2023 Archives

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at our new Megatrends for 2023, Airbnb's attempt to hamper human trafficking, and American Airlines' possible pilot regrets.

Sex trafficking and child exploitation is a travel industry problem, and companies need to be activists in fighting these abuses.

If being paid $100,000 for two months is not reason enough, American actor Kevin Hart lists out the reasons why he thinks being hired as Yas Island's ambassador is the "best job in the world."

A new tier of ultra-luxury has jumped out from the broader commoditized luxury category into a sphere of its own. Brands like Aman and Bvlgari Hotels are catering to the upper echelons of global wealth. As these top-of-the-strata services cost more than ever, an arms race is unfolding for the staff, product, and experience that can keep pace with lofty daily rates and steep checks.

The travel industry has acknowledged the pandemic led to a surge in people blending leisure with work. Now it’s got to figure out how to unravel the Great Merging to better serve this new and dynamic customer persona.

This year will be one of action for the travel industry on the climate. But don’t expect radical changes, rather incremental steps and greater alignment as the industry attempts to shake off its negative image.

Banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, and Citi already have the customer base to appeal to travelers with attractive booking offers, cash back, and points, without having to ante up big for marketing like online travel agencies and hotels. The prospects for banks, with a history of clunky travel portals, will hinge on value proposition, user experience and execution.

The oft-heard rhetoric that India is the next China may finally hold true for travel’s outbound industry as Chinese look at international travel more skeptically.

While emotion has always been a part of marketing, appealing to people's feelings has become more central because factors such as changing guest expectations and the rise of new technologies have undermined hotels' customary approach to branding.

TikTok is chipping away at Google's travel dominance one 30-second dance at a time. Travel marketers eager to bypass search engines have an opportunity to do so with this new social media platform.