Skift Daily Briefing

Episode Notes International travelers will soon no longer need proof of vaccination to enter the U.S. The White House announced this week the vaccine requirement for inbound international flyers will end on May 11, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  The Biden administration cited the decrease in Covid cases and hospitalizations as a reason for its decision. Habtemariam notes the Wh...

EPISODE NOTES Marriott International has announced plans to disclose its resort fees in its total prices by May 15. That’s the result of a settlement with the State of Pennsylvania requiring the company to include those charges in upfront total prices, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.   Many travelers express outrage when hotels such as Marriott charge them resort fees at the lobby...

Episode Notes Hyatt wants to improve its position in the luxury sector. The company announced plans on Friday to acquire UK boutique hotel booking site Mr & Mrs Smith for about $66 million, reports Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons.  Parsons writes the deal could double the number of boutique and luxury properties that Hyatt offers. In addition, Hyatt Chief Commercial Officer Mark Vondrasek...

Episode Notes American Airlines has seen the rise in blended travel upend its business. Not only are travelers who combine work and leisure trips driving changes in its strategy, the segment is also emerging as one of the company’s most lucrative areas, reports Edward Russell, editor of Airline Weekly, a Skift publication.  American said during its first-quarter earnings call on Thursday that this...

Episode Notes Hilton appears prepared to launch a new apartment hotel brand, just the latest expansion into more affordable offerings. This decision comes amid significant levels of activity in both the extended-stay and long-stay hotel spaces due to a shortage in the U.S. supply, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s president and CEO, told analysts that the ne...

Episode Notes Premier Inn is looking to expand its brand through mergers and acquisitions. Specifically gearing towards growth in the German market, the hotel chain provides competition to rival brands such as Ibis, B&B, Motel One and Best Western, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  O’Neill examines Premier’s acquisition of six hotels in Germany totaling about 900 rooms — each of the...

Episode Notes Companies delivering walking tours of Manhattan often deliver stereotypical tours with no originality. So Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy writes about an initiative in New York that helps entrepreneurs develop compelling and original walking tour experiences.   Brophy reports the Alliance for Downtown New York is in the final stages of its Walking Tour Incubator Grant Progr...

Episode Notes The largest public hotel companies will report their financial performance for the first quarter in the next several weeks. So what themes will investment bank analysts be looking for? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill explains in this week’s Early-Check In column. O’Neill writes one possibility is an equilibrium where supply and demand are just right, meaning hotel companies ar...

Episode Notes Environmental issues have seemingly become more important to travelers in recent years. However, travel companies worldwide have struggled to make their services greener. With that in mind, Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden looks at Skift’s coverage of environmental issues over several years ahead of Earth Dayon Saturday. Jorden notes tourism’s expanding carbon footprint is heightening...

Episode Notes Airline executives, like everyone else, were unable to predict the future of the industry when the pandemic struck in 2020. But United Airlines believes 2023 will give the company a clearer picture of its post-pandemic future, reports Contributor Madhu Unnikrishnan.   Despite United’s challenging first quarter, Unnikrishnan writes the Chicago-based carrier believes it spotted a notic...

Episode Notes Hyatt unveiled its newest brand, Hyatt Studios, on Tuesday, becoming the latest hotel company to launch an extended stay brand, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  Hyatt expects to open its first Hyatt Studios hotels next year. O’Neill writes Hyatt’s entry into extended stay is part of a boom in the category, with Marriott and Wyndham having launched extended stay brands...

Episode Notes The Ritz-Carlton believes it’s part of an innovative effort that could help it ease a labor shortage. The Marriott brand has teamed up with the Switzerland-based EHL Hospitality Business School to create a new employee training program in the Maldives, reports Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons.  The business school has established a three-year program to help the Ritz-Carlton a...

Episode Notes Skift Research projected in 2014 that so-called silent travelers — consumers who resorted to their mobile devices first to find solutions to problems — would significantly alter the travel industry. Has that been the case? Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden reports that mobile-first consumers have indeed changed travel in many ways. Jorden lists some of the shifts travel brands have mad...

Episode Notes Airbnb confirmed on Thursday that it’s pausing offering new experiences, or tours and activities, without saying when it plans to resume them, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy. An Airbnb spokesperson said it was putting a halt to new experiences offerings to focus on other aspects of its operations. Brophy reports the short-term rental giant had resumed its Experience...

Episode Notes Hilton has long taken a cautious approach to expanding its footprint in India. But with plans to debut its luxury brand Waldorf Astoria in the country, Hilton believes it’s in a prime position to replicate its China success in India, reports Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.  Hilton Asia-Pacific President Alan Watts acknowledged the company may be late in growing in India compared to it...

Episode Notes JetBlue Airways announced on Tuesday it’s launching service to Amsterdam this summer as part of its European expansion. But is the company disrupting the transatlantic market as it claims? That’s not really the case, reports Edward Russell, editor of Airline Weekly, Skift brand.  JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes argued that travelers on the New York-Amsterdam route had long been subject to ex...

Episode Notes New York City’s tourism industry has made a monster recovery from the pandemic. But local officials still have concerns about its long-term future, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Habtemariam reports New York City hit 85 percent of its pre-Covid tourism volume last year. The city is expected to make a complete tourism recovery in 2024, according to New York City + C...

Episode Notes Google is turning to a popular social media feature to help enrich the hotel search and booking process. The search engine has added an Instagram-like story tool to Google Travel, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.  Dawes reports users can view hotel options with access to information like location and price in a swipeable format somewhat similar to Instagram stories. Th...

Episode Notes The U.S. government could follow in the footsteps of several states that have enacted bans on their agencies using TikTok. So how would a national TikTok ban affect the U.S. tourism industry? Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam writes a ban would be a huge blow to the industry’s global marketing efforts.  Habtemariam reports that U.S. tourism boards have increased their marketi...

Episode Notes American Airlines recently shook up its ticket distribution strategy to help it gain more control of airfares. That move has resulted in corporate travel agencies seeing huge gaps in ticket prices, reports Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons.  American moved 40 percent of its airfares to its website and channels powered by New Distribution Capability, a technology that gives airl...

Episode Notes Expedia has released the first version of a ChatGPT-powered travel planning chatboton its mobile app. It’s the first online travel agency outside of Asia to do so, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Dawes notes that Expedia users can now use the chatbot to help plan trips. Although the tool does not offer specific real-time information about details such as pricing and e...

EPISODE NOTES Denmark’s national tourism board VisitDenmark is tapping into artificial intelligence to boost interest among prospective visitors. Its latest tourism campaign includes foreign landmarks, with an assist from Artificial Intelligence, playfully urging travelers to visit Denmark, reports Contributor Samantha Shankman.  The campaign features iconic attractions such as the Mona Lisa and S...

Episode Notes Southwest Airlines took a major beating from a massive meltdown that resulted in it canceling more than 17,000 flights last holiday season. So it’s implementing substantial steps to prevent a repeat of that enormous fiasco, reports Edward Russell, editor of Airline Weekly, a Skift brand. Southwest said in a new report it’s focused on major improvements in three areas, most notably be...

Episode Notes Remote work has grown exponentially in recent years, and speakers at the recent Skift Future of Lodging Forum in London believe it’s becoming further embedded in the hospitality industry, reports Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons in this week’s Future of Work briefing.  Parsons cited Airbnb as one company getting a boost from the rise in remote work. Global Head of Hosting Cath...

Episode Notes Hilton is looking at ways it can utilize the advances in artificial intelligence to adapt to travelers’ changing needs. So the company has been testing new features that will enable it to deeply personalize guest bookings and stays, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Chief Commercial Officer Chris Silcock said at the Skift Future of Lodging Forum in London on Wednesday that Hil...