Selene Brophy

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News Blog

Airbnb Adds Starwood Capital to Apartment-Friendly Rental Program

Starwood Capital Group is the latest real estate investment firm to join Airbnb’s apartment rental listing service. Starwood has joined several other real estate partners in the program, including GoldOller Real Estate Investments, Milhaus, Space Craft, Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC, Equity Residential and UDR Inc. The service launched in November 2023, intended to showcase…

Selene Brophy | 5 months ago

Online Travel

Airbnb’s Rethink On Experiences Again: A Strategic Decision or a Step Back?

Connecting people with host experiences unique to the destinations they visit fits snugly into the Airbnb brand. But the scalability of these experiences is in doubt and the strategy for moving ahead has not been publicly communicated.

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

Airbnb’s Rethink On Experiences Again: A Strategic Decision or a Step Back?

Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb Halts Submissions of New Experiences as Company Refocuses on Core Offerings

Is this "pause" a precursor to something new from Airbnb, or is it a realization that it may not ever become a large enough category for the company?

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

Airbnb Halts Submissions of New Experiences as Company Refocuses on Core Offerings

Tour Operators

The Funding Grind for Black Travel Startup Founders in Africa

Black founders appear to be raising more money with each round, but it’s not nearly enough when it comes to travel tech startups looking to diversify the tourism offering across the African continent.

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

The Funding Grind for Black Travel Startup Founders in Africa

Tourism

Spanish City of Málaga Wants To Be Africa’s Sustainable Tourism Mentor

Creating tourism models for African countries hinged on sustainable cities sounds like a winning bid to host Expo 2027 — especially if it leads to the event being hosted in Africa eventually. It's the only continent yet to host one.

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

Spanish City of Málaga Wants To Be Africa’s Sustainable Tourism Mentor

Tourism

African Tourism Businesses Look to Bridge the Diversity Gap in Luxury

Reconsidering luxury in the context of experiences across African destinations is about so much more than just a wildlife safari.

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

African Tourism Businesses Look to Bridge the Diversity Gap in Luxury

Tour Operators

Peru’s Machu Picchu Solution: Tour Operators Developing New Trekking Region

With over 25,000 miles of Inca Main Road to explore, alternative routes to the world-famous Machu Picchu Inca citadel trek are being scouted. And it's long overdue.

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

Peru’s Machu Picchu Solution: Tour Operators Developing New Trekking Region

Tour Operators

James Bond Films Drive Tourism Growth to Iconic Film Locations

The desire for unique, all-access travel experiences continues to come into its own, with movies and TV shows offering an unending source of creativity for travel companies — with the right collaborations sifting the exceptional from the average.

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

James Bond Films Drive Tourism Growth to Iconic Film Locations

Tour Operators

TUI Eyes Luxury Hospitality Growth With New and Relaunched Hotel Brands

TUI's ability to move beyond its safe middle-market playground through an expanded luxury offering came under the spotlight at the Skift Future of Lodging Forum. Ultimately, a brand's market share is way more than customer segments — it's really rooted in experience and value.

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

TUI Eyes Luxury Hospitality Growth With New and Relaunched Hotel Brands

Tour Operators

Southeast Asia’s Fragmented Tours Sector Gets Long-Awaited Tech Upgrade

Southeast Asia, known for its tech-savvy, mobile first consumers, has an experiences sector that is 80 percent offline, presenting widespread opportunities for the region's tours and activities landscape to become digitized. Stat.

Selene Brophy | 6 months ago

Southeast Asia’s Fragmented Tours Sector Gets Long-Awaited Tech Upgrade