Rafat Ali

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News Blog

Short Term Rental Companies Rush to Fill in Airbnb’s China Void

After Airbnb decided to exit the local Chinese market, local players are rushing in: Tujia, Meituan, Muniao, Fliggy and Xiaozhu are large local Chinese online travel and short-term rental players that are reaching out to the local Airbnb hosts to migrate them to their respective platforms, according to this report. Tujia has set up a special…

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

News Blog

G Adventures Hasn’t Yet Used Certares Investment Money; Closing In On Acquisitions Now

G Adventures, the small group tour operator hasn't yet used any of the large amount of money it received in early 2021 from travel-focused private equity firm Certares, CEO Bruce Poon Tip admitted in an interview with Phocuswire. When Skift first broke the news about this investment in early Feb 2021, the company said at…

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

News Blog

Venice Postpones Tourist Entry Fee Until 2023

At the very last minute before it was supposed to be implemented, Venice has postponed its trialling of entry fee for tourists until next year. Earlier I April it had announced that is was going to experiment with the fee to ease over tourism and crowding in its main areas. As visitor numbers returned to…

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

Business Travel

Chase to Launch Consumer Travel Portal; Claims Top 5 U.S. Travel Provider With $8 Billion in Sales

Chase is doubling down on travel as an aspirational commerce category for its customers, with giant numbers to back up its ambitions. Expect some more travel M&A by these banks.

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

Chase to Launch Consumer Travel Portal; Claims Top 5 U.S. Travel Provider With $8 Billion in Sales

Skift Originals

In These Surreal Times, Should Travel Push for Growth or Push on Brakes?

How do we navigate these strange recessionary times, even as we are overwhelmed with demand for a blockbuster year so far and a summer travel crush coming?

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

In These Surreal Times, Should Travel Push for Growth or Push on Brakes?

News Blog

Saudi Fund in Talks to Buy Seabourn Ultra-Luxury Cruise Line: Report

That's according to a report in CNBC: in a very interesting move symptomatic of Saudi's super-sized ambitions in the travel sector, Carnival cruises is in early talks to sell its Seabourn ultra-luxury cruise brand to the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. Unclear so far if this is full sale of cruise line, or part-investment into Carnival.…

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

News Blog

Japan & U.S. Top Resilient Tourism Economies Even Through Pandemic Challenges: New Data From WEF

The World Economic Forum is back with its travel competitiveness research, rebranded now as Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021, with a new focus on resiliency and sustainable future, as is to be expected in this post-pandemic ever-present climate emergency world. As to be expected,  high-income economies and countries in the Europe and Eurasia (Europe)…

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

News Blog

Branded Residences Emerging As Large Licensing Opportunity for Hotel Brands: Bernstein Analysis

In an analysis of non-hotel room licensing opportunity for hotel brand, Bernstein Research wrote in a report this week that branded residences are proving to be a bigger opportunity for the likes of Marriott, Accor and IHG. Luxury dominates the branded residence market with the top brands being Four Season, RitzCarlton, and St Regis. Accor's…

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

News Blog

Only Two Travel Brands Feature in U.S. Top 100 Most Visible Brands List

According to new rankings from the Axios/Harris Poll 100, an annual survey to gauge the reputations of the 100 most visible brands in United States, Delta and Spirit are the only travel pureplays featured in the list. The survey this year focused on how the social issues companies are increasingly leaving into affect their reputation. For…

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago

News Blog

U.S. to Increase Inbound Traveler Fee, Gain Additional $100 Million in Annual Revenues

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has raised its inbound traveler fee, called ESTA fee, from current $10 to $17 per passenger and extended to 2027. according to a notice in the Federal Register. ESTA is the online system through which nonimmigrant visitors intending to enter U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program at air or…

Rafat Ali | 2 years ago