Episode Notes Hotel giants like Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton have unveiled plans in recent weeks to open extended-stay brands. They’re betting the segment will continue to grow in popularity in years to come, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano said in a recent earnings call that his company would be launching an extended-stay product in the near future. Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta said it would debut an extended-stay brand soon while Hyatt unveiled a new br...
May 15, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Google Travel eliminated the feature that allowed Gmail users to view summaries of their past, present and future trips on google.com/travel, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. A Google spokesperson said the tech giant decided to scrap the free feature in Google Travel because it didn’t attract enough users to justify the resources required to maintain or further develop it. However, the list of travelers’ past and future trips will still appear on Google calendar. Schaal writ...
May 12, 2023•3 min
Episode Notes People who want knowledge about the travel industry on Wednesday got a valuable new resource to obtain critical information. Skift unveiled Ask Skift, an artificial intelligence chatbot that will answer your questions focused on the travel sector, says Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali. Ali writes that a user can ask questions on Skift’s website such as “How is Airbnb planning to leverage AI?” or “Who is IHG’s CEO?” Ask Skift has been trained on the entirety of Skift archives over th...
May 11, 2023•3 min
Episode Notes Uber is gradually beefing up its travel portfolio. The company has entered into a partnership with online travel agency Hopper that provides its UK-based users the opportunity to book flights and buy fintech products, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Schaal notes that Uber is introducing the flight booking feature to a small percentage of its UK users in mid-May while planning a full rollout by this summer. In addition, several Hopper services, including the ability to cance...
May 10, 2023•3 min
Episode Notes For today’s special episode, Skift senior media producer Jose Marmolejos is joined by Skift Global tourism reporter Dawit Habtemariam to talk about his article that was published on Skift about tourism boards and influencers. Now in other Skift News, Asia editor Peter Bhutto . Travel Marketplace Skyscanner found that eight of the world’s top ten trending destinations for travelers are located in Asia. Now in other Skift News, Asia editor Peden Bhutia, reports that Asia’s tourism in...
May 09, 2023•8 min
Episode Notes Social media influencers have become more powerful in marketing in recent years, with a growing number of companies looking to tap into their sometimes-enormous reach. That list includes destination marketing organizations, or tourism boards, that are developing more sophisticated marketing strategies for influencers as part of their plans to attract tourists, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Habtemariam writes what influencers say about travel can have more clout ...
May 08, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Travel technology vendor Sabre is the latest major company in the tech industry to shed staff. Sabre announced on Thursday it’s cutting around 1,000 jobs, 15 percent of its workforce, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Dawes reports Sabre’s move is part of an effort to save $200 million annually and help improve its business operations. Chief Financial Officer Mike Randolfi said most of the job cuts will occur before the end of the second quarter. Sabre reported that i...
May 05, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Airbnb is on the cusp of an artificial intelligence-driven revolution, with the technology poised to radically transform the company’s operations, it says. So what might change at the short-term rental giant by next year? CEO Brian Chesky explains Airbnb’s plans in an interview with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali. Despite recently unveiling a series of launches yesterday at its annual May product update event, Ali writes Airbnb hasn’t yet announced exactly how it plans to use AI. ...
May 04, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes International travelers will soon no longer need proof of vaccination to enter the U.S. The White House announced this week the vaccine requirement for inbound international flyers will end on May 11, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. The Biden administration cited the decrease in Covid cases and hospitalizations as a reason for its decision. Habtemariam notes the White House had implemented the vaccine requirements to help slow the spread of the virus. U.S. travel ...
May 03, 2023•4 min
EPISODE NOTES Marriott International has announced plans to disclose its resort fees in its total prices by May 15. That’s the result of a settlement with the State of Pennsylvania requiring the company to include those charges in upfront total prices, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Many travelers express outrage when hotels such as Marriott charge them resort fees at the lobby front desk that are separate from the room rate. Travelers sometimes consider them gotcha fees. O’Neil...
May 02, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Hyatt wants to improve its position in the luxury sector. The company announced plans on Friday to acquire UK boutique hotel booking site Mr & Mrs Smith for about $66 million, reports Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons. Parsons writes the deal could double the number of boutique and luxury properties that Hyatt offers. In addition, Hyatt Chief Commercial Officer Mark Vondrasek said the company would be able to introduce its World of Hyatt loyalty program to a wider audienc...
May 01, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes American Airlines has seen the rise in blended travel upend its business. Not only are travelers who combine work and leisure trips driving changes in its strategy, the segment is also emerging as one of the company’s most lucrative areas, reports Edward Russell, editor of Airline Weekly, a Skift publication. American said during its first-quarter earnings call on Thursday that this mashup of blended travel represents 35 percent of the company’s bookings. Russell adds those same tr...
Apr 28, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Hilton appears prepared to launch a new apartment hotel brand, just the latest expansion into more affordable offerings. This decision comes amid significant levels of activity in both the extended-stay and long-stay hotel spaces due to a shortage in the U.S. supply, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s president and CEO, told analysts that the new brand will be like a hybrid between an apartment efficiency and a hotel. He wants Hilton to build “...
Apr 27, 2023•3 min
Episode Notes Premier Inn is looking to expand its brand through mergers and acquisitions. Specifically gearing towards growth in the German market, the hotel chain provides competition to rival brands such as Ibis, B&B, Motel One and Best Western, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. O’Neill examines Premier’s acquisition of six hotels in Germany totaling about 900 rooms — each of the properties are being converted into the Premier Inn brand. This transaction means Premier, alread...
Apr 26, 2023•3 min
Episode Notes Companies delivering walking tours of Manhattan often deliver stereotypical tours with no originality. So Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy writes about an initiative in New York that helps entrepreneurs develop compelling and original walking tour experiences. Brophy reports the Alliance for Downtown New York is in the final stages of its Walking Tour Incubator Grant Program. Five walking tour businesses have been chosen to receive grants of up to $12,500. Brophy adds the ...
Apr 25, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes The largest public hotel companies will report their financial performance for the first quarter in the next several weeks. So what themes will investment bank analysts be looking for? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill explains in this week’s Early-Check In column. O’Neill writes one possibility is an equilibrium where supply and demand are just right, meaning hotel companies are nicely profitable. O’Neill adds that investment bank analysts seem to believe that the hotel indus...
Apr 24, 2023•3 min
Episode Notes Environmental issues have seemingly become more important to travelers in recent years. However, travel companies worldwide have struggled to make their services greener. With that in mind, Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden looks at Skift’s coverage of environmental issues over several years ahead of Earth Dayon Saturday. Jorden notes tourism’s expanding carbon footprint is heightening the need to make travel more sustainable. Transport-related emissions from international tourism ar...
Apr 21, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Airline executives, like everyone else, were unable to predict the future of the industry when the pandemic struck in 2020. But United Airlines believes 2023 will give the company a clearer picture of its post-pandemic future, reports Contributor Madhu Unnikrishnan. Despite United’s challenging first quarter, Unnikrishnan writes the Chicago-based carrier believes it spotted a noticeable trend during the period. CEO Scott Kirby said during its first quarter earnings call on Wednesda...
Apr 20, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Hyatt unveiled its newest brand, Hyatt Studios, on Tuesday, becoming the latest hotel company to launch an extended stay brand, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Hyatt expects to open its first Hyatt Studios hotels next year. O’Neill writes Hyatt’s entry into extended stay is part of a boom in the category, with Marriott and Wyndham having launched extended stay brands recently. Extended stay projects represent roughly a third of the construction pipeline for U.S. hot...
Apr 19, 2023•3 min
Episode Notes The Ritz-Carlton believes it’s part of an innovative effort that could help it ease a labor shortage. The Marriott brand has teamed up with the Switzerland-based EHL Hospitality Business School to create a new employee training program in the Maldives, reports Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons. The business school has established a three-year program to help the Ritz-Carlton and the Patina Hotels & Resorts train and retain employees. A consultant for the business school s...
Apr 18, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Skift Research projected in 2014 that so-called silent travelers — consumers who resorted to their mobile devices first to find solutions to problems — would significantly alter the travel industry. Has that been the case? Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden reports that mobile-first consumers have indeed changed travel in many ways. Jorden lists some of the shifts travel brands have made to meet the desires of the growing market. Frontier Airlines decided in November 2022 to eliminate...
Apr 17, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Airbnb confirmed on Thursday that it’s pausing offering new experiences, or tours and activities, without saying when it plans to resume them, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy. An Airbnb spokesperson said it was putting a halt to new experiences offerings to focus on other aspects of its operations. Brophy reports the short-term rental giant had resumed its Experiences last year after pausing them at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky had...
Apr 14, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Hilton has long taken a cautious approach to expanding its footprint in India. But with plans to debut its luxury brand Waldorf Astoria in the country, Hilton believes it’s in a prime position to replicate its China success in India, reports Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia. Hilton Asia-Pacific President Alan Watts acknowledged the company may be late in growing in India compared to its rivals. However, Watts said the country’s improved travel infrastructure has given Hilton the push ...
Apr 13, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes JetBlue Airways announced on Tuesday it’s launching service to Amsterdam this summer as part of its European expansion. But is the company disrupting the transatlantic market as it claims? That’s not really the case, reports Edward Russell, editor of Airline Weekly, Skift brand. JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes argued that travelers on the New York-Amsterdam route had long been subject to expensive fares and mediocre service provided by other U.S. airlines. He added JetBlue would bring down...
Apr 12, 2023•3 min
Episode Notes New York City’s tourism industry has made a monster recovery from the pandemic. But local officials still have concerns about its long-term future, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Habtemariam reports New York City hit 85 percent of its pre-Covid tourism volume last year. The city is expected to make a complete tourism recovery in 2024, according to New York City + Conventions. In addition, one New York-based tour guide said traditional attractions like the Empire ...
Apr 11, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Google is turning to a popular social media feature to help enrich the hotel search and booking process. The search engine has added an Instagram-like story tool to Google Travel, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Dawes reports users can view hotel options with access to information like location and price in a swipeable format somewhat similar to Instagram stories. The user would then be able to save the hotel, book directly on the hotel website, or access third-part...
Apr 10, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes The U.S. government could follow in the footsteps of several states that have enacted bans on their agencies using TikTok. So how would a national TikTok ban affect the U.S. tourism industry? Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam writes a ban would be a huge blow to the industry’s global marketing efforts. Habtemariam reports that U.S. tourism boards have increased their marketing on TikTok since 2021, noting the platform enables them to be less reliant on Google to reach trave...
Apr 07, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes American Airlines recently shook up its ticket distribution strategy to help it gain more control of airfares. That move has resulted in corporate travel agencies seeing huge gaps in ticket prices, reports Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons. American moved 40 percent of its airfares to its website and channels powered by New Distribution Capability, a technology that gives airlines more power over their content. It also stopped selling tickets through what it describes as thir...
Apr 06, 2023•4 min
Episode Notes Expedia has released the first version of a ChatGPT-powered travel planning chatboton its mobile app. It’s the first online travel agency outside of Asia to do so, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Dawes notes that Expedia users can now use the chatbot to help plan trips. Although the tool does not offer specific real-time information about details such as pricing and events yet, users can get help during travel planning by asking general questions about a destination...
Apr 05, 2023•4 min
EPISODE NOTES Denmark’s national tourism board VisitDenmark is tapping into artificial intelligence to boost interest among prospective visitors. Its latest tourism campaign includes foreign landmarks, with an assist from Artificial Intelligence, playfully urging travelers to visit Denmark, reports Contributor Samantha Shankman. The campaign features iconic attractions such as the Mona Lisa and Statue of Liberty telling travelers they should head to Denmark instead of coming to see them. VisitDe...
Apr 04, 2023•3 min
