on the Chinese economy.

Lately, officials have been trying to incentivize buying domestic goods by making tariff cuts and developing duty-free shopping, as well as cracking down on smugglers. A few luxury brands have lowered their Chinese prices, as well, but daigou shows no sign of disappearing in the next year, at least as long as students and travelers make money within it.

3. Athleisure will heat up the market.

The global style trend of incorporating workout wear into high-end ensembles means that Chinese consumers will be investing more money in healthy lifestyles and their accoutrements, like air purifiers and nutritional supplements. Health, wellness and sportswear goods will become highly competitive in the Chinese market in the coming year. Additionally, luxury consumers will direct their yuan towards medical tourism for plastic surgery as well as other medical procedures.

4. Fewer fakes, but they’ll still be an issue.

The Aliaba platform for luxury merchandise has come under fire for selling counterfeit luxury merchandise, and has been subject to a Keurig lawsuit and criticism from international commerce groups. As a result, Aliaba is making greater efforts to sniff out fakes and prevent them from being sold, a boon for Chinese manufacturers of legitimate luxury items. There’s still work to be done, however: Fakes are still being produced in China in droves and can be sold over popular social media platforms like WeChat, which are subject to minimal regulation.

5. Anti-corruption efforts will stay strong.

The Chinese Communist Party has undertaken anti-corruption campaign for past several years, indicting over 100,000 government officials in the process. The campaign may have reduced corrupt spending by authorities, but it has also hurt sales of luxury goods. That being said, however, the market remains strong, and perhaps with developing incentives for ordinary buyers to purchase domestic goods, things will even out.

Thirsty for more luxury industry news? Check our blog regularly for the latest updates on the luxury market from our NYC executive limo service.

Photo Credit: hans-johnson via flickr

Partner Spotlight: Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

Los Angeles has no shortage of beautiful luxury hotels, many of whom we are proud to be partnered with. EmpireCLS offers complimentary chauffeur service at one of the city’s most sophisticated hotspots for locals and international travelers alike: the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Here, A-listers can dine and relax in a suitably understated environment, while visitors can enjoy classic LA opulence. There’s something here to please everyone, from plush suites to posh dining.

Accommodations

The Four Seasons Los Angeles’s rooms and suites are a luxury experience in and of themselves. Our favorite? The Premier Suite, 1,200-plus square feet of chic opulence, featuring a king size canopy bed with down duvets and pillows, a walk-in closet, cozy armchair, entertainment system and full marble bathroom. Here, you’ll find luxurious amenities, stellar room service and a dining room (completed with private bar) perfect for entertaining. This room comfortably hosts four adults or two adults and two kids, making it perfect for retreating with friends or a family vacation.

Amenities

You could easily enjoy a luxury experience within your own room at the Four Seasons Los Angeles, but seeing the rest of the hotel offers countless other amenities, we doubt you’ll stay inside for long. Hotel guests enjoy use of the pool, which is available every day for exercise or relaxation, plus poolside food and beverage services. And you can make your pool experience even more posh with the hotel’s popular cabana packages: luxurious lounging complete with cocktails, manicures, fruit platters and unlimited Evian water. Other amnesties include business services for executive travelers and a state-of-the-art fitness facility so that you never miss a workout.

Dining

The Four Seasons Los Angeles boasts three world-class restaurants to suit your preference, whether your tastes run towards casual fare or elegant dining. The Cabana Restaurant, the hotel’s poolside restaurant, is a chic and casual place to sample light Californian fare while people-watching. During the evening hours, retreat to the Windows Lounge, an outdoor patio with appetizers, live entertainment two days a week, and specialty martinis. And for the foodie crowd, Culina, helmed by Chef Denis Dello Stritto, is a haven for can’t-miss wines from around the world and exquisite meals that hearken back to classic Italian cuisine, with a contemporary touch.

Learn more about the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, as well as our other hotel partners, by visiting http://www.empirecls.com/partners.

Photo Credit: flickr

No More Chauffeurs? Not in Our Near Future

Americans have a fondness for tech in their vehicles these days, from ride-sharing apps to smart cars like the Tesla S. Driverless cars are arguably the pinnacle of vehicular technology that hasn’t quite happened yet—a sci-fi staple, they have yet to enter everyday reality. Last year, however, Newsweek recently ran an article predicting that driverless vehicles could very well become the norm in the near future, which led us to ask ourselves what that might mean for the ground transportation industry.

The article speculates that due to recent interest in driverless cars, roads full of hand-free vehicles aren’t too far away. In 2012, Google began testing driverless cars, and the company has suggested that they will become available to consumers by 2017. The increasingly popular Tesla is experimenting with car models that steer, change lanes and park without driver involvement, and “Vehicle Intelligence” was a highlight of last year’s Consumer Electronics show. According to Newsweek, these trends are enough evidence to suggest that American consumers will embrace driverless cars, which will in turn ease commutes and render public transportation obsolete. Though the article makes no mention of the ground transportation industry, we can easily extend its logic to taxis or luxury chauffeur service—why hire a chauffeured transportation company when you can call a driverless car, instead?

There are plenty of reasons why, actually. The Newsweek article bases its assertion that driverless cars will become so popular on the assumption that driverless cars remove human error, and thus remove mistakes. But the idea that driverless cars won’t make mistakes is, well, kind of ludicrous. Think about how many computer bugs you’ve encountered in your lifetime. Nearly everyone has experience a hard drive crash due to a software bug or code error: Why would vehicular technology be any different? In fact, this kind of vulnerability is already apparent in many of the “smart” cars out there. Tesla S vehicles have successfully hacked from a remote location, as have many other models of smart car (we wrote a blog examining this worrisome flaw last year).

And this is to say nothing of the vast difference in customer experience that would occur in a driverless vehicle. Such a thing might be convenient, but no matter how sophisticated, a driverless car can’t call you by name, handle your luggage, learn your preferences or offer the warmth and five-star hospitality that professional chauffeurs deliver to each of their guests. Although they might seem convenient, driverless cars, being an automated service, would eventually become no more special than a vending machine, whereas traveling with a professional, courteous chauffeur is an experiences that privileges your unique needs and human connection. Plus, chauffeurs like those at EmpireCLS are specially trained in high-level security, if needed, something that driverless cars are unlikely to fulfill.

A world full of nothing but driverless cars may be an entertaining fantasy, but when it comes to luxury transportation, our chauffeurs are going anywhere. Learn more at http://www.empirecls.com.

Photo Crdit: Mercedes-Benz

Has Ride-Sharing Crushed the Taxi Industry?

In 2015, the ride-sharing industry exploded—that’s an incontrovertible fact. In 2012, these ride-hailing apps were only a blip on the radar of most ground transportation passengers. Over the past few years, however, these apps have gained popularity for their purported convenience, turning ride-sharing into a billion-dollar industry, much like the traditional livery transportation has been for decades.

Inevitably, the rapid growth of ride-sharing led many business analysts and other thought leaders to conclude that taxis were over—done, dead, finito. A flurry of think pieces and infographics rushed in to prove the point, and the trend continued into 2016, with HuffPost’s Business’s latest piece on the subject, titled “2015: The Year The Rideshare Industry Crushed The Taxi,” an article that serves up side-by-side comparisons of ride-sharing apps and the livery industry to support the claim that in 2015, ride-sharing officially rendered the traditional ground transportation industry obsolete.

Some of the information presented in the article and accompanying infographic is accurate. However, much of it is (unintentionally) misleading for ordinary folks who are unfamiliar with the realities of livery services like yellow medallion cabs as well as luxury car service. Let’s start the year off right by clearing up a few of the article’s most glaring inaccuracies.

Claim: Ride-sharing has upended the livery industry for good.

Sure, ride-sharing has shaken things up. But keep in mind that the industry has only been around for three years—it could very well fade into history as a fad, especially with governing bodies cracking down on the notoriously unregulated industry. And the article itself admits that the ground transportation industry “refuse[s] to be shaken.”

Plus, ground transportation companies are catching up to the mobile convenience of ride-sharing apps. NYC taxis plan to test e-hailing for yellow medallion cabs, and the Deem CarService platform (of which EmpireCLS is a part) offers real-time ride hailing, but guarantees that only National Limousine Association members will participate, ensuring a better and safer experience.

Claim: Ride-sharing is safer

This is patently untrue, in our opinion. The article goes so far as to quote Newsweek as saying that ride-sharing saves “hundreds of lives” per year. This claim is probably superficially true in that people who hail ride-share cabs are less likely to drive while intoxicated—a plus in anyone’s view. On the flip side, however, ride-sharing apps still present passenger safety issues that the livery industry has long since addressed.

Uber drivers do not have to be screened for safety, whereas the taxi industry requires that drivers uphold both a Passenger Bill of Rights and Driver Duty of Care. There are also legal issues present in the way ride-sharing apps conduct themselves: These apps are unregulated by the government, and driver safety records and insurance coverage are unavailable. You might not be driving drunk, but you also might be going from the frying pan into the fire.

Claim: Ride-sharing apps have better customer support

The article makes the bold claim that traditional ground transportation offers zero customer support, whereas ride-sharing apps are made to be customer service havens. As a luxury limo service operating everywhere from Denver to DC, we take issue with that. Excellent customer service is part and parcel of how we do business. And there’s enough evidence of ride-sharing apps not taking customer complaints about poor treatment or bad experiences to discredit the claim that they’re the better, more customer-centric option.

Despite the opinions of naysayers, it’s going to take a lot more than a few mobile apps to take down the taxi industry. Keep up with the latest industry news by visiting the EmpireCLS blog.

Photo via flickr

US Business Travel Industry Poised for Growth in 2016, Says GBTA

For those in the business travel industry, 2015 wasn’t exactly a banner year, but it wasn’t one to shake our heads over, either. However, at the start of 2016, those in the industry find themselves hoping for a little more promise than last year delivered on. And according to the latest study released by the Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA) education and research arm, the GBTA Foundation, business travel buyers and suppliers will get their wish.

While the study cautions that no growth explosion is predicted for the coming year, business travel in the US will grow at stable, steady rates. Overall, the portrait the report creates of the near future of business travel is favorable.

Business Travel Inflation: Business travel inflation dropped in 2015, and saw its lowest price growth in recent years this past year. This left it at historically low levels, due to the growing strength of the dollar and rapidly dropping oil prices. The GBTA Foundation reports that this trend will cease in the coming year, and that price growth will return to normal in 2016 and 2017.

US Market Will See Strongest Growth: The growth trend will not happen worldwide, says the GBTA Foundation. International travel will feel challenges due to economic struggles in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, all of which weighed down growth in 2015. North American and Western Europe’s economics were stable, however, and the report states that this trend will continue in 2016.

US travel, however, will grow. The rate of growth will be small, cautions the GBTA Foundation, but steady: 3.2 percent (299.9 billion) in 2015 and 3.5 ($310.4 billion) percent in 2017.

Group Travel vs. Individual Travel: Group business travel did slightly better than individual travel activity in 2015, says the GBTA Foundation. In 2015, individual travel only grew at a tiny .4 percent, but the study predicts that it will make a comeback in 2016.

Price-Driven Growth: The travel industry’s steady growth in 2015 will be mostly driven by price, not transaction level increases. Out of six major categories, only airfare will decrease in price, while Lodging, food and beverage, ground, rental cars and “other” travel categories are all poised to grow at anywhere between 2 and 5.2 percent, with rental cars and lodging being the sectors poised for the highest growth. Ground transportation (like limo service in Denver) falls in the middle, at 2.6 percent.

As a luxury chauffeur service, we’re pleased to hear know the industry is posed to continue to expand in 2016, and we’re looking forward another successful year. Keep up with travel industry news and changes by visiting our blog at http://www.empirecls.com/blog .