Rashaad Jorden

In Skift's top stories this week, a new report delves into the downsides of remote work, the U.S. implements new travel requirements to combat the Omicron variant, and hotels express concern about how governments might impact their recovery.

Not only did the travel bans force widespread cancellations for South Africans planning to go abroad during the country's summer, but they may also represent the death knell for many tourism businesses that had already been significantly hit hard by the initial blast of Covid.

Supply chain disruptions as well as the easing of capacity constraints on aircraft provided the perfect storm for air cargo to get a major boost in October. But like all others sector of travel, global air cargo's recovery could seriously be threatened by the new Omicron variant.

The winner of the Chilean presidential election needs to make the process of visiting the country much easier for prospective tourists. The fifth largest economy in South America is taking a big hit from the absence of travelers from lucrative source markets like neighboring Argentina.

Tour operators have realized they can't get complacent about guest safety as any possible large-scale Covid outbreak will threaten their bottom line. So expect them to devote more resources to keep their clients safe amidst the rise of the Omicron variant.

In Skift's top stories this week, Bookings Holdings goes on a buying spree, activities booking site Peek receives a major amount of funding, and a hotel CEO sees growth opportunities in smaller cities.

The new Covid variant is an enormous setback for an industry that seemingly can't catch a break, and it kills any chance of a complete recovery soon — especially as 98 percent of destinations worldwide still have some sort of travel restrictions.

Even if some travel agents don't foresee trip-stacking becoming a long-term practice, the ongoing uncertainty about future restrictions and closures may mean they'll have to resort to the tactic longer than they expect.

The large number of Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving is another sign of travel's resurgence but will pose a significant challenge to an aviation industry crippled by staffing shortages. If the airlines — and their thousands of new hires — struggle to cope with the surge of travelers, it could be another blow to industry looking for a quick recovery.

In Skift's top stories this week, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says the airline will beat margin leader Delta Air Lines by improving the passenger experience, Accor executives explain why the hotel giant has struggled to make inroads in the U.S., and American Airlines CEO Doug Parker expresses confidence that business travel will return to pre-pandemic levels.