Coronavirus and Travel

It’s a little early to call this a rebound, but Accor finally has some wind in its sails as far as recovery numbers go. Now it just needs to hold onto some level of the momentum heading into the fall.

Construction cranes for hotels haven’t been called off to the level as some hotel industry analysts would have you believe. It can take years to build a new hotel, and those breaking ground now will open just in time for the pandemic to be in the rearview mirror.

National Parks are being "loved to death" and solutions are urgently needed to manage, disperse, and educate crowds while increasing access for all.

Finally a decision that gives England a chance to catch up with its neighbors, but all eyes will be on the U.S. now to see if it's ready to meet Europe halfway. The corridor is well overdue.

The competition is brutal when it comes to making new brand deals in a downturn. Smaller companies have to be nimble and appeal in franchise negotiations with lower-cost terms to win out against the global giants.

Even those companies that expanded during the crisis are rethinking their travel programs, reinforcing the resilience of virtual meetings for 2022 and beyond.

Major hotel companies are massive enough. Mergers and acquisitions departments need to think more about smaller, strategic deals rather than mega-takeovers that take tens of billions of dollars and years to integrate companies.

Profitability is possible, but there won’t be massive financial windfalls to report this week. Investors will still expect at least some sign the leisure-led recovery is benefitting these global hotel companies — especially amid the rise of new variants.

Lotte may not be a household name in North American hospitality, but it could quickly become one thanks to hotel owners coming out of the pandemic looking for lower branding costs than what the likes of Marriott or Hilton demand.

Remote work is starting to trigger more sweeping changes within companies, while some people are even questioning the very concept of the vacation. It's time to move the conversation along.