Funding & Investment in Travel

Why Media Should Embrace The Great AI Scrape

Published

6 days ago

July 14, 2025

The media industry is bracing for war against AI, and it’s already lost. Last week, The Wall Street Journal painted the picture: Publishers are scrambling to block AI crawlers from accessing their content, working with companies including Cloudflare to build digital moats around their websites, and pursuing lawsuits against tech giants for scraping their work without compensation.

The scraping, according to Cloudflare, has surged 18% in the past year. Some publishers, like Dotdash Meredith, are cutting licensing deals with OpenAI while also trying to choke off what it calls “bad actors.” But here’s the hard truth: All of this defensive maneuvering is like boarding up the windows after the storm has already blown through. AI isn’t breaking in. It’s building something new entirely — and the smart move is to get invited inside.

Don’t get left behind

From where I sit, paywalls, as a concept, are seriously living on borrowed time. They’ve always relied more on friction than loyalty. People subscribed to read one article, forgot to cancel, or clicked out of guilt when their free views ran out. That model was always fragile — and generative AI is exposing the cracks.

Today, most people don’t need to visit 10 different sites to get the news. They want fast, portable summaries. They want context in the same breath as content. LLMs don’t need to copy your article to kill your traffic — they just need to remove the need for it. If ChatGPT can give a clear, concise, accurate answer to “What happened in Gaza this morning?” — most users won’t click through to five full-length op-eds. And if your outlet has banned crawlers, congratulations — you’ve made yourself invisible in the only newsroom that matters now: the one inside the machine.

The fight to protect so-called proprietary content profoundly misunderstands the nature of content (and fully lacks nuance) in 2025. Text is already a remix culture. News sites summarize other news sites. Bloggers paraphrase headlines. Analysts repackage coverage with “insights.” Even the most original scoop gets sliced, quoted and tweeted into a dozen versions within hours.

AI doesn’t change that — it automates it. Fighting that is like fighting email because it made fax machines obsolete. What’s more, AI-generated summaries often increase the visibility of high-quality reporting. If a chatbot cites your outlet regularly, that’s reach. If it gets the gist of your piece exactly right, that’s influence. Banning AI from seeing your work doesn’t stop your ideas from spreading — it just cuts you out of the credit cycle. It’s like a professor trying to stop their research from being cited in academic papers because they didn’t approve the footnotes.

A better path

Publishers should be working to collaborate with AI platforms, not wall them off. Embed metadata that tells LLMs who wrote the piece. Build deals that prioritize your bylines, link back to your coverage, and let your headlines flow through these models with attribution. Become the signal in a sea of synthetic noise.

That’s what Dotdash Meredith is doing with OpenAI. That’s what smart publishers will do with Google’s AI Overviews. If a model starts defaulting to The New York Times, The Atlantic or Bloomberg because those sources made themselves indexable, consistent and AI-friendly, that’s not a loss of control. That’s a win in brand equity, reach and reader trust. You want the machines quoting you, not ghosting you.

Here’s the omnipresent reality: The entire next generation of news consumers will meet the world through AI.

When a teenager in Kansas asks their AI assistant why the Supreme Court overturned a precedent, or a voter in Arizona asks about a candidate’s housing record, they won’t be thumbing through newspaper archives. They’ll get a verbal summary in eight seconds.

If your journalism doesn’t appear in that summary, you don’t exist in that conversation. It’s not that AI is replacing the value of journalism — it’s replacing the pathway to it. And the publishers who treat AI as an enemy will learn, too late, that they trained their successor not to remember them.

The future of media isn’t behind a wall. It’s in the bloodstream. It’s in training sets, in embedded links, in smart attribution, in being so good that even the robots want to get the story right. There’s no dignity in hiding. And no sustainability in suing your way back to a broken business model. If you want to survive, stop worrying about how to keep the bots out — and start thinking about how to make sure they cite you when it counts.

Aron Solomon is the chief strategy officer for Amplify. He holds a law degree and has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world. His writing has been featured in Newsweek, The Hill, Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, CBS News, CNBC, USA Today and many other publications. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his op-ed in The Independent exposing the NFL’s “race-norming” policies.

Sustainable travel spaces for your next eco-friendly vacation

Published

12 minutes ago

July 20, 2025

The Hans India

Looking to explore the world without leaving a mark? These seven eco-conscious retreats across India blend luxury with sustainability, offering soulful escapes rooted in nature. From forest farms to island havens, experience indulgence that honours the Earth

Luxury travel has entered a new era—one where conscience and comfort coexist. Across India, a refined set of eco-friendly, sustainable vacations is reshaping what it means to travel well. These destinations offer not only elegance and exclusivity but also a deep reverence for the planet, the people, and the places they inhabit.

Whether nestled in forested hills, perched by pristine beaches, or hidden deep within the wilderness, these eight retreats embody the rare harmony of sustainability and sophistication. From forest sanctuaries to island escapes, here are seven eco-forward hideaways offering indulgence without impact—places where the planet thrives alongside you.

Beforest, Coorg, Karnataka – Living the earth-first lifestyle

Beforest isn’t simply a place to stay, it’s a regenerative ecosystem. Nestled in the verdant hills of Coorg, this regenerative community invites guests into an immersive, off-the-grid lifestyle. Think: permaculture gardens, solar energy, and mornings spent harvesting your organic produce. Each experience from forest bathing to barefoot farming is designed to root you deeper into the rhythms of the earth.

Swastik Wellbeing Sanctuary, Pune – Where modern wellness meets ancient wisdom

Tucked into the serene hills just outside Pune, Swastik Wellbeing Sanctuary offers a refined escape for the soul. This thoughtfully designed retreat combines sustainable architecture with the timeless principles of Vedic healing. Every element from the eco-friendly construction and solar-powered systems to the Ayurvedic treatments, guided breathwork, and nourishing sattvic food creates a space where silence is sacred and every detail is intentional. Swastik doesn’t just restore, it reawakens.

Evolve Back, Kabini, Karnataka – Rustic refinement on the riverbank

On the edge of the wild Nagarhole forest, Evolve Back Kabini redefines resort living through a tribal-inspired design that honors the land and its people. Solar-powered and sustainably built, the property offers immersive wildlife experiences, riverside relaxation, and unfiltered serenity.

Spice Village, Thekkady, Kerala – A tribute to tribal traditions

Spice Village is a celebration of indigenous wisdom and ecological integrity. Inspired by the native dwellings of the Western Ghats, this solar-powered, plastic-free retreat offers an authentic immersion into Kerala’s heritage, where every thatched cottage and spice-laden meal is a nod to tradition done consciously.

Barefoot at Havelock, Andaman – Island luxury, reimagined

Barefoot is what island luxury looks like when sustainability takes center stage. Nestled beside the famed Radhanagar Beach, the resort was built without felling a single tree. With coral restoration programs, zero-waste practices, and immersive jungle treks, it offers a refined yet respectful way to experience the Andamans.

Wildernest, Chorla Ghats – The art of off-grid opulence

Perched where three states meet, Wildernest is wild beauty distilled into a sophisticated escape. With no Wi-Fi, no artificial lights, and only nature as your soundtrack, the resort offers secluded cabins, guided eco-treks, and sweeping views that reconnect you with the rhythms of the land.

Diphlu River Lodge, Assam – Conservation in the heart of the jungle

Bordering the famed Kaziranga National Park, Diphlu River Lodge is a handcrafted ode to Assam’s wild heart. Bamboo cottages, solar lighting, and a strong conservation ethic define this luxe eco-lodge. Here, rhinos roam nearby, and luxury lies in reverent simplicity.

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Funding & Investment in Travel

Sri Lanka eyes global spotlight through film tourism and creative industry partnerships

Published

46 minutes ago

July 20, 2025

MIAP

July 20, Colombo (LNW): In a bid to position Sri Lanka as a vibrant destination for international filmmaking and cultural exchange, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, held a high-profile meeting with Indian actor and producer Ravi Mohan, alongside singer and performer Keneesha Francis, at the National Film Corporation headquarters yesterday.

The discussions explored opportunities to expand Sri Lanka’s film tourism footprint by encouraging global film producers to consider the island nation as a cinematic backdrop. Minister Herath expressed the government’s renewed commitment to supporting the creative economy through targeted policy reform and strategic international partnerships.

Chairman of the National Film Corporation, Sudath Mahadivulwewa, who also took part in the dialogue, emphasised the need for practical incentives and institutional support to attract major productions. He noted that collaboration with global industry figures like Mohan and Francis could open up new avenues for local talent, training, and investment.

The meeting also touched on how music, performance, and storytelling can serve as bridges between communities, deepening people-to-people ties while creating tangible tourism benefits. Stakeholders discussed establishing film-friendly zones, simplifying permitting processes, and launching co-production agreements as part of the effort to revitalise the local entertainment sector.

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Funding & Investment in Travel

Death toll from Vietnam tourist boat accident climbs to 38 | 104.1 WIKY

Published

1 hour ago

July 20, 2025

Thomson Reuters

HALONG BAY, Vietnam (Reuters) -The death toll from a tourist boat accident in Vietnam’s Halong Bay climbed to at least 38 with several people still missing, the government said, as rescuers continued to search for survivors while bracing for the approach of Typhoon Wipha.

The vessel capsized on Saturday afternoon carrying 48 tourists and five crew members in one of the worst boating accidents in recent years in the popular tourist area.

“At least 38 of those on board have been confirmed dead and 10 rescued,” the government said in a statement.

The official Vietnam News Agency reported that all the tourists were Vietnamese, including several children.

Dozens of rescuers, including border guards, navy personnel, police and professional divers, have been deployed. Although the sea had calmed, weather conditions limited visibility, making rescue operations difficult.

Rescuers managed to retrieve the sunken boat, the government said.

The accident took place around 2 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Saturday, soon after Typhoon Wipha entered the South China Sea.

Authorities reported strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning in the area at the time of the incident, adding that these conditions were not yet influenced by the approaching typhoon but were due to wind patterns over the northern region.

Halong Bay, about 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Hanoi, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Boat tours are particularly popular.

In 2011, the sinking of a tour boat in Halong Bay killed 12 people, including foreign tourists.

Typhoon Wipha, the third to hit the South China Sea this year, is projected to make landfall along Vietnam’s northern coast early next week.

(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

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