Travel

Archer Aviation has now raised over $1.3 billion and has buy-in from auto manufacturer Stellantis, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and more. There’s a plan for route networks all around California. And the company has billions of dollars worth of contracts from aircraft operators that want to purchase the product. Now, it’s a matter of ramping

Skift Take The U.S. business travel recovery has been uneven. New York City? Thriving. San Francisco? Not so much. But the hotel manager giant Highgate sees signs for optimism. Sean O’Neill Highgate manages over 560 hotels with about 86,000 rooms, claiming to be the second-largest U.S. hotel management company after Marriott. Most of the manager’s

Skift Take We frequently discuss CEOs in the travel industry, but what is their world really like? And what makes a successful CEO in the travel industry? Erik Blachford discusses that and more in this episde of the Skift Travel Podcast. Rashaad Jorden Erik Blachford is as well-versed as anyone to discuss the keys to

Skift Take If this deals truly helps Despegar better focus on its core services — selling travel — then it would seem to make sense. In the process, Despegar gets leaner. Dennis Schaal Despegar, the largest online travel company in Latin America, sold its destination management unit, BDExperience, to World2Meet, a division of Spain-based tourism

Booking and Expedia spend a ton on marketing: Nearly $13 billion combined in 2023, up from $10 billion in 2019. And it’s the largest expense for both companies, accounting for roughly half of their total operating expenses.  But from there, some key differences emerge, according to the latest analysis from Skift Research.  1. Who Spends

Electric digital intercity bus startup Fresh Bus has raised INR 875 million ($10.5 million) in its Series A funding round. FreshBus, which offers ticketing, real-time tracking of buses, loyalty program, among other services, was founded by Sudhakar Reddy Chirra. Chirra had built bus aggregator Abhibus which was acquired by Ixigo in August 2021 in a

Skift Take Big travel companies have the resources to plan major tech overhauls to integrate AI, but it’s taking longer than some had expected. Justin Dawes Executives of top travel companies continue to emphasize that AI will transform the industry — even if it’s taking longer than expected. While executive tend not to talk publicly

India’s travel landscape is evolving rapidly, reflecting the country’s growing economic clout and the increasing confidence of its travelers. The first half of 2024 saw a significant surge in both outbound and inbound tourism, with Trevolution Group reporting 46% market growth compared to the same period last year. This uptick is not just a rebound

Skift Take After grappling with setbacks in the consumer segment, Yatra is doubling down on its core strength — corporate travel. Peden Doma Bhutia Indian online travel agency Yatra.com reported a 5% quarterly revenue decline Tuesday, a drop CEO Dhruv Shringi attributed to intensifying price competition in the consumer business. “Over the course of the

Skift Take Indian celebrities enjoy a significant following in the country and can influence the decisions of their fans. Hilton’s partnership with Sidharth Malhotra comes months after it collaborated with actor Deepika Padukone. Bulbul Dhawan Hilton has partnered with Indian actor Sidharth Malhotra to extend its global marketing platform, ‘Hilton. For The Stay’ in the

Skift Take As Disney’s park attendance shows signs of softening, the company is betting on cruises and digital engagement to sustain its growth. Jesse Chase-Lubitz Disney unveiled a series of new projects and plans this weekend: Expect expansions across its parks, cruise line, and digital platforms.  Disney’s plan to bolster its presence in the travel

Skift Take How do recession fears impact the travel industry? We break it down on this week’s episode of the Skift Travel Podcast. Rashaad Jorden The disappointing U.S. jobs report released earlier month — as well as the seemingly softening domestic travel demand in the U.S. — has raised concerns about an economic slowdown impacting

Skift Take Vacasa’s weaknesses were apparent well before the vacation rental market turned soft. Now, they’re even tougher to fix. Dennis Schaal Vacasa was managing 40,000 homes at the end of the second quarter, 4,000 fewer than a year earlier, as owners express displeasure with rates and revenue, as well as with owner-company communications. That

Skift Take One startup fundraise this week — the largest yet this year — also outdid the top two deals in 2023 by GetYourGuide and Klook. Justin Dawes Four travel startups raised nearly $240 million this week, but one raise accounted for the vast majority of that. With a series D round of $225 million

With a handful of notable exceptions, airline CEOs are a fairly measured bunch. So when you hear a chief executive predicting that “this will change everything,” it’s a good idea to pay attention.  The topic causing a stir among aviation leaders is artificial intelligence. From low-cost airlines to five-star flag carriers, companies across the industry

Skift Take Taylor Swift is so influential that a destination can still get a tourism boost even when she doesn’t perform. Dawit Habtemariam Even though Vienna won’t be hosting a Taylor Swift concert this week, it’s still getting a tourism boost from her fans. On Friday, hundreds of fans created their own concert as they

Skift Take Travel groups that specialize in corporate retreats are reporting plenty of demand, but convincing some customers of the ROI can be tough. Christiana Sciaudone, Skift Plex, a streaming company with a staff that’s fully remote, hosts a yearly retreat for more than 130 employees in locations from Mykonos to Tuscany to team-build and

Skift Take Ariane Gorin is not going to be a Peter Kern clone in her new role as Expedia Group CEO. Among her first acts was to pause the international rollout of the Group’s One Key loyalty program. Dennis Schaal Expedia Group is “pausing” the rollout of its new One Key loyalty program beyond the