Skift Daily Briefing

Episode Notes Airbnb is ramping up its plans for international expansion. The short-term rental giant is looking to grow significantly beyond its five biggest markets, writes Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  CEO Brian Chesky said during its first-quarter earnings call that Airbnb is ready to step on the gas regarding international expansion. He cited Mexico, Brazil, China and Japan, among other co...

Episode Notes The 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is shaping up to be a very corporate event. Several travel executives believe a lot of visitors for the tournament will be business travelers, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Lena Ross, chairwoman of the International Inbound Travel Association, said at the IPW travel trade show that big co...

Episode Notes Skift has unveiled its list of the U.S.’s highest-paid tourism marketing CEOs. Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta took the top spot, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Beteta collected more than $1.5 million in compensation during the 2022 fiscal year. Former San Francisco Travel Association CEO Joseph D’ Alessandro came in second at just under $965,000. Skift used...

Episode Notes Expedia Group has trimmed its 2024 outlook for growth due to its vacation rental brand Vrbo’s slower-than-expected recovery, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  O’Neill reports Expedia Group’s first-quarter profit margins were mostly in line with last year. But the company acknowledged that the struggles of Vrbo and Hotels.com drove it to lower its full-year guidance. A...

Episode Notes Airbnb is looking to make waves with the launch of nearly a dozen experience-based homes the company is calling “Icons.” CEO Brian Chesky discussed the new product, as well as AI, loyalty programs and other subjects in a wide-ranging interview with Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit.  Chesky described Icons as a “gateway” into the experiences category, which Airbnb has been eager to b...

Episode Notes The U.S. travel industry will likely see a full recovery in Chinese and Japanese tourism by 2026 — a year earlier than expected, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. The latest report from the U.S. National and Travel Tourism Office projects that international travel to the U.S. will fully recover in 2025. However, the office expects China and Japan to be behind the U.S....

Episode Notes One of China’s largest airlines, China Southern, is buying 100 domestically-built planes – the C919, produced by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). The plane is considered an emerging competitor to Airbus’ A320 and the Boeing 737. And Airlines Editor Gordon Smith examines if other airlines will look to buy these Chinese-built aircraft. Just last week, A...

Episode Notes India’s largest airline IndiGo has taken a step in its quest to make a mark globally. IndiGo has ordered a large number of widebody aircraft that will enable it to operate more international flights, reports Contributor Ajay Awtaney.  IndiGo announced the order of 30 A350-900 jets on Thursday. The company has also retained the purchase rights for another 70 aircraft. Awtaney notes In...

Skift Research recently examined more than 20,000 hotel listings on Google to discover which online travel agencies and direct sites compete for bookings. Senior Research Analyst Pranavi Agarwal explains the major findings from Skift Research’s report.   Agarwal notes that Booking.com is the dominant brand across Google’s sponsored results, paying to appear the most often in every region. However,...

Episode Notes Atlanta recently reached a three-year, $1 million deal with the Michelin Guide. Discover Atlanta CEO William Pate discussed that topic and more in an interview with Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Pate said having Atlanta’s restaurants appear in the Michelin Guide has boosted the city’s culinary scene. He noted restaurants that have already been selected for the guide hav...

Episode Notes The Great Barrier Reef is currently experiencing its worst-ever mass bleaching event, during which warmer-than-usual water causes corals to expel their algae and turn white. Tour operators have been doing their part in helping preserve the popular tourist landmark, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz.  Chase-Lubitz cites Reef Magic as one tour operator that offers t...

Episode Notes Amsterdam is banning hotel developments as part of its strategy to fight mass tourism, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Amsterdam’s municipal government announced the Dutch capital will no longer issue permits for new hotels. The only exception would be if another hotel in the city closes and the number of beds doesn’t increase. Habtemariam notes Amsterdam officials...

Episode Notes Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky’s 10-year pay package, announced in 2021, could hit $1 billion or more if the company’s share price hits certain price targets, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.   Airbnb said recently the potential value of Cheksy’s eight remaining tranches of unearned shares at the end of 2023 was $1.3 billion. However, Schaal notes it’s far from certain that Chesky wi...

Episode Notes Officials in California recently launched a new tourism marketing campaign. Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta discussed it and more in an interview with Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Beteta said California’s current marketing campaign — titled “Ultimate Playground — aims to showcase a sense of play often associated with the Golden State. She described the campaign as...

Episode Notes Marriott and IHG have each announced plans to add 100 hotels to their portfolio in Europe, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Marriott said it would add those roughly 100 properties by the end of 2026 through hotel conversions — deals where the owner of an existing hotel assumes a new brand affiliation — or converting existing buildings into hotels. Marriott already has...

Ben Drew recently announced he’s stepping down as Viator president. Executive Editor Dennis Schaal explores what that means for Viator’s parent company Tripadvisor, which is considering a potential sale.   While Schaal writes the impact of Drew’s departure is unclear, one travel industry executive said it would make a potential buyer of Tripadvisor take a deeper look at Viator’s prospects as well...

Episode Notes Delta Air Lines posted a first-quarter profit in what’s normally a sluggish period for airlines — in part due to a rebound in business travel, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Delta President Glen Hauenstein said during the company’s earnings call that corporate travel sales were up 14% from last year. He added the technology, customer services and financial services indus...

Episode Notes Several major hotel CEOs took home more money in 2023 than they did the previous year. Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill provides information about their pay packages.  Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta was the highest paid hotel executive in 2023, making $56.8 million. He was awarded about $8.3 million in total compensation the previous year. O’Neill cites stock-market gains as a...

Episode Notes Michelin is rolling out a new hotel rating system worldwide this year. The company has already awarded 24 French hotels its highest rating, “Three Keys,” writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz.  Michelin said it’s looking to evaluate hotels beyond basic amenities, with an emphasis on their restaurants, design and service. One key signifies a “special” hotel, two keys a...

Episode Notes The total eclipse that will pass diagonally across the U.S. next week is expected to boost tourism in dozens of cities. So how will it impact air travel? Reporters Meghna Maharishi and Elizabeth Casolo have answers.  The Federal Aviation Administration has issued warnings about traffic possibly being higher at airports in the eclipse’s path. However, two airports run by the Niagara F...

Episode Notes Brand USA will have a new president and CEO soon. NYC Tourism + Conventions CEO Fred Dixon will lead the U.S.’ destination marketing organization starting July 15, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Dixon, a veteran of the travel industry, will be tasked with helping the U.S. tourism industry make a full recovery from the pandemic. Long visitor visa wait times and the...

Steve Singh, co-founder of travel expense management company Concur, and four firms have acquired corporate travel agency Direct Travel, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.  Singh said the group purchased Direct Travel, one of the world’s largest corporate travel agencies, from private venture capital firm Antares Capital and other debt providers. He said they’re planning to release a...

Episode Notes Travel metasearch sites, which enable consumers to compare hotel or flight prices from multiple vendors simultaneously, had been thriving since the early days of online travel. But the sector is experiencing a rough patch now, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Schaal writes some of the major travel metasearch players have had financial issues in recent years, noting Google has...

Episode Notes Airbnb will introduce a new cancellation policy in June that will cover weather-related disruptions, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.   Airbnb’s “Major Disruptive Events Policy” would enable guests to cancel reservations and receive refunds when a natural disaster causes government travel restrictions or mass outages of utilities, such as electricity or water. Airbnb’s new pol...

Episode Notes Google is launching several new artificial intelligence-powered tools to help travelers plan trips, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.  The new tools will allow Google Search to create itineraries based on prompts from users. Dawes reports users can search for a trip itinerary, and they’ll see flight and hotel options as well as suggestions for attractions and dining. Go...