Daily Podcast: Expedia’s Earnings Revelations

Good morning from Skift. It's Tuesday, February 22, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. -Jason Clampet

Homage to Spain’s railways: take the slow train for the best scenic routes

Spain excels in high-speed lines, but visitors will discover so much more on older tracks winding through deserts, sierras, sleepy villages and George Orwell country Spain was a slow starter with trains. Its first tracks, between Mataró and Barcelona, covering about 20 miles, were laid in 1848, 18 years after the world’s first intercity line, between Manchester and Liverpool. And because a different track gauge was selected from the “standard gauge” of most of the rest of Europe (partly owing to fear of the new railways being used by an invader), this led to a longstanding requirement to change trains at the French border, resulting in huffy passengers and a stagnation in trade. Railway tracks, some still serviced by steam trains, did cover most of the country by the time of Francisco Franco’s death in 1975, although Spain was by then way behind France, where the inaugural high-speed TGV line, between Paris and Lyon, was to open in 1981. Continue reading...

10 Airlines Stop Flying to Ukraine While Officials Insist Skies Are Safe

Lufthansa is the latest airline to take the precaution of not flying to Ukraine, as rumors of war grow louder. It is still not clear whether it is the insurance firms for the carriers that are driving these decisions by threatening to drop coverage of those flying within Ukrainian airspace. -Tom Lowry

Trump Could Lose D.C. Hotel Lease Before Property’s Sale

Democrats don't care that the controversial D.C. hotel owned by the Trump Organization will soon change hands to Miami investment firm CGI Merchant Group, which announced its $375 million purchase of the property last fall. They want the former president held accountable. -Tom Lowry

Why a Backer of CitizenM Hotels Is Investing in Greener Aviation Fuel Now

The CitizenM and Student Hotel backer is investing as part of a 10-year deal, which shows there's real momentum behind manufacturing this type of fuel. The question is when, or if, it will ever become cheap enough to make a real difference. -Matthew Parsons

Asylum seekers fear loss of UK hotel rooms as owners look to tourism season

Home Office says eviction letters sent ‘in error’ and it is working to find long-term accommodation Thousands of asylum seekers fear they could lose their Home Office hotel accommodation because some owners want to offer rooms to tourists and other travellers. One letter sent to a group of asylum seekers being accommodated by the Home Office in a hotel close to central London states: “Dear guests, we would like to kindly inform you that your accommodation with us is going to end on 31 January (2022). We advise you to get in touch with your local council for alternative accommodation.” Continue reading...

I took a trip to Scotland’s ‘secret coast’ – and found a quiet haven roaring back to life

The scenic Cowal peninsula west of Glasgow is once again attracting holidaymakers with its mix of unspoiled nature, community ventures and cool places to stay The remote Cowal peninsula, extending into the Firth of Clyde, is not the sort of place you’d expect to find artisan coffee roasters, outdoor infinity pools and modern outdoor sculpture. Take it from me: my mum was born here, in the faded Victorian resort of Dunoon. Outside shinty circles – those familiar with the local hockey-like game - “the secret coast” is little known, even in Scotland. But a spotlight shone briefly on the village of Tighnabruaich last November, when artist David Blair’s vaulting 20-metre-long, six-metre-high Ark of Argyll – designed to raise awareness of the climate emergency – was visited by delegates to COP26. I’d heard about other new ventures breathing life into Cowal, so turned away from the Scotland of queueing campervans on Loch Lomond and went to investigate, with my 10-year-old daughter in tow. Continue reading...

A local’s guide to Tallinn: the best fishburgers, speakeasies and Soviet-era art

From submarine art hubs to cool bars and the best fish and chips, design chief Tiia Vihand delights in Estonia’s super-cool capital Don’t miss Anno, near the cruise terminal, where a husband-and-wife team serves creative dishes made with Baltic ingredients. The tasting menu isn’t too expensive and Erno (the husband) suggests inventive wine pairings. In summer, try to get a seat in the beautiful backyard. Continue reading...

Grand agriturismos: seven bellissimo eco-stays on Italy’s Adriatic coast

Farm-to-table dining, affordability and sound eco credentials are all part of the charm at these B&Bs and farm stays As European travel returns, many of us will be hoping to ensure our holidays do good rather than harm. But tracking down eco-friendly, affordable escapes can be tricky, which is where, for Italy (plus parts of Austria, Germany and Slovenia) Ecobnb – a network of tourism businesses that respect both the natural world and local communities – comes in. We took a tour of Italy’s Adriatic coast (the regions of Abruzzo and Le Marché) and found sustainable stays with congenial hosts in beautiful surrounds. Continue reading...

10 of Britain’s wildest adventures for 2022

Cycle through the Highlands, sail around the UK, run across Wales, photograph wildlife on Dartmoor … and more fabulous activities Adventure leader Rosie Baxendine has quit her office job and become a full-time bikepacking guide (like backpacking, but on a bike). Many of her trips are women-only, such as the two-day explorations of Perthshire, Lothian or the Borders. Others have a theme, such as a north-east trip in search of puffins, a pedal-powered distillery tour or a west coast island adventure. All involve wild camping and are designed to introduce people to bikepacking, so no experience is needed, kit can be provided, and distances are a manageable 28 miles a day. Rosie also offers e-bikepacking tours, accessible trips on adaptive bikes and bespoke adventures. £220 for a two-day trip, next departure 23 April, rosiebaxendine.com Continue reading...

A great walk to a great pub: The Ship Inn, East Neuk

The pub’s cricket team plays on the beach, its seafood is sublime, and the lovely hike’s packed with history Start: Anstruther waterfront Distance: 7 miles (14 miles if not returning by bus) Time: 3-4 hours Total ascent 102 metres Difficulty: Easy. Use OS Explorer 371 map Continue reading...

U.S. Hotel Companies Largely Rebound to Profitability

Marriott, Hilton, Choice Hotels, and Wyndham all swung to profitability last year, per earnings reports this week. Even if Hyatt didn't, the other reports mostly amounted to a strong sign of recovery well under way for hotel companies with a significant presence in the U.S. -Cameron Sperance

Evolve Raises $100 Million for Vacation Rentals: Travel Startup Funding This Week

This week, travel startups announced more than $690 million in debt and equity investment, including capital support for vacation rental players AvantStay, Evolve, and Plum Guide. -Sean O'Neill

Venture Capital Returns in Force to Travel: New Skift Research

A resurgence of early-stage startups launched in 2021 points to a new wave of innovation and energy coming into the travel sector. -Seth Borko

Daily Podcast: Hilton’s China Ambitions

Good morning from Skift. It's Thursday, February 17, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. -Jason Clampet

How this avgeek turned his hobby into a job

Asked to choose an icon of beauty, most people might think of a landscape, a city skyline or a work of art.

Texas Top Cop Sues White House to Overturn Airplane Mask Mandate

The continuing anger expressed by many surrounding the federal mask mandate always led to the possibility of political figures seeking allies in courts to get it thrown out. Texas' Attorney General Ken Paxton - who is a spotlight of a criminal probe – is leading the charge. -Rashaad Jorden

Hilton Looks Beyond Omicron to Double Down on China Growth Plans

Global hotel companies like Hilton are quick to say China’s stretched-out lockdown measures aren’t deterring them from developing new projects there. Too much money is riding on these potentially lucrative deals to happen. -Cameron Sperance

Wyndham Vaults Back to Full Recovery on Leisure Travel and Essential Workers

Affordable hotels and a focus on resilient, on-the-road business travel segments like infrastructure accounts throttled Wyndham back to pre-pandemic performance levels. Maintaining focus on its strengths sets it apart from direct competitor Choice Hotels. -Cameron Sperance

Daily Podcast: Marriott’s Massive Profit

Good morning from Skift. It's Wednesday, February 16, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. -Jason Clampet

Flying Taxis Face Steep Regulatory Hurdles

The orders for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs, are coming in, but a mix of regulatory, technical and even social challenges means it could be several more years before they really take off. -Matthew Parsons

The herbalists of Tunis medina: on borrowed thyme – a photo essay

From the cavernous shops in Souq El Blat, herbalists share the rich and fascinating history of their proud and ancient trade – and their fears that it could disappear ‘The Souq El Blat is the heartbeat of the medina,” proclaims Mourad Boughanmi, a medicinal herb seller in this historic quarter of Tunis. Indeed, for centuries, its herbs have sustained the bodies of people living here. Bundles of wild thyme, sage, poppy, garlic and eucalyptus have lined the walls of this shadowy souq for at least 700 years. When Covid-19 entered Tunisia in early 2020, some herbalists say demand for plant medicine grew , with greater numbers wanting to strengthen their immune systems naturally. But customs are changing, and without any state support this trade has become endangered. Chowki El Fout in his herb shop in Souq El Blat Continue reading...

Canada to Ease Travel Requirements as Covid Cases Drop

Expect more countries that are seeing Covid cases declining to take similar steps as Canada soon — especially if the pandemic becomes a more manageable endemic. -Rashaad Jorden

Share your best carnival memories from around the world to win a holiday voucher

Whether it was in Europe, Brazil or the Caribbean, tell us about the fun you’ve had at a carnival for the chance to win £200 towards a Sawday’s holiday Pancake Day may have survived unscathed, but most of the world’s great pre-lenten carnivals and mardi gras were cancelled in 2020 and ’21 because of the pandemic. But next week will see the limited return of some famous events, such as (reduced) Venice and Trinidad carnivals – though Brazil’s blockbusters have again been cancelled. To celebrate their return, we’d like to hear about your favourite carnival experiences, whether it was a huge, Rio-style affair, a banging street festival or a smaller, more traditional event. If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition. Continue reading...

Secret Escapes Survived Pandemic Thanks to $74 Million Fundraising

Financial filings reveal how well deals specialist Secret Escapes was performing before the pandemic struck and how much venture capital backing it received during the crisis to stay afloat. The figures hint at how the company's recovery this year may play out. -Sean O'Neill

Daily Podcast: Super Bowl Tourism in L.A.

Good morning from Skift. It's Monday, February 14, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. -Jason Clampet

Pendry Wants to Blur the Lines Between Boutique and Luxury in Hotels

Pendry has built an interesting boutique-feeling brand on top of actual luxury knowledge and operations. The result is something differentiated in the market and worth keeping an eye on. -Colin Nagy

HotelPlanner and Reservations.com Scrap $688 Million SPAC Merger

The companies didn't say why the merger failed. But the popularity of going public via mergers with SPACs, or special purpose acquisition companies, is waning. At least 22 deals have fallen apart since mid-2021, said SPAC Research. -Sean O'Neill

Pacific-Asia Tourism CEO Says Global Vaccine Equity Is Key to Recovery

For Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO Liz Ortiguera, there's no sustained recovery for global tourism whilst billions await lack vaccine access. Will her North American and European counterparts step up and join her call to push for vaccine equity? -Lebawit Lily Girma

Turkey Betting on Full Tourism Recovery to Boost Its Economy

Strong early bookings are welcome news for the government, but the lira's depreciation leaves hoteliers facing what they're calling "rampant" bills. Inflation will pose widespread problems for the travel industry this summer. -Matthew Parsons

Wildland: inside the Scottish valley where nature has been set free

Rewilding has become a mantra in one Cairngorms valley– but some see initiatives to restore its forestland as a threat Glen Feshie is one of the magnificent valleys on the north-west side of the Cairngorm massif where the forest has been released from the tyranny of grouse and deer. During the deer-stalking centuries of the 1800s and 1900s, there were 50 deer per square kilometre. Now there are one or two, and the critically endangered capercaillie are coming back. This is the place, I’ve heard, to look for the natural treeline in Scotland. I arrive in the evening, the day before midsummer, and pitch my tent by the river. Scotland’s right to roam allows wild camping to an extent those south of the border can only dream of. The brown water is dark in the depths under the bridge, and cold. In the still-bright sunlight I walk up the valley and come to a spot where the path widens and a vista of sheer grey hills opens out. This was the setting for The Monarch of the Glen, a famous painting by Landseer of a princely 12-point stag framed by the crags above the valley. Continue reading...

Ukraine Aims to Keep Airspace Open as Airlines Weigh Flight Cancellations

Just because airspace might stay open doesn't mean airlines will keep flying to Ukraine. A potential war zone isn't the place to risk maintaining commercial flight service. -Cameron Sperance

Turkish Airlines Super Bowl Ad Connects With Deep Travel Emotions

So many Super Bowl ads strive for this level of emotion, to tap into deeply felt, pent-up or even repressed sentiments during a certain moment in history. The Turkish Airlines ad, getting aired during the tumult of a pandemic, will connect with people, and is so on point for the airline. -Dennis Schaal

Spain by train: a three city mini-break to Bilbao, Barcelona and Madrid

Turning a Spanish city break into a train trip to remember by visiting three cities and exploring their distinctive food, art and culture Now that travel restrictions are easing, the European city break is back on. But since it’s been so long for so many of us, why stop at just one destination? Step forward the multi-city break: put three cities together, link them with easy-to-book train or bus journeys and you’ve got a full-on adventure. I decide on Spain for my first post-Covid trip, plotting a route from Bilbao to Barcelona and then on to Madrid. Together, the trio of cities promises an unbeatable combination of food, art and beaches, and an insight into three different regions. Instead of wrangling with complicated foreign rail websites, I book tickets through an app, Omio, which pulls up timetables, reserves my seats and deposits tickets on my phone. Continue reading...

Podcast: Accor CEO on Hotels as Lifestyle Brands

Listen now to a conversation with Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin at Skift Global Forum in September 2021 in New York City. -Skift Staff

A local’s guide to Manchester: from forgotten Victoriana to karaoke dungeons

Heritage tour guide Hayley Flynn strolls through Victorian alleyways and shares tips on hidden histories, art trails, cosy pubs and her favourite eateries Hayley Flynn has lived in Manchester since 2008 and runs Skyliner Tours, which specialises in walks inspired by the city’s hidden heritage Continue reading...

Norway Latest Country to Begin Easing Covid Travel Restrictions

Only cruise hotspot Svalbard is keeping protective measures in place, but for everywhere else there's no longer a need for passengers to register ahead of arrival, or show proof of a negative test. Europe is finally opening up. -Matthew Parsons

Loving a cold climate: Ireland’s Nordic-inspired wilderness retreat

Can a cabin retreat in the wintry Irish wilderness of County Cavan match the authentic Finnish hot-tub experience? A summer spent in Iceland convinced me that Ireland has much to learn from our Nordic neighbours. The mercury rarely rises above 15C in Iceland in July, but the locals compensate with frequent visits to outdoor geothermal pools that seem to feature in every town, village and crossroads. I spent many happy hours in poolside hot tubs and saunas, seeing how the locals have learned to embrace the outdoors and make the most of their subarctic climate. Then, several years ago, my wife booked us a trip around Finland in late November. Darkness fell at about 3pm and multiple coats and hats just about kept the cold at bay. But things began to look up when we discovered that most towns and villages feature steaming, outdoor saunas. We were soon thawing with the locals in a different sauna every night. Conversation flowed and I learned how the Finns have also come to embrace their cold climate with frequent visits to outdoor saunas, followed by a brief dip in one of their 188,000 lakes. Continue reading...

Italy Officially Launches Sale of ITA Airways, But Will Keep Minority Stake

Lufthansa and MSC have already expressed an interest in taking an equity stake in the successor company to Alitalia, but other suitors could yet emerge. -Matthew Parsons

Booking.com to Eliminate 2,700 Customer Service Jobs

We could hear more about Booking Holdings' rationale for eliminating a chunk of Booking.com's customer service workforce when the parent company reports its fourth quarter earnings February 23. It saves money to outsource operations, but doesn't foster better relationships with customers. -Dennis Schaal

A great walk to a great pub: the Pack Horse, Hayfield, Peak District

Following in the footsteps of the mass trespassers who battled their way up Kinder Scout in 1932 – then raising a pint to them in the friendly local Start Bowden Bridge car park (£5 in coins) Distance 8¾ miles Time 5 hours Total ascent 662 metres Difficulty Moderate, harder in bad weather Continue reading...

Daily Podcast: Expedia Says Believe Us We’re Making Progress

Good morning from Skift. It's Friday, February 11, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. -Jason Clampet

Beijing Hotels See Olympics Rate Surge While Other Chinese Cities Sputter

A largely closed-off international sporting event in China’s capital city means the historically fickle Olympic bump in hotel business is more likely to be an Olympic blip. -Cameron Sperance

Numa Raises $45 Million for Hotel Tech: Travel Startup Funding This Week

This week, seven travel startups collectively announced more than $75 million in funding. Names included Numa, which runs hotels and makes software for hotels, and Locomote, an Australian travel management company. -Sean O'Neill

Expedia: You’ll Have to Wait Longer to See Hard Data on Our Rebuild Progress

Expedia Group is still very much caught up in making over the company. Is it working? Company officials are basically telling Wall Street — trust us, we think this is going to be good. -Dennis Schaal

A local’s guide to Grenoble, France: spectacular night skiing and great nightlife

Publisher Jacques Glénat shares tips on hearty bistros, craft beer and one of France’s finest art museums in Europe’s Green Capital 2022 There may not be a significant gastronomic tradition here, but certain foods should not be missed. Buy local cheeses saint-marcellin and bleu du vercors-sassenage at Les Alpages, run by master fromager Bernard Mure-Ravaud. Grenoble is famous for walnuts – made into oil, liqueur, pastries – and local producers can be found at Le Montagnard in the covered food market, Halles Sainte-Claire. There is only one Michelin-starred restaurant in town: chef Stéphane Froidevaux offers an affordable brasserie menu at lunchtime and fine dining in the evening at his sumptuous villa, Le Fantin Latour. But young chefs working with organic, seasonal products are emerging at contemporary bistronomique addresses such as Le Rousseau. Continue reading...

Daily Podcast: Trivago’s Edge Over Google

Good morning from Skift. It's Thursday, February 10, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. -Jason Clampet

Why This Hybrid Hospitality Brand Ripped Out Its Tech Stack

Einstein said space-time is warped by matter and energy. The Student Hotel has a big idea, too. It thinks about what it sells in a matrix of space and time. Hoteliers: Study up. -Sean O'Neill

MGM Resorts Overhauls Loyalty Program to Track Big Non-Gambling Spenders

Loyalty is big business. Presumably, MGM Resorts replaced its old program with a new one to juice revenues. But it's not exactly clear why this program is better than the old one. -Brian Sumers

Disney Theme Parks, Experiences Double Revenue to Drive Company Growth

First, Comcast saw healthy gains at its Universal parks. Now Disney's quarterly numbers were driven by big turnouts at its U.S. parks. Somewhere somebody wasn't sweating the Omicron variant. -Tom Lowry