Skift Daily Briefing

Episode Notes Travelers might be uncertain if Sonder is a short-term rental operator like Airbnb or a hotel operator. Now, the company is launching its first hotel collection, writes Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Schaal reports that Powered by Sonder includes 23 Sonder-operated properties in 13 markets. The company said those hotels are different from other hotels and multi-unit apartments in t...

Episode Notes Hotel companies will report earnings over the next several weeks. So what will industry insiders be paying close attention to? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill explains in this week’s Early Check-In column.  O’Neill writes investors will look closely to estimate when sector revenues may return to pre-pandemic levels. The American Hotel and Lodging Association doesn’t expect U.S...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Destinations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico are ramping up their preparations to welcome soccer’s World Cup in 2026. And they’ll need a substantial influx of money to make hosting the event a success, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Officials at this week’s Destinations International...

Episode Notes The travel industry is continuing to make substantial progress in its recovery from the pandemic, but what challenges is it still facing? Skift Research answers that question and more in its newly released State of Travel 2023 report. The report contains more than 250 data slides documenting the current state of travel and trends shaping the industry’s future. For example, Americans...

Episode Notes Singapore has overtaken Japan as the country with the world’s most powerful passport while the U.S. dropped two spots in recently released rankings, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy. Citizens of Singapore have visa-free access to 190 destinations, according to the Henley Passport Index. The Index ranks the world’s passports by the number of destinations their holders...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Twitter has increasingly lost its relevance as a tourism marketing tool in recent months. And now, a growing number of destination marketing organizations are turning to its new rival Threads, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Habtemariam cites Destination Toronto, Visit Orlando and Visit U...

Episode Notes Some hotel executives have expressed concerns about the security and reliability of today’s generative artificial intelligence. However, industry experts are confident that AI will make room pricing more profitable, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  Former IHG executive Jeff Edwards said revenue management would be the perfect use for the technology because it is too c...

Episode Notes Delta Air Lines saw a significant revenue bump during the second quarter thanks to a major surge in international travel to Europe and Latin America, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly.  Delta President Glen Hauenstein said the company’s international revenue recorded a 61% increase while domestic revenue was only up 8%. Hauenstein added that Europe an...

Episode Notes Expedia Group terminated its relationship on Wednesday with online travel agency Hopper over practices that Expedia considers anti-consumer, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Expedia had supplied rival Hopper with hotel and short-term rental inventory for several years. An Expedia spokesperson said the company cut ties with Hopper because it believes Hopper’s content confuses...

Episode Notes Delta Air Lines is launching two routes this fall that will serve Austin. But that expansion may come too late for Delta to overtake the market share of rivals American and Southwest in the city, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift Airline Weekly.    Delta will connect Austin, one of the U.S.’ fastest-growing cities, to Las Vegas and Orlando daily beginning on October 9. Russell...

Episode Notes U.S. destination marketing organizations are eager to increase their marketing activities in China later this year. So how successful will those efforts be? Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam writes that any success depends on flights between the countries returning to pre-pandemic levels.  Gloria Lan, CEO of tour operator Tour America, said a lot of destination marketing orga...

Episode Notes Accor executives have been hard at work to boost the Paris-based hotel company’s digital operations, but what does that entail exactly? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill provides answers in this week’s Early Check-In column. O’Neill delves into what he considers the most notable findings from presentations Accor recently held for investors. The company runs a “digital factory,”...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Taylor Swift is heading to Australia next February for her Eras Tour — but not New Zealand. However, Air New Zealand is boosting capacity for the thousands of Swifties eager to travel to Australia for her shows, writes Reporter Jess Wade. Wade reports 10,000 Kiwis have booked flights on Air New Zealand coin...

Episode Notes Today we present an excerpt from the latest episode of The Skift Podcast, featuring Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill interviewing Travel Tech Reporter Justin Dawes about his experience last week at the Hospitality Industry Technology Expo and Conference—better known as HITEC, "the world’s largest hospitality technology show.” You can listen to the full interview detailing Justi...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry: Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Hotels are increasingly viewing wellness as a way to attract travelers placing a greater emphasis on their physical and mental well-being. So what strategies are hotel brands taking? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill reports in this week’s Early Check-In column that a recently published report is provi...

Episode Notes Airlines flying out of the New York City area have had a terrible recent stretch, with severe weather and a shortage of air traffic controllers contributing to thousands of flight disruptions just before the Fourth of July. But perhaps the hardest hit carrier was United Airlines — especially at its hub Newark, reports Edward Russell, editor of Airline Weekly, a Skift publication.  Ne...

Have a question about the business of travel? Get your answer at Ask Skift. Episode Notes Inflation is still a major concern for many American travelers, but rising prices aren’t putting a dent in travel demand. More than 50 million Americans are expected to travel for this year’s Fourth of July, reports Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden.  Travel organization AAA projects the number of Americans tra...

Episode Notes Several major U.S. cities are facing a similar challenge in their quest to make a full recovery from the pandemic — the absence of suburban residents. Urban destination marketing organizations acknowledge they need the critical group to help boost visitor numbers, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Habtemariam reports that prior to the pandemic, suburban residents oft...

Episode Notes China was a major market for Carnival Corporation prior to the pandemic. But despite Beijing lifting the country’s strict travel curbs earlier this year, the cruise line isn’t returning to China in the near future, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein said on Monday the company’s strong second quarter did not reflect a return to China, and ad...

Episode Notes Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific said on Friday it expects to turn a profit in the first half of 2023 after years of losses. But the company’s slow recovery is a concern in the airline industry, reports Edward Russell, editor of Airline Weekly, a Skift publication. Cathay Pacific’s expected profit comes after it posted a roughly $320 million dollar loss in the first half of las...

Episode Notes A growing number of affluent travelers are seeking extreme adventures, but are they pushing the boundaries for those popular excursions too far? Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy seeks answers from executives responsible for organizing those trips.  Carl Shephard, co-founder of travel company Insider Expeditions, said safety is always the priority, but added that the industry...

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry. Ask Skift Your Questions Episode Notes Canadian travel brands took on large amounts of debt during the pandemic to weather the Covid-induced slowdown. But with those companies still struggling due to the country’s sluggish recovery, Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam writes Canada’s travel industry could face business shutdowns in the nea...

Episode Notes The global travel industry is making consistent progress in its recovery from the pandemic. Skift Research’s Travel Health Index for May 2023 projects the industry’s travel performance will soon surpass 2019 levels.  Research Analyst Saniya Zanpure reports the Index’s average global score in May hit 100 percent of pre-Covid levels, 2 percentage points higher than the previous month....

Episode Notes Chicago’s tourism industry has recently gotten a big boost from events like three sold out Taylor Swift concerts at Soldier Field. Local authorities hope the success of her shows can be the antidote to the city’s negative reputation, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Habtemariam reports 45,000 people came to Chicago over a June weekend when it hosted a large oncology...

Episode Notes Travelers will likely notice that hotel room rates are up this summer travel season compared to last year, leading to charges that hotel owners are raising prices to take advantage of pent-up vacation demand. However, Senior Research Analyst Seth Borko argues that surging rates aren’t a case of price gouging. Borko acknowledges that the average price of a U.S. hotel room rose 13 perc...