Hilton CEO on Balancing the Luxury Push in the Middle East
Hilton's brand development formula is working. Never say never on acquisitions, but Nassetta doesn't want to be distracted by disadvantages inherited from rivals.
Dennis Schaal is Skift’s Founding Editor and Executive Editor. Dennis has been a reporter focusing on online travel and short-term rentals for more than two decades at Skift, Tnooz, USA Today, and Travel Weekly. He is well-known for tough one-on-one interviews on stage at Skift events, including with the CEOs and top execs of Expedia, Uber, Booking Holdings, Priceline, Kayak, Hopper, and more.
Airbnb Tweaks Instant Book Requirements to Reduce Rejection of Black Guests and Newbies
Airbnb's changes undoubtedly won't solve the issue of traveling on "Airbnb while Black," and the company isn't claiming they will. One can hope that there will at least be modest progress with more steps to come.
Property Managers and Hosts Report Lack of Progress in Direct Bookings: Survey
It's clear that vacation rental hosts and property managers crave direct bookings, and many may be making inroads. Still, the marketing power of big brands is tough to compete with.
On the Beach Founder to Step Down as CEO
On the Beach Group CEO Simon Cooper, who founded the UK-based beach holidays online travel agency in 2004, will resign his post within the next 12 months, and Chief Financial…
Airbnb Increases Efforts to Boost Short-Term Rentals in Multifamily Buildings
Building on initiatives that had mixed results in the past, Airbnb is debuting an Airbnb-Friendly Apartments program to enable long-term renters in multifamily buildings where landlords permit it to list…
Airbnb’s Talking Points About Individual Hosts Hit a Reality Check
Airbnb has promoted a tale about the composition of hosts on its platforms, a saga contradicted by AirDNA research. It's time for Airbnb to be more transparent.
Lufthansa Puts Diversity Up Front in World Cup Advertising Campaign
Lufthansa’s primary message, “Diversity Wins,” communicated in such a light-hearted and celebratory tone, quietly asserts the brand’s value of acceptance, and its disagreement with some of Qatar's discriminatory stances.
New EU ID Checks Could See Much Longer Wait Times in 2023
Just when travelers thought that travel disruptions seen earlier this year may be easing, in May 2023 the European Union plans to introduce new fingerprint and biometric checks at external…
Despegar More Upbeat on Latin America Economic Climate Than in U.S. and Europe
Latin American economies frequently seem to be in shambles, but there are positive developments on the inflation front as far as Despegar is concerned.
Oman Tourism Opens the Way for Approved Short-Term Rentals
UnderTheDoormat Group CEO Merilee Karr said her company's new technology and distribution agreement with Visit Oman can be a novel approach to short-term regulation — one where technology can spur…