Coronavirus and Travel

Every company goes through growing pains, but Airbnb can't forget what initially drew so many travelers away from hotels and into the short-term rental sector.

While many businesses are sticking to holding meetings via video conferencing during the pandemic, Abdol Moabery thinks the key is meeting the clients in-person and being socially responsible while traveling. A lot of executives feel the same way but haven't actually acted on it, just yet.

The U.S. hotel sector continues to add jobs since its worst-performing month of April, but there are likely a rough few months ahead for unemployment until a vaccine is in widespread distribution.

Marriott still sees Homes & Villas as a small part of its entire business. But the platform grew by eight times its launch size in less than two years and added 4,000 listings just since October — a rare hotel industry silver lining for 2020.

Airbnb likely isn't shaking in its boots over Accor ramping up short-term rental offerings. If anything, it shows hotel companies increasingly recognize travelers expect brands to offer more variety than the four walls of a typical hotel room.

The hotel industry should have reason to celebrate no matter what kind of economic relief Congress passes — but passage won’t come easy if Senator McConnell is willing to ignore even the bipartisan bill announced this week.

The lack of clarity surrounding EU-UK travel regulations in 2021 is causing concern among European Union destinations as well as tourism service providers. But the biggest deterrent to consumer confidence could be the continued lack of consensus on travel health protocols.

As airlines continue to plan their rebound strategies from the global coronavirus pandemic, the legendary Gordon Bethune, an expert in turning things around, sees a difficult yet promising future ahead for airplanes and commercial travel.

Marriott leaders like some aspects of the short-term rental business, but that doesn’t mean they want to go all Airbnb and start renting out your spare bedroom.