Skift Take

In a new roundup of coronavirus-related news, we look at how the airlines will handle having the U.S. government as a shareholder under an economic stimulus package. Plus, the latest on hotels deals and financing. It's not pretty. And Skift Research looks at the eventual opportunities for venture capital in travel that may come from this crisis.

Throughout the week we are posting original stories night and day covering the impact of coronavirus by connecting the dots across the travel industry. Every weekend we will offer you a chance to read the most essential stories again in case you missed them earlier.

 

Will It Matter for U.S. Airlines With the Government as a Shareholder?: Given the circumstances, U.S. airlines are getting good terms from their proposed government bailout. They should be grateful.

Hotel Deals and Lending Zapped by Coronavirus at the Finish Line: Until lenders can wade through the $2 trillion U.S. stimulus package and determine valuations, hotel deals will remain on ice. Expect smaller banks to issue the first round of hotel loans on the upswing.

From Crisis Will Come Eventual Opportunity for Venture Capital in Travel: New Skift Research: We are headed into a winter for travel startups. But travel won’t be gone forever. And history teaches us that startups are often the first to pinpoint our industry’s new direction as we exit a crisis.

5 Tourism Promotion Campaigns Hitting the Right Notes in a Crisis: It’s a tough time for tourism marketers but going dark isn’t necessarily required. Here are some examples of campaigns that are striking the proper tone.

Get the Latest on Coronavirus and the Travel Industry on Skift’s Liveblog

Google Travel Search Is Unrecognizable as Advertising Dries Up: It took novel coronavirus to see free organic links from Expedia, Tripadvisor, and Booking.com rise in prominence in Google Search. This isn’t necessarily a game changer for the online travel agencies at a time when travel demand is in the tank. It’s more like a temporary reprieve from the Google World Order.

How Travel Brands Are Approaching TV Advertising Now: Most travel brands aren’t doing TV or much of any advertising now because of the pandemic. But for the ones still broadcasting spots, they’d better be very clever in terms of sensitivities, or risk brand damage.

Are Companies Ready to Travel When the World Switches Back On?: The situation is dire for many suppliers, but corporate travel managers could help hotels and airlines prepare for the rebound — if they act responsibly.

How the Top Boss at One of Paris’s Most Iconic Hotels Copes With the Crisis: What’s it like being the general manager of a luxury hotel during coronavirus? We asked Franka Holtmann, who looks after Le Meurice for Dorchester Collection. She spoke candidly and poetically about her worries, her new workflows, and how she cares for her team.

Hotels and Airports See Jaw-Dropping Declines in Foot Traffic in March: Government orders and public health recommendations to stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak sparked a steep decline in foot traffic at U.S. hotels and airports. This plays further into revised forecasts for a devastating 2020 for the travel industry.

Launching a Travel App During This Crisis: Crazy?: Many embattled travel firms will appreciate any kind of assistance they can get to ride through the coronavirus storm. And for those who could lend a hand to other players during this crisis, why not? It’s a goodwill gesture.

Corporate Travel Advisors Put Global Airline Group in Crosshairs Over Refunds: Corporate travel agencies are becoming frustrated with IATA. While the airline body appears to be looking out for its airline members, there’s at least some action taking place behind the scenes, but time is clearly running out.

40 Percent of Companies Expect Business Travel to Resume Within 3 Months: New Poll: Considering the widespread travels bans in place, Global Business Travel Association members are either overly confident about when normality will resume, or underestimate the seriousness of the situation.

Some Asia Hotels Roll Out Quarantine Packages for Travelers Looking to Self-Isolate: The growing need for quarantine facilities across Asia offers a silver lining for hotels struggling with low occupancies. It goes to show that even in drastic times, opportunities exist.

Second Life Targets Corporate Sector as Travel Lockdown Bites: Second Life has every right to reach out to businesses figuring out new ways to work remotely and to better engage potential customers, but there’s a lot of competition right now.

Amazon, CVS Have Thousands of Jobs for Furloughed Hilton Workers: Not all is down-and-out with U.S. companies during the coronavirus outbreak, and furloughed hotel workers could provide much-needed labor in healthcare, grocery, and e-commerce supply chains until the economy gets back to baseline.

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The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

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Tags: airlines, coronavirus, events, hotels, tourism

Photo credit: Southwest Airlines (pictured here) is among the U.S. carriers that will benefit from a stimulus package, but strings are attached. Bloomberg

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