Travel's Reopening and Coronavirus Recovery

Leaving Las Vegas gives Las Vegas Sands more than $6 billion in capital to beef up non-gaming assets in markets like Singapore and Macau and potentially dip its toes in the uncharted gambling waters of Texas.

Airlines have come a long way from the dark days of the pandemic when idled jets lined runways around the world. On the ground in Tulsa, we check out the meticulous way American is taking its last few aircraft out of mothballs with an opportunistic eye towards summer.

That a city like New York needs significant investment to sell itself to potential tourists speaks loudly of the pandemic’s crushing blow on the iconic destination. Government officials recognize the importance of tourism to the city's economic recovery. The role that its destination marketing organization will play is crucial.

Spirit delivered better than expected earnings, but just barely. The company is preparing for fuller loads and a return to profits, confident in its strengths flying to leisure destinations. But a lot of carriers have expressed that same confidence.

Another day, another pandemic-born hotel investment group. But Olive Tree Hotels & Resorts is after a type of hotel product not many investors crave, which could provide more of an open playing field.

American is cautiously optimistic about the summer ahead with plans to fly more and boost fares on its way back to profitability. But when the airline can hit that is still anyone's guess with business and long-haul international travel still largely absent in the recovery.

Not every hotel company is cruising into summer with accelerated springtime bookings like those for Marriott and Hilton. Accor needs greater vaccine access in Europe as well as lockdowns to lift before recovery is possible.

There may be momentum behind the travel industry's recovery, but plenty of uncertainty is still ahead. Now is not the time to drive customers away with sneaky, overnight devaluing of loyalty points.

Just because the risk is low for surface spread of coronavirus doesn’t mean hotels are going to back away from door seals and hourly lobby cleanings. There’s still a psychological and confidence factor at play in bringing back more travelers.

The Utah legislature's bet on the tourism economy placed the state ahead of the recovery compared to its neighbors in the American West. As more vaccinated Americans flock to its big outdoor spaces this year, Travel Utah's challenge remains managing and educating those crowds on responsible travel.