The Taylor Swift Tourism Bump

Earlier this week we read how the beginning of Beyonce’s global tour caused inflation in Sweden, and we’re ending the week explaining how Taylor Swift caused a spike of her own in Chicago. In this case, economists weren’t concerned but hotel operators were ecstatic. It was good tourism news for a city that’s been pilloried by dubious news outlets and a sign that the city could be on its way to a stellar summer season.

This Week’s Headlines

Chicago’s Taylor Swift Concert Was a Tourism Boost. City Hopes There’s More to Come.
Taylor Swift’s concert showed Chicago can host large events. But the city’s tourism industry is still combatting negative images around public safety.

Highest-Paid U.S. Airline CEOs
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby replaced Delta’s Ed Bastian as the highest-paid U.S. airline chief in 2022. Here’s how much the industry’s leading executives took home — as well as how their pay was calculated.

What Causes Sleepless Nights for Hotel Execs? The Rise of Fintech
The chief financial officers at Marriott and Accor are closely watching the entry of banks, financial technology (fintech) firms, and tech giants into the selling and servicing of travel. As they should.

Google and Booking Face European Objections Over Competition
Google faces a tougher hill to climb than Booking, although the European Commission’s statement of objections puts Booking’s Etraveli acquisition in doubt.

The AI Travel Booking Tools Keep Coming. Not All Will Succeed.
A lot of generative AI-based travel planning and booking tools are coming out. Which ones will last?

Portland’s Suburbanites Won’t Recommend City to Tourists
If Portland is to shake off the negative media perception, it will need its local residents more than ever to convince the public that it’s still a great tourist destination.

Yes, Hotel Room Rates Are Up. But It Isn’t Price Gouging.
Travel sticker shock is giving way to anger for many consumers. But the inflation data suggests that most hoteliers have raised prices in-line with their rising costs rather than capturing excess profits.

The Future of Short-Term Rentals: Industry Leaders Look Ahead at Skift Summit
Executives speaking at the recent Skift Short-Term Rental Summit offered no shortage of predictions about the future of the industry, and here’s a list of some of the most noteworthy.

Airbnb Lawsuit Against NYC: A Solitary Effort That Got Results, For Now
Sometimes a lawsuit can serve as a proverbial big stick.

More: 🤖 An Airbnb Vs. NYC Timeline

The Brains Behind Air Canada’s Network
Air Canada is flying double-daily high-density Boeing 777s — its equivalent of an Airbus A380 as Mark Galardo put it — to Athens this summer to meet some of the best travel demand it has ever seen.

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Chart of the Week

Skift Research’s latest survey was aimed at capturing insights into the travel behavior and emerging trends among Chinese consumers. Click through for a preview.