2020 › September

Masks, social distancing, and vaccines can't stop climate change. It isn't a competition to choose the most dire threat, climate change or Covid-19, because they are interrelated. But taking a long-term view, climate change will be an existential threat to the travel industry, and the world, even as coronavirus fades.

A snapshot of two UK independent agencies highlights the wider sector's struggles, but the fight is far from over.

Independent hoteliers with smaller back offices could find a third-party company like Blue Canary useful in mapping out heightened health and safety protocols. But it isn't clear if bigger brands with compliance departments will ever find need for outside help on cleaning.

The CEO of Spirit Airlines is hopeful the carrier can get back to 2019 capacity levels by the end of next year. His airline focuses more on leisure customers than most, so maybe it is possible. But it still seems to be a far-fetched goal.

The substantial decline in new Covid cases didn't seem to give travel a much-needed boost. In August, 36 percent of Americans traveled, only one percentage point higher than in July.

Virtually all industries have seen a rise in contactless payments due to new health and safety measures around Covid-19. For travel suppliers, supporting personalized touch-free payment experiences has increasingly become a benchmark for success.

The death of hotels was greatly exaggerated. Advantage Booking.com and Expedia — not Airbnb — if travelers indeed are now seeking out both hotels and vacation rentals in comparable numbers.

New tech launched today in Seychelles spotlights the issues many border agencies will face when collecting coronavirus-related health data from travelers.

New owner Fosun will be banking on people fondly remembering this historic name, rather than reflecting on its spectacular collapse just one year ago.

Voco is yet another branded opportunity for independent hoteliers looking for increased distribution, but IHG has to find ways to make the brand stand out in the crowded upscale, lifestyle hotel space.