All Sectors

Airlines

Indian Billionaire Backer of Tata and Startup Akasa Air Dies

India has lost a legendary, bold risk-taker in Rakesh Jhunjhunwala whose latest entrepreneurial hunch was starting an airline in an already crowded market.

Rupam Jain and M. Sriram in Mumbai, and Mrinmay Dey, Reuters | 15 hours ago

Airlines

JetBlue-Spirit’s Next Battle and Other Top Stories This Week

In Skift's top stories this week, JetBlue prepares for a fight in its bid to acquire Spirit, Graduate Hotels targets college football fans, and destinations see significant benefits in attracting digital nomads.

Sonia Menken | 2 days ago

Airlines

American Cancels the Most Flights of U.S. Carriers So Far This Year

Even if flight disruptions decrease in the fall, airlines will continue to be battered because the main factors behind their brutal year aren't going away soon.

Nathan Gomes and Abhijith Ganapavaram, Reuters | 2 days ago

Business Travel

Selina Looks to Bring 4 Million Freelancers Into Its Remote Working Fold

This new partnership with well-known freelancing platform Fiverr is yet another sign of the ongoing blending of travel and work.

Matthew Parsons | 3 days ago

Business Travel

Amex GBT Stays Patient on China to Recoup Missing Revenue

There's still some way to go for the world's biggest corporate travel agency. Recovery is in its sights, and clinching JP Morgan is a major win, but as we've seen so far in 2022, a lot can happen over the next six months, with high hopes on China.

Matthew Parsons | 3 days ago

Business Travel

Taiwan Tensions Could Drive Up Travel Costs Significantly, CWT Warns

Geopolitical uncertainties are singled out in the latest Global Business Travel Forecast, which underscores the volatility the corporate travel industry is experiencing, and perhaps the pointlessness of trying to predict prices in the first place.

Matthew Parsons | 5 days ago

Coronavirus

Chinese Tourist Hotspot’s Covid Lockdown Strands 80,000 Travelers

The lockdown in the resort city Sanya could be a permanent blow to its tourism industry. Stranded tourists are threatening not to return due to the city government's chaotic handling of the crisis.

Martin Quin Pollard and Eduardo Baptista, Reuters | 1 week ago

Coronavirus

Covid-19 Is Giving Students Pause in Deciding to Study Abroad

Although Covid-19 restrictions have eased up since 2020, current undergraduate students are still ambivalent to pack up, move to a new country, and study abroad.

Sonia Menken | 2 weeks ago

Coronavirus

Air Travel Woes Put a Drag on Recovery: New Travel Health Index

The Skift Travel Health Index dropped for the first time in 2022, as the mess at airports and airlines is catching up with the industry.

Wouter Geerts | 4 weeks ago

Cruises

Royal Caribbean’s Rebound Continues as Passengers Splurge on the Extras

Royal Caribbean's prediction that inflation wouldn't be an obstacle to its rebound has proven right so far. With the recent end of the CDC's cruise ship Covid tracker, the future looks much brighter for Royal Caribbean's rebound after a rough two years.

Praveen Paramasivam and Doyinsola Oladipo, Reuters | 2 weeks ago

Cruises

U.S. Cruise Lines Recovery Threatened by Worsening Labor Shortage

Cruise lines have faced one hurdle after another in their quest to make a full recovery. But the labor shortage just might be the most difficult to overcome because there's no end in sight.

Praveen Paramasivam, Reuters | 4 weeks ago

Cruises

Why Cruise Line CEOs Made More in 2021

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at cruise line CEO pay, safari tourism in Tanzania, and Marriott and Expedia’s attempt to limit some discount rates.

Rashaad Jorden | 1 month ago

Hotels

Bangkok and Jakarta to Add 50 Luxury Hotels by 2027

Bangkok and Jakarta are in the running to become significant cities in Asia Pacific for holding conferences and events. Also in this week's news: data on the recovery in hotel and corporate travel demand in key markets, and more.

Sean O'Neill | 3 days ago

Hotels

Hotels Redesign for Family Needs by Building More Spacious Suites

Bigger rooms and kid-friendly accommodations yield longer stays — but come at a higher cost for those booking them, and for hotel operations teams.

Carley Thornell, Skift | 3 days ago

Hotels

Hyatt to Use More Automation When Setting Hotel Room Rates

Hyatt's move to change its revenue management software foreshadows a broader trend. Expect more hotel companies to embrace automation while looking at a bigger picture than just the supply and demand of rooms.

Sean O'Neill | 4 days ago

Skift Meetings

The Challenges of Systemizing Event Planning

This episode features Jennifer Brisman, founder and CEO at VOW in a conversation about making technology work for event management.

3 days ago

Skift Meetings

Spiraling Event Costs Won’t Level Off Until 2024: New Report 

Event planners have been struggling with rising costs, and there is no sign of this improving until 2024, according to the latest Global Business Travel Forecast.

4 days ago

Skift Meetings

What Event Planners Need to Know About Monkeypox

The monkeypox outbreak is now a national health emergency. Here's what event planners need to know.

5 days ago

Mergers and Acquisitions

Heathrow Owner Ferrovial Eyes Sale of Its 25 Percent Stake in Airport

Reportedly unhappy with the airport's passenger caps, this could mark the end of a 16-year investment relationship.

Isla Binnie, Reuters | 5 days ago

Airlines

The JetBlue-Spirit Airline Union: Let the Lawyering Begin

JetBlue has the takeover deal it wanted. But before getting control of its rival Spirit, Washington will need to give its green light. Here are the ways this could unfold.

Jay Shabat, Skift | 7 days ago

Airlines

Spirit Rejects Frontier and Continues JetBlue Talks

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at the latest in Spirit’s takeover, Colombia’s tourism revamp, and Wyndham’s revenue strategy.

Rashaad Jorden | 3 weeks ago

Online Travel

Trivago Considers Adding Free Links Like Google Did

You can expect to see wider adoption of the free links in metasearch that Google started in 2021. More hotels means more site visitors, and eventually revenue.

Dennis Schaal | 4 days ago

Online Travel

What Separated Airbnb From Online Travel Rivals in 2nd Quarter – in One Chart

Airbnb leads the pack by far in its recovery from pre-pandemic 2019. But will that disparity diminish once the recovery of cities, and long-haul travel accelerates?

Dennis Schaal | 5 days ago

Online Travel

New Tripadvisor CEO Emphasizes Using Data Better in First Earnings Call

Tripadvisor lags rivals Airbnb, Booking and Expedia in its pandemic recovery, but expects to surpass 2019 revenue in the next few months.

Dennis Schaal | 1 week ago

Overtourism

The Business Advantage of Sustainability in the Travel Industry

Jose Marmolejos | 1 month ago

Overtourism

Daily Podcast: Barcelona’s Overtourism Balancing Act

Good morning from Skift. It's Monday, June 27 in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Rashaad Jorden | 2 months ago

Overtourism

Barcelona Looks for Balance When Welcoming Post-Covid Tourism

Barcelona is trying to avoid limiting the growth of its tourism industry, yet again, balancing an economic reboot and residents’ needs. Failure might turn it into fresh territory for moving ahead with stricter policies as it looks to put its overtourism past behind it.

Paula Krizanovic, Skift | 2 months ago

Airline Weekly

New Star Alliance-Deutsche Bahn Partnership May Face Hurdles Shifting Flyers to Trains

The airline industry is increasingly looking at non-flight options to get travelers to their destination. But a new partnership between Star Alliance and Deutsche Bahn appears more lip service than a serious push to get flyers onto trains.

1 month ago

Rail

Brightline Aims to Carry Holiday Travelers to Orlando by Christmas

Brightline backer Fortress Investment is confident that trains will begin rolling, but maybe without passengers, to Orlando in time for the Christmas holidays.

Edward Russell | 2 months ago

Rail

Germany’s Good Intentions of a 9-Euro Discount Transit Pass May Just Backfire

Germany wants more people to ride trains and buses this summer with a nine-euro pass. But a surge in riders may hit the physical limits of the country's transport infrastructure.

Edward Russell | 2 months ago

Rental Cars

Hertz Struggles in Corporate Travel But Is Encouraged by ‘Short-Burst’ Trip Trend

The impact of the strict and extended inbound Covid testing policy in the U.S. shouldn't be underestimated, especially when it comes to larger business customers. The ripple effect is evident in Hertz's latest results.

Matthew Parsons | 2 weeks ago

Rental Cars

New Hertz CEO Will Be Ex-Goldman Sachs Finance Chief Stephen Scherr

Hertz's next CEO has his work cut out for him in remaking the company. The car rental firm's transformation plan sounds good on paper, but it will be up to Stephen Scherr to turn vision into reality.

Dennis Schaal | 6 months ago

Rental Cars

Turo’s Road to Carshare Profitability Seems Endless

If carsharing platform Turo can't make a profit in a red-hot rental car market like 2021, when will it?

Sean O'Neill | 7 months ago

Short-Term Rentals

Sonder Announces a Stock Option Exchange Plan to Retain Employees

How would you like to be a Sonder exec boasting that your free cash flow margin improved from negative 127 percent a year ago to negative 37 percent in the second quarter? Well, that's one measure of progress.

Dennis Schaal | 3 days ago

Short-Term Rentals

Analysis: Vacasa Has a Growth Story Neatly Tailored to Wall Street Sensibilities

Vacasa is adding homes to manage in 2022 at half the pace of 2021 in the name of profitability. Without the big mergers and acquisitions of years past, Vacasa is pressuring its sales force to get more productive or hit the road.

Dennis Schaal | 3 days ago

Hotels

Global Accommodation Sector Market Estimates 2022: New Skift Research

The global accommodation sector is witnessing a fast-paced recovery with 2022 revenue levels not far from reaching pre-pandemic levels. A closer look into the industry performance shows interesting variations in the pace of recovery as we review regions and sub-sectors.

Varsha Arora, Skift Research | 5 days ago

Hotels

6 Lessons for Building Robust Travel Subscription Models: New Skift Research

Subscriptions are ubiquitous in nearly every industry other than travel. Why the disconnect? The time is right for building paid travel subscriptions, powered by shifts in traveler priorities and work-life flexibility. Learn how to build travel memberships by analyzing three innovative case studies in this latest research report.

Seth Borko, Skift Research | 1 month ago

Startups

Borrow a Boat Raises $3.6 Million for Yacht-Rental Service: Travel Startup Funding This Week

In a quiet week for travel tech fundraising, highlights include a 3 million pound crowdfunding for a service that lets consumers rent a yacht to feel like, well, a yacht owner. Slowing venture capital returns may be a caution flag for deals later this year.

Tim Mullaney, Skift | 1 month ago

Startups

A Big Bet on ‘Mystery Vacations’: Travel Startup Funding This Week

A London startup is betting that travelers will take mystery vacations, learning their destinations at the airport. A Czech travel agency raises $100 million for expansion. And other venture capital and funding news this week.

Skift | 2 months ago

Tour Operators

Tour Operators’ Inflation Problem

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at inflation in the tours space, TUI’s DIY focus, and South Korean temple tourism.

Rashaad Jorden | 4 days ago

Tour Operators

How Long Can Tour Operators Absorb Costs Vs. Prolonged Inflation?

Tour operators believe inflation isn't slowing down travel demand. But they're fighting hard to ensure their sector's recovery won't take a hit if they can't avoid passing on rising costs to consumers with limited travel budgets.

Rashaad Jorden | 4 days ago

Tour Operators

Why Tour Operators Are Emerging as Travel’s Most Vocal Leaders for Sustainability

The global focus on sustainability will be the catalyst for the asset light and human-focused tour operator sector going mainstream.

Tony Carne, Skift | 4 weeks ago

Tourism

Thailand’s Tourist Influx Gives Its Economy a Much Needed Boost

The country welcomed a million foreign tourists in July, which is some 230,000 more than the previous month. But longer term the government is keeping its eye on the China market.

Anant Chandak, Reuters | 2 days ago

Tourism

Indonesia’s Huge Price Hike for Komodo Park Exposes Tourism Dilemmas for a New Era

Indonesia is taking a more locals-first and sustainable approach to tourism. Implementing that approach will be sabotaged if the government doesn't absorb input from local industry stakeholders.

Dawit Habtemariam | 3 days ago

Tourism

How Slovenia’s Pioneering Certification for Green Travel Is Coming Up Short

Slovenia has demonstrated how a country can develop its tourism industry sustainably, but it doesn’t solve the persistent problem of slow hotel action. Without getting hotels on board, the capacity to tackle urgent sustainability issues like climate change will remain formidable.

Dawit Habtemariam | 4 days ago

Online Travel

Bookaway Acquires Argentinian Company to Speed Up Digitizing Ground Transport Bookings

Bookaway Group has acquired one of the most widely used transport management systems in Latin America, which will offer customers a whole new level of ease when arranging travel plans.

Sonia Menken | 4 weeks ago

Tour Operators

U.S. National Parks Reservation Requirements May Deter Global Tourists

Limited booking windows for American national parks made sense amid the surging number of domestic visitors. With the resumption of international travel, the customer base has now changed. U.S. national parks may have to rethink their new reservation systems moving forward.

Dawit Habtemariam | 1 month ago

Travel Booking

Daily Podcast: Hopper’s Hotel Fintech Treat

Good morning from Skift. It's Wednesday, June 8, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Rashaad Jorden | 2 months ago

Hotels

Hyatt to Use More Automation When Setting Hotel Room Rates

Hyatt's move to change its revenue management software foreshadows a broader trend. Expect more hotel companies to embrace automation while looking at a bigger picture than just the supply and demand of rooms.

Sean O'Neill | 4 days ago

Business Travel

Sabre Blames Airline Delays for Losses

After a strong first quarter, the technology company has been snagged by the operational issues that plagued airlines and airports in June. It was all going so well, too.

Matthew Parsons | 2 weeks ago

Travel Technology

Amadeus Sees Travel Tech Profit Soar on a Rebound

The travel industry has 99 problems, but travel demand ain't one.

Sean O'Neill | 2 weeks ago

Venture Capital

Data Firm Journera Raises Another $10 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Closely watched travel-data startup Journera raises another $10 million from big-name venture firms — and claims it can be profitable by next year. In a very different deal, an Alaskan airline is raising money online to fund expansion to Asia. Will it work? Since no major airline has tried it, it's hard to say.

Skift | 2 months ago

Startups

Swiss Travel Startup Chain4Travel Raises $4.5 Million for Blockchain: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Chain4Travel raised money to promote blockchain-based travel sales, but the track record of success is short and the technology's comparative advantage over what travel agencies use now remains to be proven.

Skift | 3 months ago

Startups

Why European Investing Giant Kinnevik Is Betting on Travel Startups

Even though Kinnevik is Europe's largest publicly listed startup investor, it has only recently begun to take stakes in travel startups. What it looks for in companies tells a broader story of how investors generally view the sector.

Sean O'Neill | 3 months ago