Daily Podcast: Hotels Housing Ukrainian Refugees

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at the types of cruise ships travelers are most interested in post-pandemic, the booking site focused on housing Ukrainian refugees, and a profile of a candidate to be the next leader of the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Episode Notes

Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Travelers are increasingly expressing a desire to return to cruising in the near future despite the U.S. Centers for Disease Control maintaining that people should avoid cruise travel, which had been hit by on-board outbreaks and even some deaths. However, many of those eager to resume cruising prefer luxury cruises over megaships, writes Global Tourism Reporter Lebawit Lily Girma.

A new survey by travel technology company Arrivia revealed that 60 percent of consumers are planning to go on a cruise in the next two years, with more than half heading out this spring and summer. However, more than two-thirds of respondents said they prefer traveling on luxury cruises instead of megaships. A little more than 25 percent of respondents expressed a preference for cruising on megaships.

Although the results point to a promising spring and summer season for the luxury cruise sector, the survey also found that many travelers still have Covid-related concerns about cruising. More than half of respondents said they want to see numerous safety measures on board to feel safe, such as vaccinated staff and passengers and social distancing.

We turn now to the ongoing war in Ukraine. In an effort reminiscent of the campaign providing beds to frontline workers during the worst of the pandemic, hospitality companies willing to offer rooms to refugees fleeing the country are listing their available properties on a new online directory, reports Senior Travel Tech Editor Sean O’Neill.

Hotels, hostels and other accommodation providers interested in setting aside beds for Ukrainian refugees are listing their spare inventory on the Hospitality for Ukraine website. The initiative — set up by marketing agency Stay the Night and an executive at consumer site BudgetTraveller — comes as the war could see at least 1 million Ukrainians flee the country in the next several weeks.

We end with United Airlines pilot John Boccieri’s candidacy to head the Federal Aviation Administration. Boccieri is emphasizing his longstanding commitment to aviation safety in his candidacy for the position, reports Contributor Ted Reed in an exclusive interview with Skift.

Boccieri, a former U.S. Congressman and current vice commander of the Pittsburgh Air Force base said in his first interview since emerging as a candidate that the main focus for any FAA administrator is to create and preserve a legacy of safety. Issues of aviation safety became paramount for Boccieri following the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in 2009, which drove him to push for legislation in Congress that, among other things, increased training requirements for commercial pilots.

Boccieri is one of three publicly known candidates vying to replace Steve Dickson, who will step down as FAA administrator effective March 31.