Biz Travel Merger Challenge, Belmond’s Anti-Insta Videos and Spain’s Holiday Rental Taxes

Skift Daily Briefing Podcast

Listen to the day’s top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, January 14, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

American Express Global Business Travel pushed back on a recently filed U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit to block its proposed $570 million purchase of CWT – which comes just 10 days before a change in presidential administrations, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  

Amex GBT said in a statement that the Biden administration didn’t need to weigh on the deal, which was slated to close in March. The deal would see the merger of the world’s two largest travel management companies.

The deal would be Amex GBT’s fifth acquisition of a competitor since 2018. The DOJ argued it would lead to higher prices for consumers, provide them with reduced choices, and stifle innovation. 

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Next, ultra-luxury hotel brand Belmond is sharing hour-long videos with minimal action, part of its plan to stand out from rivals, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.

Belmond has launched “Long Shots,” a series of ambient videos showcasing its properties worldwide. O’Neill writes those videos feature views of travel destinations without a plot or a narrator. Arnaud Champenois, Belmond’s head of marketing, said the company wants guests to discover not only a new property, but a new pace of travel.  

Belmond’s campaign comes as most hospitality brands are vying for attention with short social media clips. 

Finally, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced plans on Monday to raise taxes on holiday rentals, according to Reuters, reports Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden. 

Sanchez said he wants holiday rentals to pay taxes “like a business,” adding it’s unfair that people owning multiple short-term rentals have a lower tax burden than hotels. The prime minister said the measure would be based on a new European Union directive on value-added tax for digital platforms. 

Sanchez’s announcement comes as officials around Spain are increasingly cracking down on short-term rentals, with the industry being blamed for soaring rents and housing shortages around the country.