The Neither Economy: Travel’s Big Blind Spot
The article introduces the “Neither Economy,” a fast‑growing cohort of cross‑border workers and families who do not fit traditional tourism or immigration categories. It highlights how current travel‑industry frameworks, such as Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR), overlook these mobile individuals, creating a data blind spot. Drawing on UN and Skift research, the piece calls for new policies, portable social‑security schemes, and interoperable digital‑payment systems to capture their economic contribution. The author uses a Filipino nurse’s experience to illustrate the real‑world impact of this oversight.
How a Cruise Line Cut Emissions by 90% on a 12-Day Voyage
Havila Voyages completed a 12‑day cruise along Norway’s Bergen‑to‑Kirkenes route using biogas, slashing CO₂ emissions by roughly 90% versus conventional marine fuel. The vessel consumed about 0.3 terawatt‑hours of biogas, roughly a third of Norway’s total 2025 production. While the trial...
Choice Hotels Had a Rough First Quarter
Choice Hotels posted a disappointing first‑quarter, with RevPAR down 2.3% year‑over‑year while the U.S. hotel market saw a near‑4% increase. The decline contributed to a roughly 15% stock slide despite broader market gains. Hurricanes that struck four key states skewed...
Wyndham Pitches AI as Antidote to Hotel Margin Squeeze
Wyndham Hotels raised its full‑year RevPAR outlook while unveiling an AI‑driven toolkit aimed at easing margin pressure for its franchisees. The company is deploying voice‑assistant agents and upgraded booking platforms to boost ancillary sales and streamline operations. Although the technology...
The States Most Exposed to the Inbound Travel Slump
A federal report from the National Travel and Tourism Office shows that five states—New York, California, Florida, Texas and Massachusetts—accounted for almost 60% of international visitor spending in 2024, totalling roughly $100 billion. New York and California experienced declines in overseas arrivals, while...
Grab Doesn’t Want the Full Trip — Just a Key Piece of It
Grab has turned its super‑app navigation into a hyper‑local mapping platform that now powers services for Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and TikTok across Southeast Asia. The technology can route through motorcycle‑only alleys, geocode informal addresses and integrate local payment methods,...
Uber’s Hotel Deal Tells You More About Expedia’s Future Than Uber’s
Uber has introduced hotel booking within its U.S. app, leveraging Expedia Group’s Rapid API to offer access to over 700,000 properties. The service is bundled with Uber One, giving members 10 % back in Uber credits and a rotating 20 % discount...
Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson on Surviving the Value Airline Squeeze
Allegiant Air remains profitable while many U.S. low‑cost rivals struggle, and it is bolstering its position through the pending acquisition of Sun Country Airlines. CEO Greg Anderson credits a disciplined focus on network design, operational flexibility, aircraft ownership and low...
Prism’s G6 Debuts New Budget Brand in the U.S. — Studio 6 Plus
India‑based Prism’s hospitality arm G6 Hospitality has unveiled Studio 6 Plus, a new premium‑economy extended‑stay brand for the United States. The first 15 properties, to be built by Natson Hotel Group in Atlanta, represent a $200 million investment. Studio 6 Plus targets traveling professionals with...
Investors Bet on ‘OTA 2.0’ — But Some Builders Aren’t There Yet
Investors are channeling fresh capital into a next‑generation, AI‑powered wave of online travel agencies dubbed “OTA 2.0.” At a Skift Forum panel, industry veterans argued that artificial intelligence could reshape distribution the way early OTAs did a decade ago. Yet many...
Minor Hotels to Launch Private Jet Experience – Exclusive
Minor Hotels announced that its Anantara luxury brand will roll out a private‑jet experience, targeting a 2027 launch. The service aims to create seamless, end‑to‑end journeys for affluent guests, complementing existing transport offerings such as riverboats across its Southeast Asian...
JetBlue Is Expanding in Spirit’s Fort Lauderdale Turf. As for a Bailout? ‘Never Say Never.’
JetBlue is expanding its capacity in Fort Lauderdale, a market long dominated by Spirit Airlines, even as Spirit battles a second Chapter 11 filing and explores a possible federal bailout. JetBlue executives emphasized that the growth plan is independent of Spirit’s...
Bahrain Gives Travel a Grace Period on Fees
Bahrain will let hotels, serviced apartments and restaurants defer the 5 % tourism levy and the BHD 3 ($8) per‑night accommodation fee until July 31 2026, easing cash‑flow pressures after the Iran‑Israel war slashed occupancy to 16.9 % in March 2025. The deferral follows similar...
Hilton Says ChatGPT App Is Coming and to Expect More ‘Select’ Deals
Hilton announced it will launch an app inside OpenAI's ChatGPT within weeks, joining rivals Hyatt, Accor and Wyndham. CEO Chris Nassetta said the chain is partnering with OpenAI, Google AI and Anthropic to avoid reliance on a single platform. The...
The Ultimate Luxury in Hotels: A Room Full of Guests Worth Talking To
Ultra‑luxury hotels have leaned into sky‑high pricing, resulting in a homogenized guest mix that lacks the spontaneous social energy of classic hotel lobbies. Restaurateur Jeremy King demonstrates that more accessible restaurant pricing can re‑energize these spaces, drawing journalists, analysts, artists...
Intrepid Travel’s Secret: Purpose, Profits, and Why Small-Group Tours Are Booming
Intrepid Travel reported a 35% year‑on‑year profit increase, crediting its balanced stakeholder approach and B Corp certification. The tour operator is tapping two fast‑growing segments—wealthy baby boomers and experience‑focused younger travelers—while reshaping its U.S. offering with shorter, flexible adventures. CEO...
How the U.S. Tourism Slump Is Hitting Short-Term Rentals: Exclusive
AirDNA’s first‑quarter data shows international short‑term rental demand in the United States slipping faster than overall visitor numbers, with a 4.7% drop in January versus a 3.5% decline in inbound tourism. Canadian bookings led the downturn, falling more than 20%...
Oman’s New Tourism Rules, Explained
Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has introduced a comprehensive licensing framework that requires every tourism‑related business to obtain a government permit. The decree expands regulation beyond adventure‑tourism to include hotels, travel agencies, tour guides, entertainment groups and business‑tourism organizers....
Travel’s Climate Gap Is Growing. So Is the Opportunity.
Travel’s climate gap is widening as tourism emissions rise 3.5% annually, double the global rate, threatening margins and asset values. Early adopters like Aspen One and the Málaga Tourism Board are cutting energy costs—down to $5 per room—and building resilient...
Virgin Voyages Gave 1,100 TikTokers a Free Cruise. Here Are the Results
Virgin Voyages invited more than 1,100 TikTok creators on a complimentary three‑night Bahamas cruise, prompting them to produce over 17,000 videos. The content generated 108 million views and 3.8 million engagements within days, while social‑driven web traffic more than doubled. The campaign...
Emirates’ Tim Clark Blames Europe’s Airlines for Their Long-Haul Decline
Emirates President Sir Tim Clark rebuffed European airline executives who claim Gulf carriers have stolen long‑haul traffic, arguing the decline stems from Europe’s own strategic errors. Speaking at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit, Clark highlighted that legacy carriers failed to...
American Express Saw Strong Luxury Spending in Q1, Airline Softness in April
American Express reported a surge in premium‑customer activity during the first quarter, with luxury retail spending climbing 18% and Fine Hotels & Resorts lodging up 50%. Overall airline spend grew 8% for the quarter but dipped in late March and...
Saudi Arabia’s Business Travel Drove the Middle East’s 2025 Growth
The World Travel & Tourism Council reported that the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector expanded 5.3% in 2025, outpacing the global 4.1% average and contributing $385.8 billion to world GDP. Saudi Arabia was the primary engine, posting a 7.4% sector...
India’s Noida Airport Gets a New CEO; Taj Partners With Etihad on Loyalty
India’s Noida International Airport named CFO Nitu Samra as interim CEO to satisfy a Bureau of Civil Aviation Security rule that airport CEOs be Indian nationals. Swiss‑born Christoph Schnellmann, who has led the greenfield project since 2020, will shift to...
United CEO Defends Vision for American Merger in Unusual Public Memo
United Airlines chief Scott Kirby issued an unprecedented public memo defending his vision for a merger with American Airlines, even after American rebuffed the overture. Kirby argued the combination would create a customer‑centric carrier focused on growth rather than traditional...
Trip.com Group on Why Going Global Means Becoming the Best Local Player in Every Market
At Skift Asia Forum 2026, Trip.com’s Boon Sian Chai argued that Asian travel operators can win globally by becoming the best local player in every market. He highlighted how event‑driven travel, AI‑powered conversational booking, and creator‑led distribution are reshaping demand,...
Google Cloud Uses Travel to Show What Agentic AI Can Actually Do
At Google Cloud Next, the company unveiled its Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, a mission‑control layer for coordinating multiple AI agents across data and workflows. The platform was demonstrated using the travel sector, with Virgin Voyages launching Rovey, an AI assistant that...
Air New Zealand ‘Can’t Recover the Full Cost of This Fuel,’ CEO Says
Air New Zealand’s chief executive says the airline can only recoup about 40% of soaring jet‑fuel costs, which have climbed to roughly $200 a barrel. To shield margins, the carrier has trimmed capacity, nudged fares upward and tightened cost controls. Despite...
H World International Posts First Profit Since 2019 Acquisition
H World International posted its first profit since its 2019 acquisition, reporting adjusted EBITDA of €63 million ($73.7 million) after a €19 million loss the year before. The turnaround was driven by pricing tweaks, cost cuts, an asset‑light strategy and integration with H...
Emirates Is Working on Private Bathrooms as Airlines Race to Reinvent First Class
Emirates announced it is developing en‑suite bathrooms for its first‑class suites, aiming to raise cabin luxury. President Tim Clark said the concept is being worked on, though no timeline was provided. Adding private bathrooms would reduce seat count and increase...
Airline Alliances Shift as Emirates Bets on a Fast Travel Rebound
American Airlines and Alaska Airlines are in talks to deepen their partnership with a revenue‑share model that could reshape U.S. airline competition. Emirates Airlines expressed confidence that travelers will quickly move past the disruptions caused by the Iran war, forecasting...
Why Hotel Owners Are Turning to Brands to Stay Competitive in Asia
Hotel owners across Asia are shifting from new builds to converting existing properties into global brands. Conversions deliver faster market entry, profitability gains of 15‑40%, and lower OTA commissions—about 30% reduction. Accor’s flexible brand portfolio lets owners match assets to...
Dubai Hotels Pull Nearly 2,000 Rooms for Renovations as Iran War Hits Occupancy
Dubai’s hotel sector is withdrawing nearly 2,000 rooms for refurbishment after the Iran‑Israel conflict slashed occupancy to 36.2% in March, down from 71.4% a year earlier. Seven properties, ranging from budget brands to ultra‑luxury icons, have announced closures, with JW...
Abu Dhabi Was a Mistake — Wizz Air’s CEO Says He’ll Make More
Wizz Air’s joint‑venture in Abu Dhabi, launched in 2019 with sovereign‑wealth fund ADQ, was shut down last summer after the airline hit unexpected operational and regulatory hurdles. CEO József Váradi admitted the move was a mistake, citing especially the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine...
Accor Launches ‘Profit Protection Plan’ to Counter Uncertainty
Accor announced a precautionary “profit protection plan” in March to shield its 2026 profit targets from oil‑price shocks and geopolitical uncertainty, especially in the Middle East. CFO Martine Gerow said roughly half of the cost‑containment measures focus on the UAE...
World Cup Travelers Got a Warning About Trump’s Policies. That’s Bad for Business.
More than 120 civil‑rights and soccer supporter groups have issued a travel advisory warning World Cup visitors about heightened risks under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The advisory lists threats such as arbitrary denial of entry, invasive device searches, and...
Scandic Hotels Group Moves Closer to Dalata Deal as Leadership Overhaul Begins
Scandic Hotels Group, which has been managing Dalata’s portfolio since November, announced that Dalata’s CEO Dermot Crowley and his deputy will step down later this year as part of a post‑acquisition restructuring. Dalata was bought for €1.4 billion (approximately $1.5 billion) by...
ChatGPT Just Turned On the Pricing Model Travel Advertising Runs On
OpenAI has switched its ChatGPT advertising from an impression‑based model to a cost‑per‑click (CPC) pricing structure, mirroring Google’s search ad auction. The change lets travel marketers compare ChatGPT ad performance directly with familiar search metrics. Hotel listings are already appearing...
Southwest Holds Off on Changing Profit Outlook, Says It ‘Would Not Be Productive’
Southwest Airlines announced it will not revise its 2026 adjusted earnings per share guidance of $4, despite a sharp rise in fuel costs and lingering macroeconomic uncertainty. The carrier points to a 20% cost advantage over legacy rivals and cites...
How Spirit Airlines Fell Apart: A Complete Timeline
Spirit Airlines, once a top ultra‑low‑cost carrier, spiraled into crisis from 2021 to 2026. Operational setbacks and a $75 million Q3 loss forced the airline to postpone its recovery, while two attempted mergers with Frontier and JetBlue were blocked by regulators....
Booking.com Hit With Italy Antitrust Probe Over Hotel Visibility
Italy's competition authority has opened an antitrust investigation into Booking.com, alleging that its preferred partner program gives hotels that pay higher commissions preferential visibility on the site. The regulator says this practice could mislead consumers and push up accommodation prices....
Capital One Closed Hopper Tech and Employee Deal in April, Focuses on Travel Expansion
Capital One completed an April deal that brings Hopper's travel‑booking technology and roughly 150 employees in‑house, strengthening its Capital One Travel platform. The acquisition does not include all of Hopper’s assets, leaving the core B2B product with the original company....
5 Fuel Shocks, 5 Very Different Endings: What History Tells Us About This One
Jet fuel prices have doubled in eight weeks, creating a severe cost shock for airlines that see fuel as 20‑30% of expenses. The surge is linked to geopolitical tensions, especially the war in Iran, and looming supply constraints in Europe...
The Premium Cabin Bet and the Demographic Math Behind It
Airlines worldwide are pouring billions into premium‑cabin upgrades, from United’s $499 per‑segment Polaris Studio surcharge to Singapore Airlines retrofitting 41 wide‑bodies with new business suites. A recent Ipsos survey of 4,000 U.S. adults shows the highest premium‑cabin usage occurs among...
Aviation’s Decarbonization Bet Is Looking Shakier Than Ever
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) was touted as a hedge against soaring jet‑fuel prices, but the Middle‑East conflict has driven fuel costs to more than double in a month, exposing the industry's reliance on volatile fossil supplies. SAF now accounts for...
Fora Travel Is Focused on Growth and a Small Acquisition Helps Build AI Tools
Fora Travel, a private host agency, has generated $2.3 billion in sales within five years, expanding its advisor network to 15,000 active members across 93 countries. The company’s rapid growth stems from aggressive hiring—half of its 200‑person staff are engineers—and heavy...
New Guide: The Identity Gap Holding Back Travel Marketing Performance
Travel marketers have poured money into orchestration tools, yet 70%‑95% of website visitors remain anonymous, limiting personalization and direct bookings. Wunderkind’s new guide argues that identity resolution is the missing layer that can turn invisible traffic into measurable revenue. By...
Apollo Is the Latest Fund to Bet on European Hostels
Institutional investors are pouring capital into European hostels, with more than $1 billion deployed in the past 30 months. Apollo Global Management closed a senior €874 million (about $1 billion) loan secured by a&o Hostels’ 44 properties and roughly 30,000 beds. The financing...
India Loses Up to 20% of Inbound Tourism as Iran War Cuts Key Air Routes
India's inbound tourism is projected to contract by up to 20% in 2025, driven by the Iran war's disruption of key Middle‑East air corridors that serve long‑haul travelers from Europe and North America. The decline follows a year‑on‑year drop to...
What Mandarin Oriental Is Seeing in Luxury Travel That Others Are Missing
Mandarin Oriental is shifting its luxury strategy from pure expansion to a brand‑led, guest‑centric model that emphasizes authentic, culturally resonant experiences. The hotel group plans to more than double its portfolio over the next decade, targeting locations such as Mallorca,...