Travel

Qatar Airways’ new in-flight safety video just dropped, and it’s likely to divide opinion. The carrier has partnered with U.S. comedian and actor Kevin Hart who leads passengers through a pre-departure briefing with a twist.  Described by the airline as “a safety video coming from the Hart,” it begins with Hart taking a phone call

Travelers arriving in Mexico via cruise ship could see their trips to the country become more expensive. The lower house of Mexico’s Congress voted last week to charge cruise passengers a roughly $42 immigration tax at Mexico ports, a measure that could go into effect in 2026. Two-thirds of the revenue from the tax would

This is the third in a series of video diaries I am doing while spending time in Morocco for a family commitment. I am experimenting with this video diary format to share my thoughts on the travel industry through the lens of my stay here. Here’s the first one, which was on preserving authenticity in a

Travel tech companies are generally optimistic that a second Trump presidency could be positive for business and innovation, particularly around AI. Laura Chadwick, president and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, noted some rough spots for the industry during the first Trump administration, namely a travel ban on people from Muslim-dominated countries and efforts to

The essence of travel lies not only in the destinations we visit but in the authentic experiences that linger in our hearts long after we return home. A genuine smile, an unhurried moment of connection, or the warmth of a simple act of kindness – these are the hallmarks of destinations with a deeply rooted

When Richard Kessler founded the Kessler Collection in 1984, the U.S. had few boutique hotels. Inspired by Europe’s small, independent hotels and bed-and-breakfast lodgings, Kessler discerned that travelers would pay up to stay in novel places. Today, he has 10 high-end hotels, all part of Marriott’s loyalty program and the largest Autograph Collection franchisee. Boutique

Travel startups have raised nearly a billion dollars so far in November. Seventeen travel companies raised nearly $636 million in the last three weeks. That’s on top $318 million earlier this month for flying taxi startup Beta Technologies, plus some smaller fundraises. The most significant so far this month — and all year for a software

Hyatt’s acquisition of boutique hotel platform Mr & Mrs Smith is showing early signs of success. Since the deal was announced in June 2023, both companies have reported expanded market reach and back-end systems have been integrated. “It’s now a really easy process to add hotels,” said Tamara Lohan, CEO and founder of Mr and

Visitors to the Maldives will soon need to shell out a lot more. The island destination is currently grappling with a financial crunch that’s driving significant hikes in taxes for tourists. While the Maldivian government aims to stabilize the economy through these moves, the tourism industry is concerned that it could potentially dampen the appeal

A group advocating “neutral search,” including more than 40 online travel and tour companies, drafted a letter to the European Commission blasting Google’s recent search changes as designed to create conflict between online travel companies and suppliers, and to generate political backlash against the Digital Markets Act. Earlier this week, Google began a “short test”

The world has hundreds of international airlines, but only a select few can call themselves “super connectors.” These carriers channel huge amounts of traffic through a hub airport, resulting in an almost infinite combination of one-stop city pairings.  Alongside notable competitors such as Turkish Airlines, Emirates has leveraged its geographic position to bridge continents and

A record number of Americans are hitting the road for Thanksgiving this year, a sign that Christmas next month could also see monster travel numbers. So what are the hardest parts of holiday travel for both travelers and those working in the travel industry? We posed the question to our answer engine Ask Skift 2.0. The

MakeMyTrip has introduced multi-currency payment options, allowing users to make booking payments using the currency of their choice. A move that follows the Indian online travel company’s compliance with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  The latest facility will allow users to make payments in major global currencies apart from the Indian Rupee. These include: 

A senate subcommittee criticized major U.S. airlines for their use of “junk fees” in a report published Tuesday.  The Senate subcommittee on investigations found that from 2018 to 2023, American, Delta, United, Spirit and Frontier raked in $12.4 billion from seating fees. The report found that seat fee revenue was second only to revenue from

China has further expanded its visa-free entry program to cover citizens from nine additional countries. Starting November 30, visitors from a total of 38 eligible countries can stay in China visa-free for up to 30 days, doubling the previous limit of 15 days. This initiative, set to remain in effect until the end of 2025,

In a year when outdoor recreation contributed a record $639.5 billion to the U.S. economy, accounting for 2.3% of the nation’s GDP, one surprising outlier stands out: New York. Despite its iconic parks, proximity to nature, and reputation as a cultural hub, New York’s outdoor recreation economy contributed only 1.6% to its state GDP in

Expedia Group is once again supplying hotel inventory to Hopper, almost a year-and-a-half after Expedia abruptly terminated the partnership over stated concerns about Hopper’s fintech offerings, according to sources close to Hopper. Expedia turned on the hotel supply spigot over the summer. These Expedia-provided hotels first began appearing on Capital One Travel, Hopper’s most important

On November 12, President-elect Donald Trump announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), calling it “the Manhattan Project of our time.”  Led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the initiative is poised to overhaul the very structure of the federal government through significant staff reductions and technological integration.  Among the ambitious goals: