Skift Live Coverage

The gloom-and-doom narrative that mainstream news loves to associate with Africa is no reflection on its tourism future — if its travel industry seizes the chance to innovate post pandemic.

As Asia faces an extended pandemic and uneven reopenings, what is the travel industry doing to face these challenges? Join us as we learn about new strategies, opportunities, and innovation in the APAC region.

It's hip now to be bearish on international travel's long-term trajectory. But Parag Khanna has fascinating insights into why the travel industry is central to a new, more mobile phase of history.

Peter Kern is correct that Expedia Group currently offers broader travel services than do Airbnb and Booking Holdings, but whether Expedia can gain ground on its rivals and can execute on its strategy are entirely different questions.

Accor has plenty of opportunities to transform itself into more of a lifestyle brand, but every one of its competitors is playing this strategy to some degree. Finding a way to stand out is easier said than done.

Business school students can probably debate this question endlessly and there would be merit in either position: Should smaller companies copy their larger rivals or vice versa? In the Google era, marketing power often wins the day — but differentiation still counts.

For Visit Florida, the pandemic was a golden opportunity to boost its domestic market share while competitors remained restricted. And it worked — Florida's visitor numbers are on track for a record breaking year.

How can the tourism industry strengthen its relationship with communities? Simple: it needs to embrace the fact that it's the communities who invite stakeholders in, and who give them a seat at the table, not the other way around.

Going for organic growth by tapping into already thriving sectors and industries at a community level, and aligning with government projects, are just two ways cities can plan better events and speed up their economic recovery.

Destination marketing organizations faced the ultimate agility test during the pandemic, with funding sources tied to hotel taxes stripped. It is a wake-up call to diversify finances and strategy to have some level of resilience for the next crisis.