Travel

Skift Take Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky gave a talk that led to some controversy in Silicon Valley. He clarified his thoughts in one area and doubled down in another. Justin Dawes Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky believes that a lot of business leaders don’t understand their companies, and that’s a problem.  Chesky spoke about the idea

Skift Take If Sabre sells its hospitality unit this time around, it can use some of the proceeds to pay off debt, and then refocus on its core airline and travel agency business. Dennis Schaal Sabre’s hotel tech unit is up for sale two years after a similar effort failed to yield a deal, according

Skift Take Oyo, based in India, has tried for years to gain traction in the U.S., but it has claimed that competitors have played hardball. It’s now betting that buying a network is its best way to gain scale fast. Sean O’Neill Oyo, the India-based hotel giant, has agreed to acquire the Motel 6 and

Skift Take Today’s podcast looks at Expedia’s new focus, Jetblue’s frustrations, and a sphere for Dubai. Rashaad Jorden Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, September 20, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. Listen Now 🎧 Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Episode Notes Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin said at the

Skift Take There is huge untapped potential in getting Americans to travel to Europe or the Middle East for lower prices on high-tech wellness services. Justin Dawes Health, wellness, and living longer: They could all have a travel component, and investor Greg O’Hara believes there’s money to be made. “We expect to make a nine

Skift Take MGM Resorts is building its own “Dubai Sphere.” Though not linked to the Las Vegas Sphere, the hotelier says it will be just as exciting. Josh Corder Another ‘Sphere’ is landing on Earth, this time in Dubai. MGM Resorts is building its own “Dubai Sphere”, promised by CEO and president Bill Hornbuckle to

Skift Take Indian travelers’ growing demand for nonstop flights is a big win for local airlines, but they’ve got a tough road ahead. Middle Eastern and European carriers aren’t backing down without a fight. Bulbul Dhawan More Indian passengers are opting for direct international flights, according to aviation consultancy firm OAG. The firm compared data

Skift Take The demand for experiences isn’t showing any sign of slowing down, but travel companies are still figuring out how to capture it. Christiana Sciaudone, Skift The desire to travel for experiences is expected to keep growing, but it’s not without challenges. Leaders in providing travel experiences spoke at the Skift Global Forum in

Skift Take Goa has witnessed a 40% increase in cruise tourism, and a new terminal is coming soon. But there are more problems in the state that need to be solved to attract international tourists. Bulbul Dhawan Goa is developing a new cruise terminal at the Mormugao Port, a response to a 40% increase in

Skift Take Vacation rentals is another area where Tripadvisor dropped the ball over the past decade. Reviving such a hot category makes sense. Dennis Schaal Tripadvisor informed its vacation rental guests and hosts around the world that reservations with check-in dates on or after November 1 will be cancelled, and guests will receive full refunds.

Skift Take The highly anticipated Skift Global Forum is back in New York City this week, kicking off on Tuesday evening. Nicole Meyer The highly anticipated Skift Global Forum is back in New York City this week, kicking off on Tuesday evening. Whether you’re a travel industry professional, enthusiast, or investor, this event is a

Skift Take The newest generation of AI technology is unshackling the hospitality industry from traditional search and booking. Anna Jaffe, CEO at Mobi.ai, unpacks her predictions for search’s future and how hotels can better understand travelers’ needs through natural language interfaces and innovative search capabilities. Mobi Systems, Inc This sponsored content was created in collaboration

Skift Take How do you measure power and influence? We discuss our process on this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast. Rashaad Jorden The Skift Global Forum will feature the travel industry’s most powerful people, many of whom we profiled in our recent Skift Power Rankings. How did we determine which travel executives wield the

Five years ago, Indian newlyweds Pallabi and Kshitiz were all set for their dream honeymoon in Australia. But Kshitiz had a business trip to Dubai that left him with no time to submit his passport for the Australian visa, which would take about a month to process. They had to settle for a local getaway

ZeroAvia is the latest to raise money in a group of startups developing next-generation aircraft and parts. The company is building hydrogen-electric jet engine to sell to aircraft manufacturers — with buy-in from American Airlines, Airbus, and Alaska Airlines Archer Aviation raised $230 million in August as it develops an urban flying taxi. Startups in

Skift Take We’ll ask top industry players to spill the beans on where they expect growth to come from for hotel companies, whether the U.S. has a solid gameplan for hosting several international sports events, and other burning questions. Sean O’Neill Where will future hotel development growth come from? How are hotels using technology to sell

Skift Take Five years from now, will Airbnb be at the top of the heap in short-term rentals? Will Chase Travel be a headliner? Will future generations yearn to travel as current ones do? Dennis Schaal Where is the growth and momentum going to come from in online travel over the next few years as

Skift Take Did Ariane Gorin’s strategy changes speed Peter Kern’s departure from the Expedia Group board? Dennis Schaal Former Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern gave up his vice chairman role and exited the board, the company announced. It said Kern “agreed” to do so “given the speed and success of the Company’s recent management transition.”