Extreme Weather Has Americans Skipping Theme Parks This Year
Foot traffic at United Parks & Resort Inc. 's twelve US locations has fallen an estimated 9.6% on average over the 30 days through June 20, compared with a 1.3% drop in the same period last year, according to an analysis of Placer.ai cellphone mobility data.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
23 minutes ago
- Fast Company
As Hurricane Erin approaches, evacuations are happening in North Carolina's Outer Banks
IMPACT The storm is projected to stay offshore but high winds and 15 foot waves are forecast. In this aerial image taken from video provided by WVEC-TV, homes along the Atlantic Coast in Dare County, N.C., are seen, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, ahead of expected impacts from Hurricane Erin. [Photo: WVEC-TV via AP] BY Listen to this Article More info 0:00 / 4:01 Holly Andrzejewski hadn't yet welcomed her and her family's first guests to the Atlantic Inn on Hatteras Island when she had to start rescheduling them, as Hurricane Erin neared North Carolina's Outer Banks on Tuesday and threatened to whip up wild waves and tropical force winds. Although the monster storm is expected to stay offshore, evacuations were ordered on such barrier islands along the Carolina coast as Hatteras as authorities warned the storm could churn up dangerous rip currents and swamp roads with waves of 15 feet (4.6 meters). Andrzejewski and her husband purchased the bed-and-breakfast, known as the oldest inn on the island, less than a week ago. By Monday they had brought in all the outdoor furniture and made sure their daughter and her boyfriend, who are the innkeepers, had generators, extra water and flashlights as they stayed behind to keep an eye on the property. 'It's just one of those things where you know this is always a possibility and it could happen, and you just make the best out of it. Otherwise you wouldn't live at the beach,' said Andrzejewski, who will also remain on the island, at her home about a 15 minutes' drive away. Erin lashed part of the Caribbean with rain and wind Monday. Forecasters are confident it will curl north and away from the eastern U.S., but tropical storm and surge watches were issued for much of the Outer Banks. Officials at the Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, North Carolina, reported to the National Weather Service rescuing at least 60 swimmers from rip currents Monday. By early Tuesday, Erin had lost some strength from previous days but was still a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It was about 675 miles (1,090 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda and 770 miles (1,240 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving northwest at a slower 7 mph (11 kph). A tropical storm warning remained in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands, where government services were suspended, some ports were closed and residents were ordered to stay home. On North Carolina's Outer Banks, coastal flooding was expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday. The evacuations on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke came at the height of tourist season on the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that jut into the Atlantic Ocean and are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges. A year ago, Hurricane Ernesto stayed hundreds of miles offshore yet still produced high surf and swells that caused coastal damage. This time there are concerns that several days of heavy surf, high winds and waves could wash out parts of the main highway. Some routes could be impassible for days. This is the first evacuation for Ocracoke since Hurricane Dorian in 2019 caused the most damage in the island's recorded history. Tommy Hutcherson, who owns the community's only grocery store, said the island has mostly bounced back. He's optimistic this storm won't be as destructive. 'But you just never know. I felt the same way about Dorian and we really got smacked,' he said. Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly. Bermuda will experience the most severe threat Thursday evening, said Phil Rogers, director of the Bermuda Weather Service. By then, waters could swell up to 24 feet (7 meters). 'Surfers, swimmers and boaters must resist the temptation to go out. The waters will be very dangerous and lives will be placed at risk,' acting Minister of National Security Jache Adams said. Associated Press journalists Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report. —Ben Finley, John Seewer and Hallie Golden, Associated Press The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Skift
an hour ago
- Skift
Building Humanity Into Hospitality Management with Valor's Global CEO
Compelling discussions with travel industry leaders and creatives who are helping to shape the future of travel. In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Skift CEO Rafat Ali talks with Euan McGlashan, Global Co-Founder, CEO, and Owner of Valor Hospitality Partners, about what's broken – and what's still worth rebuilding – in U.S. hospitality. Ali opens with a provocation – that U.S. hospitality has, in many ways, lost the plot. McGlashan doesn't disagree, but brings a global lens to the conversation, arguing that much of what's broken can be traced back to culture, misaligned incentives, and outdated management models. McGlashan shares how Valor has grown by focusing on culture, purpose, and performance – not just scale. He breaks down what's behind the industry's worsening labor shortages and how emotional intelligence training has become core to Valor's model. With a blunt take on the limits of brand-led loyalty and the traditional third-party operator model, McGlashan offers a vision for a more human, more effective version of hotel leadership. The discussion also covers Valor's global growth strategy, how it balances working with big brands while protecting team identity, and why 'doing the simple things brilliantly' is still the fastest way to win guest loyalty. Presented by EF World Journeys. Listen to This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Key Takeaways What's broken in U.S. hospitality and what it will take to fix it Reframing frontline hospitality roles as emotionally complex, high-value work Why culture, not branding, drives loyalty and performance Emotional intelligence training as a competitive advantage Redefining third-party management with purpose and commercial discipline How Valor grows globally while protecting team culture locally Why innovation means revolution, not imitation Building owner trust by running great hotels, not chasing headlines
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
TSA and Clear are finally adding eGates ahead of the 2026 World Cup—meaning your lines could get a lot shorter at these airports
If you travel outside of the country a lot, you'll know returning to America can be a slog. That's because American airports currently lack automated border control (ABC) systems, better colloquially known as 'eGates.' The lack of eGates at America's airports means even passengers with American passports need to wait in long lines to have their passports checked by a border customs official. But now that's changing—at least at a few airports—thanks to a partnership between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and security identity company CLEAR. eGates are finally coming to America. Here's what that means for travelers. What is an eGate? An eGate is a colloquial term for an automated border control (ABC) system. eGates are checkpoints used at border crossings and security checkpoints in many foreign airports around the world. Instead of waiting in long lines for manual passport and boarding pass checks by a human official, passengers can opt to proceed via an eGate. These automated eGates are equipped with cameras, passport readers, and biometric scanners. When a passenger enters an eGate, the system reads their passport and identifies them via their biometrics (via a facial scan or fingerprint scan). If everything checks out, the eGates open automatically and the passenger is permitted through—no human checks of their documents needed. eGates can significantly reduce processing times for arrivals and departures, thereby decreasing wait times and enabling people to reach their final destinations more quickly. Why are eGates finally being rolled out in the United States? The rollout of eGates at select U.S. airports is being done for a few reasons. The first is to help modernize the infrastructure at American airports. Faster processing of passengers benefits everyone, from travelers who now have more time to catch connecting flights to airports that can streamline the onboarding and offboarding process. eGates also automatically records a traveler's biometrics, which helps increase security. But there is another factor in the eGate rollout: the 2026 World Cup that is being held in the United States. That sporting event is expected to attract tens of millions of soccer fans from around the world to the United States next year. The massive influx of tourists threatens to overwhelm American airports' traditional, manual arrival procedures, which require travel documents to be manually checked by a TSA official. An eGate rollout at American airports before the World Cup is expected to reduce these bottlenecks significantly. What airports are eGates rolling out at? It's important to note that eGates aren't coming to all American airports this year. As a matter of fact, the partnership announced between the TSA and CLEAR will also see three airports gain eGates at first. Those three airports are: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) CLEAR says that after the initial trial at the three airports listed above, the company expects to roll out its eGate technology across its network of airports nationwide. The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
