The hotel industry is expected to have a slowdown in profits this year, yet companies keep starting new brands and expanding existing ones. Where is this optimism coming from?

We're thrilled to announce that Emirates Airline President Sir Tim Clark will be taking the stage at this year's Skift Forum Europe. With over 35 years of experience in the industry and 17 years at Emirates, Clark will be joining us to discuss his legacy and the path ahead for giant national airlines like his. Learn more about him and get your early-bird ticket today!

Experiences could become a big business for Airbnb, but a cautionary note is that competition from venture-backed companies is heating up. The sector leader, Tripadvisor, just took a step back to reboot its experiences strategy while laying off employees.

Once thought of as one of the world's most dangerous countries, Pakistan is back in the spotlight, but this time as a budding tourist destination. The government — led by former cricket star Imran Khan — has an amazing opportunity to leverage this interest into economic development, but in a country prized for its natural beauty, sustainable growth must be a priority.

Planners are taking simple steps to address sustainability at their events, with a specific focus on reducing waste. How effective they can be in transforming their events, though, is another question altogether.

Wizz Air's announcement of a move into Abu Dhabi was certainly eye-catching, but we maybe shouldn't expect anything similar elsewhere. Rather, the airline seems to be happy just moving into those markets like Armenia, Georgia, and Israel that had previously been underserved.

The legalization of marijuana by states is getting murkier in the eyes of the federal government, which has still not legalized pot. Thirty-three states have, meaning that hotels have to deal with it whether they like it or not. Some hotels are embracing certain forms of cannabis. Others don't want the potential liability. How do they figure out what to do?

For a string of Asian destinations, China is by far the number one market, so the outbound travel ban that became effective Monday there has shaken tourism businesses even though they know it is for the good.

The travel industry is starting to feel the impact from this latest global health crisis. How it responds to help contain the spread of the virus will set a new precedent while weathering an extensive disruption to its business.