2020 Archives

It is surprising that hotel awards are still being given out even when travel is in a lockdown. Some are meaningful and relevant, but mostly it's an industry that begs for a reinvention.

Another day, another rumor that Accor and IHG will combine forces. But even a successful merger is unlikely to send the hotel industry into a wave of consolidation due to so many other distressed deals expected during the pandemic recovery.

The future's coming right at you. Investors have backed Reliable Robotics, which builds autonomous aircraft, and Movie Hotel, which brings screening rooms and exclusive studio content to properties.

Airline officials can't just snap their fingers to proclaim they have successfully become way more than an airline. That being said, AirAsia did launch a new vacation package business called Snap. AirAsia's digital business is still very much a work in progress with much to be proven.

With a narrowing pool of viable customers, in the form of governments and other essential service providers, the competition's going to be tough out there.

The virus isn't going anywhere come autumn, but there is some hope that the travel industry can stretch the summer travel season into the cooler months.

Hipcamp thinks that courting landowners like farmers, ranchers, and vintners can help unlock new supply for outdoor recreation. It's an interesting theory.

Skift Forum Asia takes shape as a virtual conference this year, with speakers from across the region being interviewed over video. It will be a day jam packed with insights and strategies on how companies are adapting and where travel is headed.

Freebird has gone kaput but the concept of predictive intelligence smoothing out the travel experience will only gain strength during the rebound from the pandemic. Capitol One sees opportunity.

The merger of Hotelogix, a property management system, with AxisRooms, a provider of revenue management and distribution services, and RepUp, an online reputation management tool, is probably one of many mergers likely in hotel tech in response to the crisis.