2013 Archives

While New York City has had a huge uptick of tourists during the Bloomberg administration, exponential growth in visitors may be peaking, and the new CEO of NYC & Company will have to develop more creative pitches to attract international visitors -- especially from the emerging Asian markets.

The FCC did not vote to end the ban on in-flight calls, but to continue the conversation and start the public comment process -- an important distinction that was muddled by some in the moment.

Foodie tourism is a growing global trend, and this quick survey gives a snapshot of how its influence changes based on demographics in one region.

JetBlue doesn't want to be JCPenney. The airline certainly wants to attract more business travelers, but it adamantly seeks to ensure that changes don't come at the expense of its leisure traveler customer base. The balancing act will gradually become more of a challenge as Mint service expands, but it isn't a huge issue for the moment.

If the FCC approves in-flight phone calls, then at least U.S. airlines will be able to determine for themselves what the policy should be.

The first Skift50 recognizes the top 50 travel marketers across the globe in 2013, the people driving the go-to-market strategies of these high-profile consumer-facing travel brands.

Instagram Direct is a nice new feature, but hardly anything revolutionary. Travel marketers might make some use of it, but it doesn't look like anything that could provide any scale to such attempts.

The national park service would be wise to embrace social media's sharing capabilities to the greatest extent it can. Repeat visitors are its best ambassadors, and amplifying their voices via social and mobile is a cheap and easy way to spread the word.

Making in-flight Wi-Fi free for good would change the competitive landscape forcing other airlines to consider free connections for the future. JetBlue might be late to the game, but it's making up for it in a big way.