Skift Daily Briefing

Episode Notes Skift is taking another big step to shape the future of travel. We’ve launched Skift Elevate, an initiative that aims to empower underrepresented voices in the industry.  Skift President Carolyn Kremins calls Elevate a movement to drive meaningful, collective action across the travel industry. Its inaugural event took place at the recent Skift Global Forum, where several prominent wo...

Episode Notes Residents of Juneau, Alaska, are set to vote next Tuesday on a measure that would ban large cruise ships from docking in the city on Saturdays and July 4, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  The ban would apply to any large cruise ship with more than 250 passengers. The measure requires a simple majority to pass. Karla Hart, who helped gather enough signatures to put t...

Episode Notes Concerns have grown in recent weeks about how a potential recession could impact travel. But while the travel industry isn’t recession-proof, it could be recession-resistant, reports Senior Research Analyst Pranavi Agarwal. There are signs of weakness. The Skift Travel 200 Stock Index is up only 3% since the start of the year, and travel executives have noted of a slowdown in demand...

Episode Notes Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin said at the Skift Global Forum on Thursday that some of its brands took a hit during its recently completed tech migration, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. But the new CEO said Expedia, which was the least disrupted of its core brands, has done well, with growth in room nights of 20% in the second quarter. Now Gorin is focused on getting...

Episode Notes Airbnb aims to focus on a lot more than short-term rentals. The company has plans to consistently launch new lines of business going forward, including those that may not be geared toward travel, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. CEO Brian Chesky said at the Skift Global Forum on Wednesday he anticipates launching two or three ventures annually that could eventually gen...

Episode Notes Skift Global Forum kicked off in New York City on Tuesday with big news in the U.S. travel industry. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma said U.S. travelers will have the option of renewing their passports online starting on Wednesday, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Verma told Skift CEO Rafat Ali that the State Department believes half of passport renewals will...

Episode Notes Thayer Ventures and Derive Ventures are teaming up to create Thayer Investment Partners, an investment platform the two VC firms believe will boost innovation in travel technology, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. The new platform aims to offer a full-service venture capital approach, with plans to invest in business-to-business and consumer startups. Thayer Investment...

Episode Notes Google Wallet will soon allow users to store a digital version of a U.S. passport, one of the app’s newest travel features, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Google said on Thursday that the digital passport will work at select TSA checkpoints. The U.S. passport is the first one Google is adding to Wallet, an app the tech giant began rolling out in July 2022. Google als...

Episode Notes A growing number of women are making waves in leadership positions throughout the travel industry, and Skift is featuring 25 of them in our inaugural list, Generation Next: The Women Shaping Travel’s Future. We’re showcasing disruptors and innovators poised to take the industry to new places. We’re highlighting executives such as Standard International CEO Amber Asher, who has helped...

Episode Notes Rome is considering introducing a reservation system to clamp down on overcrowding at Trevi Fountain, one of the world’s most popular attractions, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Rome’s Deputy Mayor of Tourism Alessandro Onorato wants to introduce a ticketing reservation system around the fountain to better manage the flow of visitors. Residents of the Italian capit...

Episode Notes Apple revealed more details on Monday about how it’s incorporating generative AI into its latest iPhones. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes delves into how the new products could help travelers.  The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro have been built with a dedicated camera button that can activate a tool to ask AI about visuals. Dawes notes the new iPhone can obtain information such...

Episode Notes The Department of Transportation officially launched a probe on Thursday into whether the loyalty programs of the four largest U.S. airlines are engaging in deceptive or noncompetitive practices, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent a letter to American, Delta, United and Southwest requesting that they provide records about their lo...

Episode Notes Skift has unveiled its Power Rankings, our list of the most influential people in the travel industry. With the help of Skift Research, our editors spent several months establishing a methodology, crunching the numbers and weighing each leader’s influence to create our list of travel’s 30 most powerful people.  Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta takes the top spot on our list. During his time...

Episode Notes Thousands of hotel workers went on strikeacross several large U.S. cities between Sunday and Tuesday. Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill examines why the strikes are taking place and what they mean for the hotel industry.  More than 9,000 workers at 21 hotels in 9 cities went on strike on Tuesday. O’Neill notes that hotels are struggling to balance maximizing profits with worker...

Episode Notes Airports worldwide are investing large amounts in tech upgrades for a projected huge increase in passenger traffic. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes profiles five U.S. airports making upgrades. JFK Airport shared plans earlier this year for its new terminal 6, which will include digital concierge services as well as a self check-in and bag drop. The airport said its new termin...

Episode Notes A growing number of short-term rental hosts are turning to amenities such as pools, hot tubs and mini golf to help stand out from the competition. Reporter James Farrell examines what one executive calls an “amenities arms race.” Farrell writes hosts and owners willing to invest in developing properties with high-end amenities are likely to see benefits. Analysis from AirDNA found th...

Episode Notes Columnist Colin Nagy believes a growing number of luxury travelers are looking for depth instead of hyper glitz. With that in mind, he provides his list of this summer’s biggest innovators in travel as well as information about more than a dozen noteworthy trends in the industry. Nagy writes his list is inspired by brands that build and execute with integrity and vision. He praised B...

Episode Notes Recent data suggests Americans are traveling in large numbers for Labor Day, and short-term rentals are seeing a surge in bookings for the holiday weekend, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  More than 2.4 million nights have been booked on short-term rental platforms for the four-day period ending on September 1. That’s a 13% jump from last year, according to data ana...

Episode Notes Hotels are devising plans to bypass traditional booking intermediaries to help boost direct bookings from corporations and businesses. Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill explains why the shift could disrupt how business travel is sold.  Some hotel executives believe they can attract business travelers to book directly if they provide more enticing offers that can’t be found via t...

Episode Notes The world’s largest hotel groups have made huge strides in signing up guests for their loyalty programs in recent years. But which one has the largest loyalty program? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill provides the answer.  Marriott has the largest loyalty program membership with more than 210 million members as of June 30. Hilton, IHG and Wyndham occupy the next three spots, wi...

Episode Notes Hyatt announced plans on Tuesday to buy the five brands owned by Standard International, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.   Hyatt will pay $150 million upfront, with up to an additional $185 million over time as more properties join its portfolio. Hyatt won’t acquire any physical assets in the deal, but it is buying the management, franchise and license contracts for h...

Episode Notes Marriott International and Sonder Holdings have signed a 20-year strategic licensing deal, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Marriott will receive a royalty fee based on a percentage of Sonder’s gross room revenues. The deal will also increase the number of locations where Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program members can earn and redeem points. O’Neill adds Marriott will ben...

Episode Notes The Skift Research team on Thursday unveiled its State of Travel 2024 report, a 400-page document with over 350 slides on industry performance and consumer and business trends in travel. The State of Travel 2024 is strong, reports head of research Seth Borko. Travel businesses are growing with healthy margins. The report contains information on, among other topics, the state of inter...

Episode Notes Travel executives still believe artificial intelligence will transform the industry — even if it’s taking longer than expected. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes provides recent insights from several executives on AI. Booking Holdings CEO said the latest advances in AI could help make connected trips — travel experiences in which consumers can book all parts of a trip in one pl...

Episode Notes Delta Air Lines is launching free onboard Wi-Fi across its global network in the next several months. So how will Delta handle the complexities of international expansion? Airlines Editor Gordon Smith examines the matter in addition to comparing rivals’ Wi-Fi services. Smith notes Delta already offers free Wi-Fi on around 90% of its 700 domestic mainline aircraft, however, internatio...