Travel Industry CEO Interviews

Conversations with travel’s top leaders at hotels, airlines, travel tech companies, tourism boards, and more.

Online Travel

Latin America’s Despegar Opens Travel Agencies to Get Travelers to Book Online

If you work for an online travel agency and suggested it open brick-and-mortar stores to bring customers online, you would get very quizzical looks, at the least. Let's see if it works in Argentina and Brazil for Despegar/Decolar.

Latin America’s Despegar Opens Travel Agencies to Get Travelers to Book Online

Announcements

Video: Expedia’s CEOs and Chairman at Skift Forums

If you want to hear from the travel industry's top leaders, you need to be at Skift Forums and Summits.

Video: Expedia’s CEOs and Chairman at Skift Forums

Airline Weekly

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom joined Edward Russell on stage at the Skift Aviation Forum on November 1. Enjoy their wide-ranging discussion from the year-end holiday outlook to international growth and boosting loyalty revenues.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom

Travel Technology

Uber’s CEO on ‘Delightful’ Products and Smart Career Moves

Uber's CEO sits down with Skift's CEO to talk about the importance of building delightful products, the potential of autonomous vehicles, and the role of career compounding.

Uber’s CEO on ‘Delightful’ Products and Smart Career Moves

Hotels

How Sheila Johnson Shifted From Media Mogul To Hotel Tycoon – Full Video

Sheila Johnson - a billionaire you can empathize with - looks back on her journey to become a luxury hotel chief, and how Salamander is guided by the same principles she has followed across all of her businesses.

How Sheila Johnson Shifted From Media Mogul To Hotel Tycoon – Full Video

Online Travel

Hopper CEO Fred Lalonde: Growth Plans and Defending Fintech – Full Video

The current investment climate no longer values growth at all costs. That's the reality Hopper, the fast-growing online travel and fintech company, faces as it charts a way forward.

Hopper CEO Fred Lalonde: Growth Plans and Defending Fintech – Full Video

Online Travel

Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel: eTraveli Acquisition, Prices — Full Video

Despite his frustration with the European Commission blocking Booking Holdings' deal with the eTraveli Group, Glenn Fogel maintains his company will still build out its flight business. Watch him address that and more during his recent appearance at Skift Global Forum.

Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel: eTraveli Acquisition, Prices — Full Video

Hotels

Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian Links Empathy With Hotel Growth — Full Video

Hyatt's Mark Hoplamazian said fostering human connections will drive the group's growth. But he said the hotel company has learned from digital innovation, such as how his team applies software development techniques to create brands. Fascinating.

Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian Links Empathy With Hotel Growth — Full Video

Online Travel

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: ‘Super Apps,’ AI and Uber Teens — Full Video

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi thinks Uber's next phase of growth will come from scaling and product innovation. Hint: Uber Teens and Uber Freight?

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: ‘Super Apps,’ AI and Uber Teens — Full Video

Hotels

Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta Seeks ‘Even Playing Field’ for Hotel Fees — Full Video

Hilton President and CEO Chris Nassetta said a lot on the Skift Global Forum stage. Most notably, he advocated for U.S. lawmakers to compel third-party distributors to display resort fee and other junk fees upfront on a consumer's first search.

Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta Seeks ‘Even Playing Field’ for Hotel Fees — Full Video