Travel

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:

Travel tech has a new unicorn. With a new valuation of $1 billion for the first time, Lighthouse is one of the only travel companies to have reached that level this year. The company joins the ranks of Mews, Flyr, Engine, and TravelPerk — fast-growing travel tech companies that also happened to secure large fundraises this

I am spending an extended time staying in Morocco for a family commitment, and dipping in and out as a tourist while also being an almost semi-local, in the 5-6 weeks stay here. I am experimenting with a video diary format around my thoughts on the travel industry from the lens of this stay in

Elon Musk, as one of the co-heads of President-elect Donald Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” has sworn to slash government spending.  It’s unclear what cuts DOGE will recommend and travel costs haven’t gotten much of the attention. But the richest man in the world could have an impact on the Department of Transportation and the

Online travel agency Hopper conducted a reorganization this month, its second in a little more than a year. Although the move included layoffs, a Hopper spokesperson declined to say how many. “Two weeks ago, we announced changes to our organizational structure to better align with our strategic goals and initiatives for the year ahead,” the

Airbnb is still working on integrating AI throughout its app, but it won’t include an AI chatbot for trip planning – at least not yet.  Dave Stephenson, chief business officer for Airbnb, said the short-term rental giant worked with OpenAI to develop a chatbot for users. “We were not satisfied with it,” Stephenson said Thursday

India is firmly in the sights of a rapidly expanding Saudi low-cost airline. Flyadeal has ambitious plans to more than double the size of its fleet during the next four years. This will see it transform from a largely domestic airline to one with much greater international connectivity. Speaking at the Skift Global Forum East

Skift Take In the July-September quarter, the occupancy remained consistent as last year, and the growth in revenue was driven by higher room rates: A positive sign indicating travelers’ willingness to spend more on tourism. Bulbul Dhawan The Indian hospitality sector recorded 10.8% year-on-year growth in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the July-September quarter

Skift Take Croatia is just the latest destination to tackle short-term rentals, but the long-term impact of the government’s proposal is uncertain Rashaad Jorden Croatia is taking steps to clamp down on short-term rentals as part of its efforts to alleviate a shortage of affordable housing. The Croatian Parliament approved a package of draft laws

Skift Take Hilton’s jobs push comes as the hotel giant sees surging demand in the region, with visits to its Middle East properties doubling to 2.2 million in the first nine months of the year compared to pandemic levels. Josh Corder Hilton plans to create about 35,000 new jobs across the Middle East as the

Skift Take Maybe you didn’t need to install that crystal-healing sound bath after all. Namaste, and mind the bottom line. Sean O’Neill A report from consultancy RLA Global found that large wellness facilities did not lead to better returns for hotel companies. The analysis came as major groups like Hyatt, Accor, and Hilton have been rushing

Skift Take Spark hits the sweet spot for Indians seeking the reliability of branded stays without stretching their budgets. Hilton’s plan to open 150 hotels in India might sound ambitious, but a conversion-friendly approach means the company will likely hit that milestone faster than expected. Peden Doma Bhutia Hilton Hotels is bringing its latest premium

Skift Take Spirit made headlines Monday morning when it announced it was filing for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy — here’s what you need to know. Meghna Maharishi Spirit Airlines became the first major U.S. airline in 13 years to file for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy after facing mounting debts and declining revenues.  The bankruptcy filing

Skift Take Thanksgiving this year is shaping up to be a monster travel period, with decreasing inflation helping push more travelers to hit the road for the holiday. Rashaad Jorden Americans are projected to travel in large numbers for Thanksgiving: Close to 80 million travelers will venture 50 miles or more from home over the

Skift Take Bangkok is where some of the most inspiring development is happening. Anyone in the hospitality business should take note. Colin Nagy There is much to love about Bangkok. It’s a city of juxtaposition, where ultramodern skyscrapers rise beside traditional sois and street vendors selling grilled meats. It’s a place where familiar backpacker clichés

Skift Take Low-altitude tourism seems like more than a passing trend in China. As government policies align with private innovation, Chinese skies may soon become a bustling hub of economic and cultural activity. Peden Doma Bhutia The name needs some work, but the trend seems real: “Low-altitude economy” refers to activities within airspace under 1,000

Skift Take Airbnb will try to widen its experiences audience by crafting them for locals, as well as travelers. Experiences will get the “categories” treatment, and a dose of TikTok and Instagram stories-like marketing. Dennis Schaal There has been great interest in what Airbnb Experiences will be like when the company relaunches it after a