Experts Dismiss Trade War Worries

A new year brings the same old problems.

We’ve got a government shutdown happening here in the U.S., along with fears that an economic recession is on the way that could impact global business travel.

While the shutdown is being felt right now, experts are more optimistic when it comes to business travel at large. Barring a major change in relations between the U.S. and China, global growth should remain steady. Check out our stories below.

If you have any feedback about the newsletter or news tips, feel free to reach out via email at [email protected] or tweet me @sheivach. 

— Andrew Sheivachman, Senior Editor

Airlines, Hotels and Innovation

Business Travel Remains Optimistic Despite Slowdown Warning Signs: The business travel sector is still bullish on growth, even if financial markets have entered a state of uncertainty. So long as the economy continues to hum along, experts think everything will be fine.

Business Travel Is Taking a Hit From the Government Shutdown: The partial government shutdown started just before Christmas, a slow time for work-related trips. But now that 2019 is well underway, business travelers are feeling an impact that will only grow if the impasse persists.

Will a New Marriott-Expedia Contract Signal a Sea Change in the Direct Booking Wars? Until the details are finalized, the jury’s still out on the impact of a Marriott-Expedia agreement. But suffice it to say, these frenemies still depend on one another.

Skift Call Jan. 16: Why Travel Needs to Shake Off the Gloom in 2019: You’re hearing a lot of doomsday forecasts for 2019. Global recession. Stock market rout. Runaway inflation. We’re here to give you the flip side for how travel this year could be just fine. Listen to our experts on Wednesday, January 16 at 1 p.m. EST on a Skift Call. Please join us for this all-important discussion.

Travel Leaders Acquires UK-Based Event Management Company: Consolidation continues in the global event management marketplace, with Travel Leaders Group investing more in international assets that expand its reach in a crowded marketplace.

The Future of Travel

What India Reveals About the Future of Online Travel: A Skift Deep Dive: Surprising factors have delayed the coronation of MakeMyTrip Group as India’s queen of domestic online travel. Paytm came out of nowhere to grab share, Oyo upended budget hotel distribution, Ixigo tried to make price comparison chic, and Booking.com outmaneuvered Expedia for premium hotel bookings. From this scrappy mix, online travel will find new lessons.

Marriott Shares New Details About Hacked Starwood Accounts: Data from Marriott suggest that its 2018 breach wasn’t as massive as originally feared — but the hack still affected over 300 million records.

Sun Country: Inside America’s Most Unusual Airline: We always hear airlines are a scale business. So can an airline with 30 airplanes and a measured growth plan succeed? We’re not sure, but we’ll be watching.

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Skift Senior Editor Andrew Sheivachman [[email protected]] curates the Skift Corporate Travel Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Thursday.

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