News on Visit Porto & the North of Portugal, India Exotica Travels, Walkers Tours, Fez Travel, Yadi Travel, Vio Travel & Tomorrow Travel
December 2025
Dear Travel Industry Friends,
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from the Emerging Destinations Team! We hope your holiday is everything you want it to be.
As we close out 2025, I wanted to share some exciting news and a few housekeeping notes before we head into the holidays.
We're Growing!
Emerging Destinations is thrilled to welcome fantastic new clients who are joining us this month and next:
● Vio Travel (15 destinations in Asia and South Pacific and Dubai).
● Tomorrow's Travel (Italy).
● Hotel La Yegua Loca (Chile).
● ILS Tours (Argentina and Chile).
● Great Lakes Safaris (Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania).
Each brings something special to the table, and we can't wait to introduce them to all of you in the new year.
Our growth has been both exciting and, honestly, a challenge as we've had to rethink how we work behind the scenes. Thank goodness for the two major projects we tackled this year — creating an Emerging Destinations online operations manual (it’s already transformed how we work) and switching our CRM and email system (yikes is right!).
While the transition has had its moments, we're already seeing how these improvements will help us serve our clients even better in 2026.
Coming in 2026: Joe Meets Earth
We're also excited to announce that in 2026, we'll be launching our podcast Joe Meets Earth with National Geographic writer Joe Yogerst. Stay tuned for more details!
Holiday Office Hours
The ED office will be closed from December 25th through January 5th as we take a much-needed break to recharge. That said, I'll be available for emergencies — you know how to reach me if something urgent comes up.
Here's to an amazing 2025 and an even better year ahead. Thank you for being part of the Emerging Destinations community!
Warmly, Jane and the ED Team
Jane Behrend | President
Specials & Promotions
🇹🇷 Fez Travel
Turkish Odyssey, Hattusa & Black Sea Explorer, Pearl of Hattusa & Black Sea – all with 15% Early Bird Discount until 31 January 2026. For more information contact [email protected]
News at a Glance
🇹🇷 Fez Travel, Turkiye
● In case you missed our webinar: Discovering Silent Luxury: Turkey's Hidden Gems with Fez Travel you can watch it here.
🌏 India Exotica Travels, India, Bhutan & Nepal
● Mumbai becomes a dual-airport city as Navi Mumbai International Airport begins commercial operations
● Improved India-Nepal Connectivity with SpiceJet: Delhi–Kathmandu (daily) and Air India Express: Bengaluru-Kathmandu (launching soon).
🇵🇹 Visit Porto & the North of Portugal
● We proudly present "The Big Trend", a film that reinforces Porto and the North of Portugal as a leading European destination for the MICE industry. Learn more
🇱🇰 Walkers Tours, Sri Lanka
● Cyclone Ditwah Update: Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) remains fully operational, with no flight cancellations or rescheduled services. All major expressways and
road networks linking the island’s key tourism regions are open, ensuring smooth access to the cultural triangle, southern beaches, hill country, and wildlife hotspots.
● Sri Lanka Named One of Travel + Leisure’s 50 Best Places to Travel in 2026. Read more
🇲🇦 Yadi Travel, Morocco
● Delta Air Lines, USA Delta’s first-ever route to Morocco, a nonstop service from Atlanta to Marrakech, has launched with strong demand.
● Royal Air Maroc Launches 3 weekly flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Casablanca starting June 7, 2026. Learn more
📣 Welcome New Partners
Welcome VIO Travel
Please join us in welcoming Vio Travel to our collection of cool companies and places.
Vio Travel is one of the leading destination management companies in the Asia-Pacific region; specializing in seamless access to 15 unique destinations.
Coming Soon... Tomorrow Travel!
We are excited to share that we're welcoming a new partner to our portfolio. Curious what they're all about? Paula just wrapped up a festive season trip with them – check out her experience for a taste of what's coming.
Stay tuned for the official announcement in early 2026, where we'll share all the exciting details about this partnership and what it means for your clients.
🎥 Video of the month
Ofelia de Souza Returns with "The Big Trend"
Porto and Northern Portugal's new campaign nails it: while digital trends fade in days, authentic human connections never go out of style. A clever three-minute reminder of what makes business travel actually memorable – and why this region keeps winning for MICE events.
