Articles tagged “vacation rentals”

Expedia Group stepped out of the pack and ceased offering travel to and from Russia because of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The company doesn't have a ton of Russia-related business, so even if the move is more symbolic than anything else, it is an important statement.

Fractional ownership isn't to be confused with the longstanding concept of timeshare. Still, ready for the sales pitch?

Skift has long pointed out that the lines are blurring among formerly separate categories in hospitality. The move to hybrid, or blended hospitality, has only sped up lately, as this latest merger highlights.

How things change: Expedia said its sale of Egencia won't have a major impact on operations or financials, although in years' past the company touted Egencia as a rising star. In 2018, Egencia was its own Expedia reporting segment and accounted for 8 percent of gross bookings.

Nothing underscores how mainstream vacation rentals have become as seeing institutional investors get in on the action.

Unlike Airbnb and Vrbo, which have struggled at times to attract ample numbers of hosts to meet demand, Inspirato and its subscription model play in a more focused space. Although there is plenty of competition, there are tons of potential home leases to lay siege for around the world where the monied set want to jet and play.

Don't get us wrong: Expedia, Vrbo and Booking.com will all get mileage out of their in-game or pre-game Super Bowl ads. But they lack breakthrough potential.

Hopper has been making a go of things with varied degrees of success for 15 years and the company is now finding its stride. Being a private company has its allures, but you can bet that Hopper executives would jump at the right deal. Who wouldn't?

Good morning from Skift. It's Wednesday, January 26, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Short-term rental owners in locked-down countries undoubtably suffered or went out of business in 2021. But for many owners in the U.S., it was the best of times, and their revenue soared. One wakeup call — there may not be an adequate number of listings to meet demand.