11 Really Good Stories to Begin the Week
We are beginning to round out our speakers list for Skift Global Forum in New York City this September, and today we have a few more announcements. Not to speak ill of previous years, but this one is just so exciting right now. Click through to read the names.
We also have news to bring you today, from the rapidly changing face of European tourism (the third story in our Transatlantic series) to an admission last week by Spirit that they were kind of a bad airline to a sort of deal Airbnb is making to soften its racial problems and on to Florida's big tourism funding threats, there's lots to take in before you start your week. We make the homework easy. — Jason Clampet, Editor-in-Chief
Just a few weeks ago we announced our first batch of speakers for this year's Skift Global Forum NYC and today, we're excited to add a slew of new additions to the list. Find out who you'll get to hear from at the hottest conference in travel.
Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia have all been devastated by terror attacks in recent years and they are all well down on their previous highs. The reluctance of tourists to visit is having unintended consequences while other destinations such as Barcelona are experiencing a boom.
Focusing on reliability and customer satisfaction is the right move for Spirit, provided it can do it without increasing costs significantly. The airline's brand is not in strong shape, and it needs to be rehabilitated.
Whatever can be done to prevent discrimination and bias on the Airbnb platform is a good thing. Let's just hope this plan works toward that goal.
If legislators ultimately slash funding for Visit Florida — and the state's governor signs off on the budget — will the private sector step in with more cash? Or will the organization be forced cut its marketing efforts as competition heats up for international tourists?
In many destinations, tourism profits are "found" money with no strings attached. That's great for short-term gains, and so very terrible for long-term thinking.
When it comes to airlines, customers care more about price than anything else, it seems.
Grassroots activism is now the go-to tactic for achieving gender equality in the travel industry. Lobbying male executives one-on-one isn’t working, so women are employing their collective influence, reminiscent of recent movements like the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.
As cruise executives often say, having ships all over the world means some areas boom while others struggle. At the moment, China-Korea tensions are hurting Royal Caribbean's business in Asia, but other regions are strong.
It appears that the mystery buyer is a brand holding company that may not be focused on travel. If so: What a lost opportunity.
Many companies — especially in the hotel sector — aren't doing enough to encourage mobile purchases.