ATLANTA, July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Forbes Travel Guide (“FTG”)—the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, ocean cruises and ocean cruise restaurants—today announced it will begin rating river cruises, a cruise industry first.

Forbes Travel Guide (PRNewsfoto/Forbes Travel Guide)

FTG will announce its inaugural river cruise ratings in 2027, when it unveils its highly anticipated annual Star Ratings in more than 100 countries.

“River cruising has quickly become one of the most sought-after ways to explore the world in comfort and style,” said Amanda Frasier, President of Ratings for Forbes Travel Guide. “We’re seeing an exciting evolution in the category, with river cruise lines delivering elevated service and specializing in immersive itineraries and refined onboard experiences that appeal to today’s discerning traveler. As demand grows for slower-paced luxury, FTG is proud to bring our trusted ratings to this flourishing segment.”

FTG’s inaugural river cruise ratings will honor cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Nile and Mekong rivers, potentially including brands such as AmaWaterways, Aqua Expeditions, Avalon Waterways, Riverside Luxury Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours/Emerald Cruises, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and Viking River Cruises.

FTG awards more than 2,000 properties annually with Five-Star, Four-Star and Recommended accolades. Every Star Rating is earned through FTG’s in-person, incognito inspections based on hundreds of objective standards with an emphasis on exceptional service. No one can buy a rating, and no fees, commissions, or business relationships are required. The company’s 2026 Star Ratings will be announced on forbestravelguide.com on February 11, 2026.

Connect with Forbes Travel Guide:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ForbesTravelGuide

X: www.twitter.com/ForbesInspector

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ForbesTravelGuide

About Forbes Travel Guide:

Forbes Travel Guide is the only global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruises and their restaurants. Our anonymous professional inspectors evaluate based on hundreds of exacting standards, with an emphasis on exceptional service, to help discerning travelers select the world’s best experiences. The only way to get a Five-Star, Four-Star, or Recommended rating is by earning it through our independent inspection process. For more information about Forbes Travel Guide, please visit ForbesTravelGuide.com.

Cision

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SOURCE Forbes Travel Guide

Forbes Travel Guide Hospitality Series with Travel Trends Podcast

Listen to the 10-part Series Recorded Live at The Summit in Monaco

Our partnership with Travel Trends allows us to amplify these stories and share the incredible work of our industry leaders with a global audience. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling.” — Amanda Frasier

MONACO, FRANCE, July 17, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / — The Travel Trends Podcast is thrilled to announce the launch of the second season of its acclaimed Hospitality Series , in collaboration with Forbes Travel Guide, the global authority on luxury hospitality. This 10-part series, recorded live at The Summit in Monaco, the premier annual luxury travel conference hosted by FTG, spotlights the “Leaders Behind the Stars” – the visionaries shaping the future of luxury travel and hospitality.Building on the success of their inaugural partnership, this year’s series dives deeper into the stories of those driving excellence in the industry. From properties embarking on their Star-Rated journey to those celebrating Five-Star accolades, the series offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the people and passion behind the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide’s Star Rating system.“This series is a celebration of the incredible individuals who make luxury hospitality extraordinary,” says Dan Christian, Host of the Travel Trends Podcast. “It’s an honor to share their stories and insights with our audience, and I’m grateful to Forbes Travel Guide for their continued partnership in bringing these narratives to life.”“The Summit is a unique gathering of the brightest minds in luxury hospitality, where innovation, collaboration, and excellence take center stage,” says Amanda Frasier, President of Standards & Ratings at Forbes Travel Guide. “Our partnership with the Travel Trends Podcast allows us to amplify these stories and share the incredible work of our industry leaders with a global audience. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling and the shared commitment to elevating the guest experience.”The series features a stellar lineup of guests, including:- Malcolm Hendry, Managing Director of Hotel 41, The Rubens at the Palace, and 100 Princes Street, discusses his team’s journey to earning and maintaining Forbes Travel Guide’s coveted Five-Star rating for nine consecutive years.- Sarah McIntosh, Hotel Manager at The Maybourne Beverly Hills, sharing her inspiring journey from room attendant to leading a Five-Star property.- Scott Campbell, Director of Revenue Management at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, and Jeff Wielgopolan, Service Director at Meadowood Napa Valley, discussing the art of delivering world-class service.- Roberto Protezione, General Manager of Castelfalfi, on transforming a Tuscan estate into an ultra-luxury destination.- Pierre-Louis Renou, General Manager of Carlton Cannes, on the leadership behind its Five-Star transformation.The episodes also highlight groundbreaking initiatives announced at The Summit, such as FTG’s ATELIER CX, a consulting studio redefining customer experience, and BOND CO.LAB, a platform fostering collaborations between luxury hotels and ultra-luxury brands.Season 2 of the Hospitality Series is now available on the Travel Trends Podcast website -ENDS-About Forbes Travel Guide “We Verify Luxury™”Forbes Travel Guide is the only global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruises and their restaurants. The Summit is Forbes Travel Guide’s annual event that brings together the worlds of travel and luxury for the most glamorous and thought-provoking trade show in the world.View summit.forbestravelguide.com to learn more.About Travel Trends PodcastThe Travel Trends Podcast is where industry leaders converge to share & shape the future of travel. Designed for industry experts, emerging entrepreneurs, seasoned executives, and dedicated travel professionals, the podcast highlights insights, strategies, and connections that propel brands to new heights in the travel sector.

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Sarina Bratton, AM, Executive Chair of Pearl Expeditions explained “The website has been designed to ‘fill the screen with imagery’. With this objective in mind, we have been lucky enough to secure three outstanding contributors including, for the extraordinary opening Kimberley video sequence, footage filmed by Nick Robinson, of Wild Pacific Media.”

“We wanted the imagery to dominate and display our new still pictures, as captured by the highly awarded George Apostolidis following a recent photography shoot onboard Paspaley Pearl in Darwin.”

“These, in turn, are complimented by location images taken by Leica Ambassador and acclaimed landscape and wildlife photographer Nick Rains. You may see Nick onboard over the next few months as he joins us to capture more still photos and video of the Kimberley, PNG, Indonesia and Borneo …. and as he returns we will be able to further enhance the website with his images, so the site will continuously evolve and grow.”

Viking Named a “World’s Best” For Rivers, Oceans and Expeditions by Readers of Travel + Leisure in 2025 Awards

07/08/2025 – 11:00 AM

Viking Continues Making History in 30th Annual World’s Best Awards

LOS ANGELES –(BUSINESS WIRE)– Travel + Leisure readers have voted Viking® (www.viking.com) (NYSE: VIK) a “World’s Best” for rivers, oceans and expeditions in the 2025 World’s Best Awards, which were announced today. Viking was once again named #1 for Expeditions, a position it has maintained since its first year of eligibility in that category, and was voted one of the World’s Best river and ocean lines. Viking is also rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler. No other travel company has simultaneously received such honors by both publications.

Travel + Leisure readers have voted Viking a “World’s Best” for rivers, oceans and expeditions in the 2025 World’s Best Awards, which were announced today. Viking was once again named #1 for Expeditions, a position it has maintained since its first year of eligibility in that category, and was voted one of the World’s Best river and ocean lines. Pictured here (left to right), Viking ocean, expedition and river vessels. For more information, visit www.viking.com.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards—an annual celebration of excellence across the travel industry. Since 1995, Travel + Leisure, the largest travel magazine brand in the U.S. , has invited its discerning readers to cast their vote for the World’s Best in cruising with consideration in the following categories: cabins/facilities, food, service, itineraries/destinations, excursions/activities and overall value.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire Viking family around the world,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “From the beginning, we have chosen to do things differently. We remain committed to that philosophy as we continue to welcome more curious travelers to experience the Viking way of exploration around the world.”

The recognition continues to build on Viking’s accolades. In addition to awards from Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler, Viking was named Best Luxury Line, Best Line for Couples and Best Line in the Mediterranean in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Cruise Lines ranking for the fourth consecutive year. Viking’s ocean ships have also been rated and “Recommended” as part of the Forbes Travel Guide 2024 Star Awards, an annual independent evaluation for luxury travel brands. Additionally, Cruise Critic honored Viking with seven awards across the Luxury (Ocean), River and Expedition categories 2024 Best in Cruise Awards.

Media Assets

For more information about Viking, or for images and b-roll, please contact vikingpr@edelman.com.

About Viking

Viking (NYSE: VIK) was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences For The Thinking Person™. Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 and 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is also rated a “World’s Best” for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure. No other travel company has simultaneously received the same honors by both publications. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250708121678/en/

Email: vikingpr@edelman.com

Source: Viking

RALEIGH, N.C., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Edge One Capital discloses its proposal for BuzzFeed by Varun Gupta.

BuzzFeed is at a crucial moment, where it has the chance to create sustainable, long-lasting value. Despite possessing a formidable brand equity, a substantial media footprint, and a wealth of underutilized intellectual property, BuzzFeed has dramatically underperformed relative to its potential. The public markets have lost confidence, not because of a lack of opportunities, but due to missed execution, governance inefficiencies, and strategic inertia.

BuzzFeed can unlock substantial shareholder value through a bold, modern transformation across four key areas:

1. Establish a Digital Asset Treasury Strategy

BuzzFeed’s current balance sheet position, combined with its cultural cache and brand resonance among digital-native audiences, makes it a unique candidate to lead the next era of media and crypto convergence. A growing number of public companies—from MicroStrategy to Strive Asset Management—have adopted digital asset strategies not merely as hedges, but as capital appreciation tools and balance sheet enhancers.

BuzzFeed can allocate a portion of its treasury to Bitcoin or Solana, establishing a Digital Asset Treasury (DAT). This would:

Signal strategic forward-thinking to investors

Tap into new asset appreciation trends while diversifying the balance sheet.

Attract a new demographic of crypto-native retail and institutional shareholders.

BuzzFeed could pursue partnerships with firms aligned with these goals, such as Strive Asset Management, co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy. Strive is currently going public via Asset Entities, offering a potential alignment of interests. Additionally, BuzzFeed could look to Michael Saylor’s playbook at MicroStrategy, whose Bitcoin-centric capital allocation has radically transformed its investor base and market perception.

Solana presents a unique opportunity not only to grow asset value but also to create staking rewards, which can generate cash flow.

BuzzFeed can go further: acquiring or merging with smaller, cash-rich, or crypto-native companies to consolidate treasury capital while entering new ecosystems and monetizing community engagement through NFTs, creator-based DAOs, or crypto rewards.

2. Immediate Corporate Governance Reforms Are Needed

BuzzFeed’s current corporate governance model has been criticized for its dual-class share structure, lack of board independence, and inadequate capital allocation discipline. As activist investors, we see this not only as a risk but as a problem that can be solved.

We urge the Board to:

Sunset or significantly reform the dual-class structure to restore voting equality

Appoint independent directors with experience in digital finance, tokenomics, AI, and blockchain strategy.

Tie executive compensation more directly to shareholder returns and operational milestones, without immediate vesting.

Improve transparency on strategic decisions and resource allocations, particularly regarding BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and new AI initiatives.

If these changes are not made proactively, BuzzFeed risks continued stagnation in its stock price and potential shareholder revolt. One of the unspoken challenges in fixing BuzzFeed’s corporate governance is that any meaningful reform could put Jonah Peretti and other insiders at personal risk—risk of losing control, influence, or even their positions entirely. It’s understandable why there might be hesitation.

Addressing corporate governance challenges will help restore investor confidence and expand access to capital markets for new investors, while also creating opportunities for BuzzFeed. Even a start or attempt to address corporate governance challenges will bolster investor confidence. BuzzFeed has chosen to remain silent on many of the issues that investors, such as Bill Pulte, have brought up. Craven avoidance of engagement must be replaced with open and constructive dialogue with all investors.

3. Monetize Intellectual Property Through Products and Tokenization

BuzzFeed has decades of IP, formats, and viral characters that remain underutilized. From Tasty and Quiz brands to BuzzFeed Unsolved, this content has potential far beyond ad revenue.

The Company should explore:

Tokenizing digital IP via NFTs, limited edition creator access passes, or interactive Web3 fan experiences

Licensing characters, brands, and formats for physical product lines, games, or metaverse integrations

Exploring blockchain-based revenue sharing with creators to deepen loyalty and unlock new monetization models

Launching a BuzzToken or TastyCoin tied to exclusive content access, physical merchandise, or fan voting

Additionally, partnering with platforms like Solana could give BuzzFeed a first-mover advantage in media-token convergence, with minimal upfront cost and maximum community upside.

4. Repair Investor Relations

In the last three quarters, the company’s earnings calls have been alarmingly short and uninformative, with one lasting under nine minutes. This level of engagement is simply not enough—if BuzzFeed wants investor support, it must demonstrate that it is putting in the effort to earn it.

To repair credibility and expand its valuation multiple, BuzzFeed must start by holding substantial quarterly calls, providing full Q&A time, discussing financials, AI investments, the BF Island timeline (which has been delayed), and monetization efforts. These changes will rebuild investor confidence and revive support for the stock.

BuzzFeed is a brand with extraordinary cultural cache and financial upside—if bold action is taken. Through a digital asset treasury strategy, governance reform, IP monetization, and improved investor relations, BuzzFeed can shift from stagnation to revival. This is not a media company in decline; it is a modern digital brand waiting to be reborn through better leadership and sharper strategic execution.

Previous Press Releases:

Edge One Capital Sends Letter to BuzzFeed Demanding Overhaul of Governance and Corporate Board

Edge One Capital Highlights Concerns about BuzzFeed’s Governance in Series of Letters to Management

Edge One Capital Takes Stake in BuzzFeed

Previous Letters:

To view the First Letter, click here .

To view the Second Letter, click here .

To view the Third Letter, click here .

About Edge One Capital:

Edge One Capital is an investment firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with an emphasis on deep long-term value for all of its investments. For more information, please contact info@edgeonecapital.com or visit www.edgeonecapital.com

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