Powerful Passports, Southwest’s Changes and Barcelona’s Tourist Message

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Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, July 26, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

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Episode Notes

The Henley Passport Index has just released its rankings for the most powerful passports of 2024, and Singapore took the top spot, writes Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia. 

A Singaporean passport provides visa-free access to 195 countries. Japan and South Korea occupy the second and third spots in the index while the U.S. is in eighth place. The Henley Passport Index measures the strength of passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a visa. 

Japan had occupied the top position in last year’s Henley Passport Index. 

Next, Southwest Airlines saw its profits drop significantly during the second quarter as it announced it’s making major changes to boost its bottom line, writes Meghna Maharishi.  

Although Southwest posted record revenue, its net income dropped roughly 46%. As a part of its strategy to increase profits, Southwest announced on Thursday it would roll out premium seating and do away with its open boarding process. 

Maharishi notes those are significant changes considering Southwest has long been known for all-economy cabins and open seating. Elliott Investment Management, a hedge fund that has built a big stake in Southwest, called for the carrier to change its business model. 

Finally, Barcelona is changing its tourism slogan as part of its strategy to attract tourists interested in the city’s culture and history, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. 

Barcelona’s tourism board is replacing its 15-year-old ‘Visit Barcelona’ with ‘This is Barcelona.’ Mateu Hernández, general director of Turisme de Barcelona, said the change represented a shift from the city’s efforts to promote mass tourism. The new campaign launches on August 22, the first day of the America’s Cup sailing in the city. 

Barcelona’s new strategy comes in the wake of recent large-scale protests against mass tourism. Roughly 3,000 people took to the streets earlier this month to call for a ban on short-term rentals and an end to tourism promotion, among other demands.