Patrick Whyte

Laws have been changed to supposedly eliminate gender bias but the problem at senior levels still persists. Companies first need to admit they have a problem, then they can do something about it. Perhaps there should be greater consideration of quotas.

It's about time Onefinestay leveraged some of the know-how from AccorHotels' concierge business. If done well, a personalized experiences product is likely to go down well with its guests.

It's difficult to tell much from the first quarter results, but EasyJet seems on track to have a decent year. Acquiring some of Air Berlin’s operations will also enable it to grow in the lucrative German market.

HNA Group's decision to at least consider selling its stake in NH Hotels shouldn't come as a surprise. It will be interesting to see whether one of the big hotel companies emerges as a potential buyer.

A growing number of mainstream cruise lines think they can capture luxury travelers by offering them a premium product. The approach makes sense. After all, not every luxury cruiser wants the intimacy and exclusivity of a small ship.

Despite facing plenty of challenges, Spain saw a healthy growth in international tourists in 2017. But this year is likely to be tougher because of Barcelona's troubles and with places like Turkey regaining some of their popularity.

Common wisdom among tour operators has always been that to have a good year, you needed to have a good January, and it is still no different. While the reasons for booking holidays early might hark back to the pre-Internet era, the consumer pattern hasn't changed very much.

NH Hotels may have turned down this approach, but it has not closed the door on others. And with minority shareholder HNA Group looking to raise cash, it wouldn't be a surprise to see another offer sooner rather than later.

The smartest people in luxury travel are realizing that they can't just keep doing things the old way. Keeping a high-touch, personal approach while adapting to the needs and wishes of today's travelers will be key to survival.

Rail travel still remains a stubbornly offline mode of transport when it comes to booking a ticket. Companies like Trainline are trying to change this by making it easier to search and buy tickets across Europe.