Travel

Skift Take Alaska’s success for Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company, points to the ongoing popularity of the cruise industry. Dawit Habtemariam Carnival Corp. said Monday that Alaska has emerged as one of the cruise line operator’s top destinations this year, especially for first-time cruisegoers. “Alaska, in particular, for this past year was off the

Skift Take Want to be trendy? Book a separate-bed, soft adventure trip with your fave colleague that involves some hard-to-get dinner reservations and a side of outdoor recreation. Sean O’Neill Hilton on Monday released the latest edition of its annual consumer survey. While the project was aimed at consumer media outlets, the report also highlighted

Skift Take The implementation of the Marriott partnership can’t come soon enough for Sonder, and it won’t kick in until 2025. Dennis Schaal Short-term rental company Sonder disclosed that it lost nearly $80 million more in 2022 than it previously reported. The disclosure was in the 10-K report for 2023, which was released Friday after

You wouldn’t know it today, but there was a time when Etihad Airways eyed global domination. Aiming to mirror massive growth at Dubai-based Emirates (now the world’s largest international airline), the UAE’s two largest carriers were locked in a big-money battle for supremacy.  Before the pandemic turned the industry upside down, Etihad endured a bruising

Skift Take India is getting serious about attracting more tourists — and it’s about more than just free visas. With the government and private sector working together, India is playing the long game. Peden Doma Bhutia The Indian government is offering visa-fee waivers for the first 100,000 tourists entering the country under the “Chalo India”

Skift Take In this video from Skift Global Forum 2024, Ling Hai of Mastercard discusses the future of travel, emphasizing the importance of adapting to changing consumer behaviors, the role of technology in shaping the industry, and the critical need for cybersecurity. Mastercard This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner. In

Skift Take Awards are great, but running a consistent operation in the face of increased scrutiny is a challenge. Colin Nagy Yet another list: The group behind this one, The World’s 50 Best Hotels, says the picks come from an anonymous panel of 600 industry leaders. Despite my general aversion to such roundups, I was

Skift Take Many execs at hotels and online travel agencies are playing a fun game called “Guess How AI Will Disrupt Us Before It Actually Does.” Sean O’Neill Hotel companies are continuing to game out how the innovations and disruptions brought about by generative AI will impact them. But it’s still early days. “There’s been

Skift Take Southwest’s more positive outlook comes as it seeks more ways to boost its profitability and fend off an activist investor. Meghna Maharishi Southwest Airlines raised its revenue guidance for the third quarter as it plans to announce more changes during its investor day on Thursday.  The carrier expects its revenue per available seat

Skift Take The hotel tech market is ripe for consolidation, and Mews wants to take advantage. Justin Dawes Hotel tech startup Mews said Thursday that it has secured $100 million in venture credit to fuel more acquisitions.  The loan comes from Vista Credit Partners, the subsidiary of Vista Equity Partners with over $8.1 billion in

Skift Take Just one day before its investor day, Southwest announced it would cut some of its Atlanta service, impacting around 300 pilot and flight attendant positions. Meghna Maharishi Southwest Airlines said Wednesday that it would reduce service and staff in Atlanta due to a lack of demand.  The cuts will impact around 300 pilots

Skift Take As Golden Week approaches, China’s travel rebound is set to lift global tourism. Destinations that cater to confident Chinese travelers seeking diverse, immersive experiences will win big. Peden Doma Bhutia After years of limited mobility, Chinese outbound travel is set to make a significant recovery during the upcoming October Golden Week, according to

Skift Take GetYourGuide faces ongoing protests from World Animal Protection over alleged animal exploitation in its listed activities, such as elephant rides. The online travel agency maintains it enforces its responsible tourism guidelines. Sean O’Neill GetYourGuide, an online travel agency for tours, activities, and experiences, has been the target of ongoing protests by World Animal

Skift Take Travel accounts for lion’s share in overseas payments, driven by more willingness to spend and interest in exploring other countries. Bulbul Dhawan $2.8 billion: That was the international spending by Indians in July 2024. It was the highest amount in 10 months and led by growth in travel spending: Data from the latest

Skift Take Despite exceeding its hiring goals for the 2024 fiscal year, the Federal Aviation Administration is still dealing with an air-traffic controller shortage that airline executives are expecting will last for years. Meghna Maharishi The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that it exceeded its air-traffic controller hiring goal for the fiscal year, marking the

Skift Take As hospitality, technology, and sustainability start to blend, Elivaas is showing how luxury travel could be redefined. But a lot rides on how the brand handles the challenges, especially in India. Peden Doma Bhutia Elivaas, a tech-driven luxury villa and apartment management Indian startup, has secured $5 million in a funding round led

Skift Take As hospitality, technology, and sustainability start to blend, Elivaas is showing how luxury travel could be redefined. But a lot rides on how the brand handles the challenges, especially in India. Peden Doma Bhutia Elivaas, a tech-driven luxury villa and apartment management Indian startup, has secured $5 million in a funding round led

Skift Take The IPO is a big deal for The Leela Hotels and could pave the way for more investment in luxury tourism just as demand for premium travel is booming. Peden Doma Bhutia Schloss Bangalore, the luxury hospitality group behind India’s The Leela Palaces, has filed for a massive $599 million (INR 50 billion)