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On Experience

Colin Nagy, a marketing strategist, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality and business travel. On Experience dissects customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. He also covers the convergence of conservation and hospitality.

Hotels

The Biggest Innovators in Travel and Hospitality: 2022 Year-End Edition

We're back with another installment of inspiration in hotels and hospitality. Female-led luxury seemed to be a common theme this year, alongside those maintaining standards, leading teams, and executing on subtle touches for the people who notice. Here are a few brands, ideas, and services that deserved a hat tip in 2022.

Colin Nagy | 2 years ago

Tourism

Qatar’s World Cup Prep and the Quest for a Lasting Tourism Experience

Qatar has made strides since my last visit a year ago, with more of a cultural pulse, less friction for guests as large-scale hospitality and infrastructure projects come online ahead of the World Cup. Officials are hoping once the players leave the pitch for a final time in December Qatar will have earned its credentials as a lasting tourism fixture in the region.

Colin Nagy | 2 years ago

Hotels

What Potato Head’s Founder Couldn’t Tell Me in 25 Minutes On Stage

Ronald Akili, founder of Potato Head, barely scratched the surface of his work when he joined us on stage at Skift Global Forum. So we explore some of the other design and sustainability initiatives happening in Bali here.

Colin Nagy | 2 years ago

Hotels

25hours Hotel Seeks to Carve Out a Cultural Soul in Dubai’s Financial Hub

It's not always apparent in the hyper-luxury narrative, but Dubai has a growing creative class. And 25hours is catering to it with a lobby and hotel that feels like a heartbeat in the middle of a financial district in the city. They are first movers for a coming flood of more lifestyle brands seeking a footprint in the city.

Colin Nagy | 2 years ago

Hotels

The Biggest Innovators in Travel and Hospitality: Summer Edition

The distance between very good and superb is actually quite far and it requires motivated teams, attention to detail, and above all creativity to break out of commodity service delivery. Here are a few brands, ideas, and services that deserve a tip of the hat.

Colin Nagy | 2 years ago

Airlines

Can Air France Make a Business of Leaning Into Elegance?

Air France is looking to move upmarket and leaning into elegance with their new ad spots. Coupled with product improvements and a world that is opening up, this is not a bad strategy.

Colin Nagy | 2 years ago

Hotels

Luxury Hospitality Is Losing Its Mystique

You might not have noticed, but luxury hospitality is in the middle of a major reboot. Old, storied reputations mean nothing anymore if today's service is lost. The market is a blank slate where all relationships, preferences, and loyalty need to be re-examined and rebuilt by luxury travelers. Brands have to re-think their value propositions.

Colin Nagy | 2 years ago

Hotels

Pendry Wants to Blur the Lines Between Boutique and Luxury in Hotels

Pendry has built an interesting boutique-feeling brand on top of actual luxury knowledge and operations. The result is something differentiated in the market and worth keeping an eye on.

Colin Nagy, Skift | 2 years ago

Hotels

Biggest Innovators in Travel and Hospitality: The Return to Travel Edition

This column has always celebrated the innovators and those who elevate hospitality to new levels. This year, I made it a point to try a lot of new things and break out of my normal patterns. Here are the great products, places, and people that I have found to be exceptional.

Colin Nagy | 3 years ago

Tourism

Why the African Travel Ban Is Misguided

The African travel ban is rooted in media alarmism and politics, not science. And it will have disastrous consequences for a continent that has already been beaten down by Covid. Here's why it is just plain wrong.

Colin Nagy | 3 years ago