Coronavirus and Travel

As Covid-19 recovery continues, hotels must turn their attention back to a concern that’s been growing for years and promises to accelerate rapidly as guests come flooding back: rising cancelations.

Big, global hotel companies weren’t exactly pandemic success stories. However, they still want to market the notion there is more value in a global network than going it alone as an independent operator. Getting left out of the expected summer travel boom is what it will take for smaller operators to accept that logic.

Airlines have renewed their push for a UK-U.S. travel corridor following both countries' largely successful vaccination campaigns. But their arguments have fallen on seemingly deaf ears so far, raising doubts as to whether this latest push will make any difference.

A destination resilience assessment survey for U.S. tourism boards is launching this summer — just as visitors return and as tourism leaders continue to examine how they can build back stronger before the next crisis hits.

Blackstone and Starwood Capital's extra $180 million sweetens the pot for the planned Extended Stay America takeover, but this is no done deal. There is still a very loud opposing group of shareholders that could sway the vote this week.

In Skift's top travel stories this week, we covered Marriott's arrival in Sandals' all-inclusive sandbox, travel manager fears over consolidation, and a startup deal on hotel automation.

Hotel owners have to boost wages above pre-pandemic trend lines if they want to claw former workers back from outside industries. Until that happens, expect a lot of overworked and overwhelmed staffers doing well above the requirements of a typical hotel job.

The surprising rise in consumer spending during the pandemic spurred a competition for goods and shipping containers among all industries. That's a long-term problem for hotels, especially with an expected increase in renovations around the corner that will require even more deliveries from overseas.

Even if Sandals Resorts isn't worried about major hotel brands like Marriott entering the all-inclusive space, more hospitality giants are likely to swoop in and start scouring the market for franchise deals. There is too much unbranded supply to ignore.

It's a stark update from the United Nations' tourism arm on the projected delayed return of international tourism — but it's also up to governments in wealthier nations to turn that tide and speed up recovery through global vaccine equity.