2016 › November

Accor has demonstrated it's serious about getting ahead of the curve across many growing and emerging verticals in hospitality and its acquisition of John Paul is one way for the company to better manage the different guest experiences and create a common concierge platform for all brands.

HomeAway president John Kim, after a manner, is trying to turn HomeAway into the type of company that Airbnb is -- one that is focused on technology improvements and a great user experience. In many ways, Kim has the tougher job. He isn't starting from scratch, as Airbnb did, but is attempting to spur changes in a company that has been around since 2005 and grew through a flurry of acquisitions.

Meetings industry media, organizations, tech providers, and forward-thinking suppliers are all aggressively experimenting with event technology and digital content. But there are questions about how well the majority of meeting planners will be prepared for the upcoming onslaught of digital-native attendees.

The fact that hotel rates and airfares are likely to remain flat into 2017 reflects the huge amount of uncertainty about the state of the global economy at this point in time.

Magical Trips has been an open secret in the travel industry for at least a year now, if not more. But on November 15, Airbnb's head of global hospitality and strategy more or less confirmed it's finally becoming an official reality for the company.

Details count, and it's clear that, as a luxury hotel brand, the Four Seasons takes every single detail of the hotel guest experience very seriously, from the water pressure in your shower to the placemats in the restaurant.

U.S. Travel is pushing us to take more time off, but millennials are nervous, and middle managers aren't listening. Also, tourism bureaus are doing a better job at communicating the economic impact of travel, and Brand USA is starting to see results with a 10 percent jump in international inbound intent-to-travel.

Learn how to take your email marketing to the next level in our first live -- and on-demand -- webinar on Nov. 22.

Like smartphones themselves, mobile messaging has become ingrained in our everyday lives. Register for this upcoming #SkiftWebinar hosted by LivePerson to learn the most effective mobile messaging strategies for travel brands .

In a world as uncertain as today, social impact travel movements are more necessary than ever. During Skift Global Forum 2016, Fathom President Tara Russell delved into the importance of creating experiences for travelers that center around the social interactions.