What’s the Travel Industry’s Record on Sustainability?

First Things

Earth Day took place this weekend, so to mark the moment Skift Associate Editor and Archivist Rashaad Jorden wrote A Short History of the Travel Industry’s Sustainability Efforts. The story looked at how hotels, airlines, destinations, and cruises have performed around climate change the past ten-plus years. “Travel brands loudly proclaim their commitment to sustainability, but many of them have a long way to go to ensure their words aren’t lip service,” Jorden said in an email to me on Friday. Read the story in full to see what he means.

Top Headlines

Bali Considers Tougher Visa Regulations Amid Negative Tourist Behavior

Regardless of whether it is Russians behaving badly in Bali or others, the Indonesian government appears prepared to implement rigid restrictions to combat these incidents.

Why Hopper Asks for a ‘Tip’ When Booking

‘Deception’ may be too strong of a word in this case, but the media attention goes to show that customers do not like to feel that they’ve been swindled. A quarter of customers pay the tip, but how many of them know it?

Why Sedona’s Tourism Bureau Fired Its City Over Destination Marketing

All eyes will be on Sedona, Arizona. If it can fund itself and promote tourism without the city’s dollars, other destinations could potentially follow its example.

Marriott’s New Ad Campaign Touts Its Loyalty Program in a Murky Direct Booking Future

Marriott’s new ad campaign for its loyalty program doesn’t explicitly mention online travel agencies. But the ad’s gist is that you can find a hotel for any taste and budget on its app. Why book anywhere else?

American Airlines Hits Smaller Hubs With Steeper Airfares Through Legacy Channels

Erratic airfares will likely be a theme over the course of the year. The question is how damaging, reputationally speaking, will the settling down period be for American Airlines, compared to the financial gains — short or long term.

Trains, Not Planes, Are Increasingly Business Travelers’ Preferred Choice in Europe

Higher airfares between European hubs and lower carbon emissions are behind a significant shift to trains, with the trend likely to continue for the rest of the year as more rail operators begin competing across borders.

Impact of AI Survey

We want to hear from you. How are new AI tools like ChatGPT impacting your job and company. As a thank you, we will share the report once live.

Chart of the Week: Tourism Emissions

Have travel companies made progress in making their operations greener? Or are they still paying lip service to the environment? Read the story in full.