Skift Daily Briefing

Episode Notes Trivago has struggled in recent years, with its shares currently trading for a little more than $1 per share. So the company is returning to its old playbook by looking to significantly beef up advertising, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal in his weekly column.   Schaal writes Trivago’s new leadership plans on intensifying its brand advertising, including on TV,by the end of th...

Episode Notes September 5 was the beginning of New York City’s host registration rules. However, the city’s electronic verification system isn’t ready yet, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Three sources familiar with the new process said the city hadn’t completed implementing the system for verifying listings with short-term rental platforms like Airbnb. Hosts with shared rooms need to obt...

Episode Notes Washington, D.C. will spend roughly $20 million in an upcoming campaign to help boost the city’s lagging tourism recovery, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  The global campaign — called “There’s Only One DC” — will launch November 1. Habtemariam reports the campaign will support influencer collaborations, as well as advertising on social media and television. Destina...

Episode Notes Airbnb hosts in New York City are rapidly approaching a September 5 deadline to register with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. So the company could see a large reduction in its New York City listings, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Airbnb had 23,000 active listings in the city as of July and Schaal writes many would be unable to accept stays under new enforcement....

Episode Notes Hyatt has joined MGM Resorts and Marriott in changing how they disclose resort fees on their websites and apps. However, those modifications still won’t quiet the growing uproar over so-called junk fees, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  In July, Hyatt began displaying nightly rates plus mandatory resort fees upfront on a traveler’s first search of its site and app. Hy...

Skift Short-Term Rental Report: Skift’s latest newsletter focuses on the business of short-term rentals. Don’t miss out on essential industry news. Get a Trial Subscription Episode Notes New York City is behind in reviewing hundreds of short-term rental applications prior to a September 5 deadline requiring hosts to register with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, reports Executive Editor...

Episode Notes A new report said JetBlue Airways is planning to raise airfares on routes flown by Spirit Airlines by as much as 40% if the two carriers’ proposed merger is approved, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly.  JetBlue would increase fares between 24% and 40%, according to a report by legal news service Law360. The report cited documents released as part of a...

Episode Notes Maui’s tourism industry faces an uncertain future as the island recovers from the massive devastation caused by recent wildfires. Maui’s hotels have suffered enormously in the aftermath of the destruction, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Habtemariam reports that nearly half of all hotel rooms in Maui were unfilled last week. The island’s hotel occupancy rates were 4...

Episode Notes Europe is experiencing a major air traffic controller shortage. It’s not only delaying flights, it’s hurting the continent’s travel recovery, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly. European airspace manager Eurocontrol found flight delays have increased 6% from last year, attributing those disruptions in part to air traffic controller staffing shortages....

Episode Notes Hospitality brand Selina has seen a dramatic swing in its stock price as it attempts to escape from its penny stock status, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  The company saw its shares fall 41% last Friday although they rebounded 9% on Monday. O’Neill writes the stock price drop happened after Selina said that 8.6 million shares could be hitting the market soon. Two ot...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Paid ChatGPT Plus users are now able to plan virtually every aspect of a trip in one place using the travel plugins available on the platform. So what worked well and what didn’t on those travel plugins? Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes provides answers in his Travel Tech Briefing. Dawes reports Chat...

Episode Notes IHG has launched its 19th brand, called Garner, an IHG hotel, as part of its strategy to target mid-market travelers, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. O’Neill writes Garner aims to be more affordable for travelers than IHG’s other brands targeting this segment. The company expects to open more than 1,000 hotels under the Garner brand over the next two decades. O’Neill...

Episode Notes Airbnb and Booking.com have delivered strong cash flow over the past year, giving them the flexibility for acquisitions and other transactions, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal in his Online Travel Briefing. Schaal looked at the companies’ free cash flow conversion, which measures how efficiently companies convert revenue into free cash flow after interest payments.  A key fact...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes The Texas state government has filed a lawsuit against Booking Holdings, alleging the company violates state law by not including certain fees when it initially displays room prices, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Schaal writes the Texas lawsuit comes as the Biden administration and Congress are in...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Tourism boards across the U.S. are increasingly supporting measures to get workers back into offices to help boost struggling downtowns, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Habtemariam notes the U.S. Travel Association strongly backs President Joe Biden’s push to have federal employees spend...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes U.S. tourism businesses were heavily dependent on Chinese visitors pre-pandemic and now are looking elsewhere to replace billions in tourist spending, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Brand USA CEO Chris Thompson said Chinese visitors spent $35 billion in 2019, making them the largest tour...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Choice Hotels views its recent acquisition of Radisson Americas as an enormous success and it’s strongly considering making more deals, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Choice CEO Patrick Pacious touted the benefits of the acquisition during Choice’s second quarter earnings call on Tuesday. As...

Episode Notes The U.S. expects visitor numbers from some major markets such as Canada and India to exceed pre-Covid levels this year. However, Brand USA CEO Chris Thompson says that progress won’t be enough to make up for the large-scale absence of Chinese visitors, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Thompson said in an interview with Skift that the U.S. won’t experience a full tou...

Episode Notes It’s still uncertain when business travel will make a full recovery. But Hyatt is optimistic that the sector is making substantial progress in its rebound from the pandemic, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian said on Thursday the company is seeing sustained corporate demand for group travel, which he added is showing no signs of slowing down. H...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Trivago opted not to join the advertising unit that Google launched in May to attract hotel bookings. That decision contributed to the online travel agency’s disappointing second quarter performance, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.   Schaal writes that Trivago’s absence in the new unit — unlike riva...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes The solid performance of Marriott’s premium hotels drove the world’s largest hotel company to a strong second quarter. And now, Marriott is looking to add midscale hotels to its portfolio, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. O’Neill writes one reason Marriott has raised its 2023 outlook for prof...

Episode Notes Soccer’s World Cup is coming to North America in 2026, but it’s uncertain where the final of the tournament will be held. Three U.S. cities are jockeying to host the event’s most prestigious match, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Habtemariam writes that Dallas, Los Angeles and MetLife Stadium in New York City’s New Jersey suburbs are prime contenders to host the fi...

Episode Notes Wyndham Hotels & Resorts reported a drop in profitability during the second quarter. That’s partly because the hot demand for its budget hotels is cooling, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  Wydham saw its net income fall 18% in the second quarter from last year. O’Neill writes its portfolio skews toward affordable roadside hotels, which surged in popularity immediately...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Hilton is seeing no signs of a slowdown in travel demand. The company said the second quarter was the best booking quarter in its history, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  O’Neill reports Hilton’s second quarter revenue per available room — an important hotel industry performance metric — ro...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Hilton Worldwide launched a major international marketing campaign exactly a year ago on Tuesday that focused on its ability to provide travelers with reliable lodging experiences. So has it been a success? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill finds out.  O’Neill reports Hilton has seen an increase in sal...