Experiences

Travel today is all about immersion. At Skift, we dive into how companies like Airbnb, Marriott, and Disney are redefining what it means to create memorable experiences for travelers.

Here, you’ll find stories about everything from Airbnb’s unique experiences and Viator’s handpicked activities to the latest in luxury travel that’s setting new standards.

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Virtual experiences are shaking things up, offering new ways to explore the world without leaving home. Whether it’s the cultural richness of Abu Dhabi or Disney’s latest attractions, we’re here to keep you informed on the trends that are driving the experiential travel landscape.

Check out the latest articles from Skift to stay in the loop on how the world of travel experiences is evolving.

Experiences

Laurence Tosi’s WestCap Leads $80 Million Funding for Activities Booking Site Peek

Peek survived the pandemic when so many tours and activities' operators went into hibernation or worse, and now it has another $80 million in the bank for expansion. With business-to-business software as hot as it is, that's not a bad place to be.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

tripadvisor viator travel agency platform ziplining costa rica

Experiences

Could Tripadvisor Spin Off Viator and TheFork?

Tripadvisor could likely have more resources to invest in Viator's growth if it spun out the tours and activities brand into a separate public company. A nice way to better compete against Softbank-funded GetYourGuide and Klook.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Experiences

Hopper to Power Marriott Bonvoy’s Experiences After It Buys PlacePass

Hopper is the latest travel brand to try its hand at selling experiences. It's taking on a task that's harder to do well at scale than it might seem.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

Business Travel

Expedia Partners With GetYourGuide on Tours and Activities in a Blow to Viator

GetYourGuide, which has been trying to break into the U.S., scored a major partnership by securing a deal with Expedia.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Active Adventures Patagonia Condor Adventure

Experiences

New Zealand’s Active Adventures Acquires U.S. Tour Operator

Not surprising that the private equity-backed Active Adventures decided to buy Austin Adventures to fill its geographic and inventory gaps. Expect more mergers as tour operators look to consolidate their marketing efforts during the pandemic.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

Arcimoto FUV fun utility vehicle electric Graduate Hotels Eugene source Arcimoto

Experiences

The Latest Hotel Perk? Renting Electric Fun Utility Vehicles as Upsells

Years ago, leisure travelers typically rented cars at the airport. But many now hail rides to hotels instead. That behavior shift gives properties a chance to rent out electric vehicles.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

waikiki beach 2018 honolulu hawaii alan light source flickr creative commons

Experiences

Tripadvisor Finetunes Its Subscription Travel Bet

Perhaps you spent the pandemic moving house, baking bread, or home-schooling your kids. Tripadvisor spent the crisis tweaking its product mix to sell more subscriptions while also refreshing its mobile app. Mad props to everyone for making the most of things.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

Experiences

Did Kiwi Figure Out How to Hack Southwest for Flight Information?

Airlines have complained about the hidden costs of online travel agency web-scraping for years, but Southwest takes that sensitivity to a much higher strategic level. Kiwi apparently is adept at out-maneuvering Southwest's page-scraping roadblocks so the courts will have to sort it all out.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago

Airlines

Singapore Airlines Doubles Down on the E-Commerce Trend by Carriers

The superapp is where it's at in Asia, so it's not a surprise to see Singapore's flag carrier broaden its e-commerce playbook. Yet looking worldwide, it's remarkable how many airlines are now going direct-to-consumer in selling non-flight products and services.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

Experiences

Google to End Tours and Activities Booking Next Month

Google's retreat in tours and activities booking services doesn't mean Google is becoming less powerful in travel. It's part of Google's strategy to wrangle consistency across its products in offering a combination of advertisements and free listings to gain an even wider audience.

Dennis Schaal | 5 years ago