2020 Archives

Online travel brands can no longer count on paid marketing alone to drive growth as they try to penetrate developing markets. Despegar is ahead of its larger global rivals in embracing "fintech." It sees consumer loans as a way to appeal to many travel buyers who don't use banks.

Quick adaptation and innovation have been essential to Houston’s response to Covid-19, through new events, initiatives and technology. With Houston First Corporation on the comms, the problem of Covid-19 went from crippling to simply a new way of being.

A Thailand hotel filed criminal charges, now dropped, against a review writer. But it's now the hotel itself that will get penalized because its placement on Tripadvisor's pages will get demoted for 90 days.

JetBlue has a strong brand and plans to curate the short-term rental inventory it offers with the backing of its own customer service abilities rather than relegating that to a partner. This expansion is worth a try, but will come with brand risks.

In October, 38 percent of Americans traveled, marking the smallest monthly increase since reaching the low point in April. Will the changing course of the pandemic, with a new president and possible vaccine, give the U.S. travel industry a much-needed boost in the coming months?

Join us for Skift's Post-Election, Post-Vaccine Travel Outlook, live this Friday, November 13, at 12 p.m. ET or register to get on-demand anytime recording.

Latin America's Rappi now offers business travel alongside things like takeaways, pet food and furniture. It doesn’t sound like a winning combination, but different parts of the world have different appetites for digitization.

Regulators in China, Europe, and the U.S. can certainly screw up on execution of their goals with over-regulation, under-regulation, or initiatives that are off-target. But there's something happening around the globe that points to a new and potentially hopeful era for competition and innovation.

In an unprecedented citizen-led push against mass cruise tourism during a time of undertourism, Key West voters boldly chose to protect the environment and public health. It’s sparked hope for change across similarly challenged port communities, but at a time when destinations are desperate for tourism. What's for sure: the “reset” conversation is no longer just talk.

Longer-term stays may buoy Extended Stay America through the pandemic, but the company aims to build up its business traveler base to garner greater profits post-pandemic.