Skift Take
Today’s podcast looks at Florida’s delicate tourism campaign, Abu Dhabi’s spherical Vegas duplicate, and Uber’s business travel push.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, October 16, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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Episode Notes
Visit Florida launched a new campaign this week to inform tourists much of the state is ready to welcome visitors after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
Visit Florida will share images and videos of destinations largely unaffected by the hurricanes via social media over the next two weeks. The tourism board has also recently launched social media campaigns with the messaging “Stronger Than the Storm” for in-state audiences and “Florida is Resilient” for domestic markets.
Habtemariam reports that Visit Florida plans to survey destination marketing organizations across the state and determine when they will be ready to welcome visitors again.
Next, Sphere Entertainment has announced Abu Dhabi will be the location of its second development, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder.
Corder reports the new sphere, which is said to “echo the scale” of the original in Las Vegas, is a joint venture between Sphere Entertainment and officials in Abu Dhabi. The sphere in Abu Dhabi is expected to have a similar capacity to the Las Vegas Sphere of around 20,000 seats. However, details such as the location, opening date or budget haven’t been revealed yet.
Finally, Uber is launching a new black-car service aimed at business travelers, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.
Dawes reports the service, called Uber Business Black, includes newer luxury vehicles and more flexible booking options. Riders with Uber Business Black will have access to a 24/7 line to human customer service agents for up to 72 hours after a ride. In addition, the service enables executive assistants to book and change rides on someone else’s behalf.