Hotels Join Fight Against Human Trafficking and 14 Other Top Hospitality Stories This Week

Opening Closed Doors: Can Hotels Do More to Fight Human Trafficking? Human trafficking touches every corner of the travel industry — especially hotels. And while the accommodations sector didn’t create the problem, it does have an elevated responsibility to put an end to it. The question is: How effective have the industry’s efforts been so far?

Travel Megatrends 2020: The Future of Travel Will Be Driven by Urban Living Innovations: Cities have always been incubators for innovation, but with two-thirds of the world’s population expected to live in urban areas by 2050, developments being rolled out today to accommodate that new density will serve the travel industry in positive ways.

The 2020 Innovators in Travel and Hospitality: Winter Edition: Twice a year, this column looks at who is doing it right. Here are some of the most inspiring innovations in design, service, and guest experience in hospitality and travel. Let the debates begin.

Ace Hotel Boutique Chain Consolidates Ownership After Years of Turmoil: Ace Hotel has finalized the consolidation of its ownership after years of disputes with the estate of late co-founder Alex Calderwood. Now that that’s been settled, what will the boutique hotel chain concentrate on next?

Most Big Hotel Chains Are Now Committed on Plastics: Here’s the Problem With Promises: We’re drowning in press releases about global hotel companies promising to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics. Most of these items require alternatives though, so what are they?

What the Coronavirus Means So Far for the Travel Industry: The travel industry is starting to feel the impact from this latest global health crisis. How it responds to help contain the spread of the virus will set a new precedent while weathering an extensive disruption to its business.

How New Entrants Are Shaking Up the Hotel Property Management Space: New Skift Research: Legacy property management systems (PMS) missed the boat when tech innovation started ramping up. Now they are playing catch-up. Cloud computing, open APIs, marketplaces, and middleware layers are shaking up this stale corner of hotel tech, and it’s crazy exciting

Are Hotels Missing Out as Instant Booking for Meetings Grows? As instant booking grows slowly among hotel chains, more boutique venues and co-working spaces are finding traction on digital sourcing platforms.

Can Luxury Hospitality Play a Key Role in Land Conservation? Outside of Africa where poaching, forestry, and resource exploitation can also threaten wildlife habitats, luxury hospitality leaders are playing a role in protecting land and creating opportunities around conservation.

Instant Booking for Simple Meetings Goes Mainstream: Instant booking has allowed co-working spaces and boutique venues to reach more planners. Now, more hotels are expected to go digital.

Oracle Hospitality’s New Boss Sees Gaps in Its Hotel Tech Portfolio: Oracle Hospitality’s Alex Alt sees two gaps in his company’s suite: distribution services and customer relationship management tools. Yet the opportunities with both are dynamic, not static, because of fast shifts in hotel company priorities and traveler behaviors. That will require Alt to be one very adaptable executive.

Accor Taps Sabre for Pilot of Major Hotel Tech Project: Accor recently rebranded its loyalty program under the phrase “Live Limitless.” The company needs to replace its limited technology structure to meet that ambition, and this deal represents a huge commercial win for Sabre.

How Luxury Hospitality Is Tackling Conservation Efforts Globally: These days, it’s not just one-off luxury properties that are investing in conservation projects. More companies see the value in protecting and restoring the land they’re situated on, and ones that don’t may be left behind.

A Look Ahead at Skift Forum Europe in Madrid: Skift Forum Europe will be our biggest event yet in the region. This year, we are thrilled to bring the event to Madrid, where a diverse set of speakers will share perspectives on why this next decade ahead is imperative for travel to safeguard its financial future, act more responsibly, and respond to shifts in the industry in a more nimble way.

Life House Raises $30 Million for Next-Gen Hotel Management: Travel Startup Funding This Week: A few startups receiving funding this week deserve props for trying to shake up travel. Life House is targeting a brand gap left by major hotel groups in some markets. ByHours raised funding for letting guests book stays of as little as three hours at partner hotels. Stasher offers a network of rentable storage spaces for travelers’ bags.