Wyndham’s Al Marjan Island bet is less about the Wynn effect and more about proving midscale branded residences have been a missed opportunity all along.
The Iran war has stopped feeling like breaking news and started feeling like the new normal. And the new normal, it turns out, is very expensive gas and jet fuel.
The traditional destination growth model, built on attracting first-time visitors might become unsustainable with rising acquisition costs, shifting traveler behavior, and growing competition. Destinations must work on strategies to be chosen again.
Japan is moving slowly but surely toward two-tier pricing, as the Himeji Castle model has shown that what was once a politically fraught idea can now be measured in revenue.