United Adds More Offbeat Destinations: Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Adelaide
The latest expansion is a part of United’s strategy to bet on off-the-beaten path international destinations.
All Categories
Airlines
ITA Airways Moving at ‘Full Throttle’ to Join Star Alliance
With the formalities rubber-stamped and the colossal Lufthansa Group as its onboarding mentor, Italy’s national carrier is expecting a smooth journey toward Star Alliance membership.
Open Interlining: Inside the Strategy Transforming How Airlines Connect Flights
By moving beyond the constraints of legacy systems and traditional interline agreements, airlines can form dynamic, scalable partnerships that drive efficiency, increase revenue, and enhance the passenger experience.
Business Travel
Concur Founder Backs New Corporate Travel Startup Juno
This is another startup that Steve Singh is funding with the aim modernizing all aspects of business travel.
Virgin Atlantic Warns of Slowing U.S. Demand
Famed for its quirky branding and maverick mentality, historically Virgin Atlantic has struggled to turn a profit. Today’s results are a positive step, but uncertainty in the U.S. market could yet disrupt its ‘sustainably profitable’ goal.
Airline CEOs Say Europe-U.S. Demand Remains Strong, But For How Long?
European airline chiefs claim it’s business as usual on U.S. routes, but after three years of frenzied transatlantic demand, could we be entering one final summer of love?
Coronavirus
The Travel Industry's Immense Potential for Growth
Despite the pandemic’s unprecedented challenges, the travel industry’s recovery is proving to be remarkable.
The Travel Industry Surpasses 2019
Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at the recovery of the travel industry that have allowed it to surpass spring 2019 benchmarks.
Travel Makes a Complete Recovery
Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at travel's coronavirus recovery, Airbnb's optimism, and Hilton's extended-stay moves.
Cruises
Disney CEO Defends Park Pricing, Unveils New Tech and Plans 7 More Cruise Ships
Disney is spending $30 billion to expand its theme parks and cruise line in part to keep prices in check and avoid discounting.
Carnival Raises Outlook Despite Uncertainty: Onboard Spending 'Hasn't Slowed Down'
While airlines are nervously watching their bookings, cruise giant Carnival is upgrading its forecasts thanks to strong reservations and increases in on-board spending by guests.
Taxing the Cruise Companies: What Are the Options? What's the Impact?
It remains an open question whether the Trump administration would successfully impose U.S. income tax on the cruise industry.
Experiences
Funding Freeze on Fulbright Scholarships Leaves Students in Travel Limbo
As a result of an extended freeze on grants for study abroad programs, some students told Skift that they are feeling stranded and confused.
Q&A: How Sandals Resorts’ New Campaign Champions Caribbean Authenticity
By emphasizing its authentic roots, culture, and decades-long presence in the Caribbean, Sandals Resorts aims to remind travelers that it offers more than just luxury — it delivers an experience that is uniquely and unmistakably Caribbean.
TUI to Launch New Experiences Aimed at Locals
The new deal with Fever is tapping into Generation Z and Millennials' preferences for experiences over material goods, and giving TUI a new opportunity for sales with locals.
Food and Drink
How Tourism Homogenizes Cuisines and What Are Possible Solutions
There is a lot that can be done, both from an awareness and, even more importantly, from a policy perspective. Most of it requires changes that the travelers of today, seeking more authentic experiences, would welcome.
Magic Mushrooms in the Minibar
Some will always love a luxury spa. But psychedelics (think psilocybin soundbaths and mushrooms) are the phase in high-end wellness.
24x7 Food at Delhi's Aerocity - India Report
Delhi Aerocity, with a heavy presence of branded hotels, is a convenient hub for business and leisure travelers alike.
Ground Transport
Exclusive: U.S. Outbound Travel is 'Booming,' Says Eurostar CEO
Shaking off speculation that U.S. consumers are traveling less, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave shares exclusive data pointing to a strong summer for overseas spending.
3 Ways Ground Transportation Can Benefit From AI
Ground transportation stands to gain significantly from AI adoption as a means to free itself from legacy tech constraints. AI enhances efficiency by optimizing routes, managing fleets, and reducing fuel consumption, while also boosting customer satisfaction.
AI-Powered Revenue Management Transforms Ground Transportation
The integration of AI-powered revenue management by ground transportation operators is transforming the industry, introducing dynamic pricing and demand forecasting. Traditionally reliant on static pricing, the bus industry is now embracing more granular control over pricing strategies, allowing operators to adjust fares based on specific departure days and demand fluctuations.
Hotels
Europeans Are Cutting U.S. Summer Trips Due to 'Bad Buzz', Accor CEO Says
Accor's CEO highlights a significant drop in European summer bookings to the U.S., suggesting that geopolitical anxieties and perceived "bad buzz" are diverting European travel.
Marriott's Hotel Push in Europe Targets Middle-Class and Smaller Cities
Marriott's Four Point Flex expansion marks a belated, yet decisive, push into the European midscale market, aiming to rapidly capture a growing segment.
Hilton to Hit 1,000-Hotel Milestone in Europe and the Middle East
Hilton's approach to reaching 1,000 EMEA hotels demonstrates a strategy of brand diversification and regional market adaptation.
Luxury
Skift India Forum Video: The Evolution of India’s High-End Hospitality
India’s luxury hospitality boom presents huge global potential. In this talk, the CEOs of Global Hotel Alliance and The Leela Palaces explain why hotels must deliver hyper-personalized, immersive experiences and leverage strategic alliances to build lasting loyalty and cut costly dependence on OTAs.
How Marriott Is Defending its Lead in Branded Residences
If you've ever stayed at a hotel and thought "I wish I could just live here," well, you're not alone. Marriott says its sales of branded residences are booming.
Aero's Luxury Bet: Is Premium Service the Right Play for Semi-Private Aviation?
Aero sees a business opportunity in the space between first class and entry level private aviation. They are leaning into high touch hospitality to court their market segment but it comes at a cost to the operating model.
Media and PR
Social Media Agency Launches Gamified Travel Marketing in Singapore Test
Gone are the days of old-school pitch meetings with traditional agencies — tourism marketing has entered the age of storytelling, captivating content, and instant booking options.
Keegan-Michael Key Is Choice Hotels' Ad Spokesperson
Choice Hotels really wants you to use your paid vacation days.
The Slow Fade: Why Consumer Travel Media Is Obsolete
As someone who has devoted all of my life to media, it pains me to say this: consumer travel media, in its current incarnation, is dead. The world has changed, and it’s time for us to move on.
Meetings
How Fontainebleau Las Vegas Is Unlocking New Possibilities for Meetings and Events
From world-class dining and versatile meeting spaces to high-touch service standards and one-of-a-kind offerings, Fontainebleau Las Vegas offers everything planners need to craft exceptional events.
Rajasthan Focuses on Weddings, Conferences to Boost Tourism - India Report
Rajasthan, a premier wedding destination in India, has much to offer including wildlife, museums, temples, and lakes. While the state is seeking to promote its various offerings, it does not want to lose out on the significant revenue from weddings and business meetings.
Behind Fontainebleau Las Vegas’ Vision to Transform Luxury Meetings: Watch Video
Today’s meeting planners face unique challenges driven by evolving attendee expectations, technological advancements, and the ongoing need for flexibility. This video explores how Fontainebleau Las Vegas is redefining luxury meetings to meet these challenges.
Online Travel
Booking.com Executive on Why All Eyes are on India
Booking.com is looking at India for its growing outbound potential and spending power, even as it adapts to the last-minute booking behavior of these travelers.
State of Airbnb, Delta's Performance and U.S.-Canada Tensions: Top Questions for Ask Skift
We provide answers to some of Ask Skift's most common questions, including on Airbnb's plans, how Delta Air Lines is doing in the U.S., and the impact of U.S.-Canada tariff battle on tourism.
Google Unveils 2 New Travel Tools: Hotel Price Alerts and Screenshots for Trip Plans
Google may not be releasing a trip planner any time soon, but it's consistently rolling out various other trip features and AI integrations across products.
Podcasts
The Next Generation of Golden Visas – Skift Travel Podcast
Golden visas are becoming more common around the world, but they've posed some problems for authorities. We discuss the issues around them in this week's episode of the Skift Travel Podcast.
Travel Spending Optimism, Eurostar's U.S. Traveler Boom and Singapore's Lady Gaga Boost
On today’s podcast, we talk about travelers spending more money, Eurostar seeing more Americans, and Lady Gaga‘s impact on Singapore tourism.
United's New Fees, Marriott's Branded Residences and Minor Hotels' Masterbrand
On today’s podcast we explain United Airlines new fees for credit cards and lounges, Marriott’s strength on the residential front, and Minor Hotel’s big rebrand.
Short-Term Rentals
Inside the Vacasa Bidding War — The Unfolding Battle
With Davidson Kempner's latest bid for Vacasa at $5.83 per share and the Vacasa board-endorsed bid from Casago at $5.30 per share, one thing is certain — this is not the end of the story.
Hotel101 IPO? 6 Facts About the Hotel Condo Brand's Planned SPAC
Something about a condo hotel operator with a handful of properties seeking a $2.3 billion listing via a SPAC feels a bit ... 2021.
Airbnb Stopped Listing in China - But it Still Wants Chinese Travelers
Airbnb may have exited China’s domestic market, but it hasn’t walked away from Chinese travelers.
Skift Originals
Marriott Bonvoy's New AI Search Tool: 4 Tests Show How It Works — and Doesn't
Marriott Bonvoy's new AI tool probably isn’t sharp enough yet to be reliable. But as one of the first tools like it by a major hotel brand, it offers an early glimpse at how lodging search could look in the future.
Don't Create Company Culture: Lessons on Meaning of Work
Culture stems from the meaningful work we do, and each of us seeing the tangible in-situ effects of that work for the people for whom we create everything.
Celebrating 10 Years of Skift Deep Dives
Our Deep Dive stories are the cornerstone of Skift's journalism. Meticulous reporting. Smart analysis. Great writing. All packaged and designed in ways to keep you glued to the story. Here's a few of our favorites over the past 10 years.
Startups
In-Flight Messaging and Indian Budget Hotels: Travel Startups Raise $86 Million
A growing number of startups focused on Indian travelers have been raising money in the past couple of years.
6 Travel Startups Raise $168 Million Over 2 Weeks: Funding Roundup
The deals are small because the tech is still young, but there’s clearly interest in where it’s headed.
Travel Startups Raise $580 Million Over Two Weeks
The ticket experiences sector has been ripe for modernization, and Klook is among those cashing in.
Tour Operators
TUI's Investor Day: 6 Things to Know About Its Strategic Overhaul
TUI's ambition to reinvent itself as a "global curated leisure marketplace" that sells travel a la carte as much as in packages deserves credit for its scope. But it will be a tough trick to pull off.
Airbnb Experiences: New Details Point to Direct Competition with Viator and GetYourGuide
Experiences has traditionally been a low-margin business so Airbnb was never going to make a go of it tethered to a niche offering. The challenge in going mainstream is to maintain some differentiation from rivals.
Intrepid Travel Acquires Dutch Tour Operator, Its Biggest Acquisition Yet: Exclusive
Intrepid has embarked on a complex task of integrating a Dutch language brand. If it works in the Netherlands, that doesn't mean it would work in France. But the opportunity is huge.
Tourism
Thailand's Digital Arrival Card to be Mandatory for Foreign Tourists from May 1
The digital arrival card is a step forward in ensuring a smoother, more tech-driven travel experience in Thailand. But the bigger challenge? Getting travelers, mostly Chinese tourists, to feel confident about visiting again.
Tariffs Won’t Be a Direct Hit on Travel - But They Can Still Hurt
For the travel industry, the impact of tariffs is indirect. But the knock-on effects could be significant: Will tourists still be eager to visit the U.S.?
Travel in the Trump Era: What's Actually Changed for Visitors?
Trump's tightened border policies have sparked international travel warnings and concerns among tourists, green card holders, and other travelers. But formal entry requirements remain largely unchanged.
Travel Agents
How Commission Yields Affect Hotel Profits: A European Case Study
In the competitive hotel market, commission yields quietly shape profits, and small percentage shifts can mean big revenue swings. In Europe, higher proportions of independent hotels and third-party booking transactions require nuanced strategy and sharp data analysis for optimizing revenue from hotel room sales.
Booking Platform Mondee Files for Bankruptcy
The bankruptcy comes after Mondee was delisted in December.
Travelers Are Taking Longer to Plan Trips, Despite Faster Tools to Book Them
The trend toward increased research time reflects a more deliberate and empowered traveler who prioritizes control, trust, and value in their planning process.
Travel Technology
Perplexity Can Now Book Hotels: What Our Tests Show
The announcement is a first among competitors like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
Uber Expands Shuttle Service to JFK
The new shuttle gives NYC travelers another option that could make airport commutes a little less painful.
Booking.com and AI, Now vs. 2023: Tech Chief Explains What’s Changed, What's Next
Users may not rely on AI to plan a trip from start to finish, but they’re becoming more likely to consult it at some point during the process.
Venture Capital
IAG Pledges $217 Million for Startup Investments Through New Venture Arm
This is the first time that IAG has set aside specific funds for startup investment.
Corporate Travel, Flying Taxis: Startups Raise $300 Million Over Three Weeks
Travel startups have raised about $400 million so far this year. By this time in 2024, travel startups had raised more than twice that.
Flying Taxis and Loyalty Tech: 6 Travel Startups Raise $100 Million
It's a slow start to the year, but travel startup funding is sure to pick up.