Europe to Open to Vaccinated U.S. Vacationers and 9 Other Top Travel Stories This Week

Throughout the week we are posting original stories night and day covering news and travel trends, including on the impact of coronavirus. Every weekend we will offer you a chance to read the most essential stories again in case you missed them earlier.

Europe to Allow Vaccinated Americans to Travel to Continent This Summer: The American vaccination program has been so successful that the unthinkable even a few months ago has happened. So much for competence.

Sonder to Go Public at $2.2 Billion Valuation as Short-Term Rental Sector Stays Hot: The quasi-hotel company has announced a deal with Gores’ special purpose acquisition company.

The Promise of Open U.S.-UK Travel This Summer: Where Does It Stand?: The prospect of a transatlantic travel bubble between the U.S. and the UK has many travel industry leaders hopeful the summer season can be salvaged. But how a travel corridor may work and what proof of vaccinations will be required are details that have yet to be hammered out.

Amtrak Prepares for Close-Up When the Oscars Go Live at L.A.’s Union Station: When jet-setting Hollywood chooses a train station, yes, a train station, for its biggest night of the year, you know the rail industry is having its 15 minutes in the limelight. Oscars buzz can be short-lived. Amtrak and its biggest fan at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue hope that isn’t the case this year.

Behind-The-Scenes With American Demothballing Jets From Pandemic Storage: Airlines have come a long way from the dark days of the pandemic when idled jets lined runways around the world. On the ground in Tulsa, we check out the meticulous way American is taking its last few aircraft out of mothballs with an opportunistic eye towards summer.

How Luxury Travel Is Leading the Recovery: A Skift Deep Dive: We could all use a splurge after what we’ve been through. That’s why upscale leisure travel is starting to sprint ahead for a phased, market-by-market recovery.

An Exclusive Look at Marriott’s Terms for Recruiting Short-Term Rental Hosts: Marriott has been in the vacation rental business for nearly two years, and few see it as a threat to the likes of Airbnb and Vrbo. Recent recruitment efforts for new listings and employees show the fledgling division is on track to be an integral part of future revenues for the world’s largest hotel company.

Agoda Leads an Asia Experiment in Quarantine Hotel Bookings: The industry blames quarantines for keeping tourists away. Agoda is on a quest to make it a solution, not the problem, to revive international travel to Asia. Here’s why and how.

Trivago Partners With TUI For Attractions as Online Players Bulk Up: In addition to its new partnership with TUI, Trivago is betting on travel inspiration to spur nearby weekend getaways. From Tripadvisor to Google Flights and mostly forgotten travel startups, the prospect of both nurturing bucket list dreams and converting lookers into bookers has never worked out very well.

MGM Resorts Gears Up for a Booming Las Vegas Summer of Returning Live Events: Relaxed restrictions on crowds puts Sin City on track for an accelerated recovery over the duration of the rest of 2021, but MGM Resorts still has to grapple with a lagging comeback in Macao, its other key gaming market.