Sunday, April 30, 2023

China’s Labor Day Holiday Begins With Surge in Domestic Tourism

Where are all the Chinese tourists? For the Labor Day holiday, at least, the vast majority traveling domestically in China. -Dennis Schaal

Travelzoo Looks to Licensing Agreements in Additional Geographies

Travelzoo is looking to maintain fixed costs at a relatively low level as it pursues increasing the brand's presence in regional markets in Asia Pacific and elsewhere through licensing deals. -Andres Buenahora

Saturday, April 29, 2023

American Airlines Gets a Huge Boost From Blended Travel

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at American Air’s blended travel insights, Fiji’s new tourism campaign, and Wyndham’s optimism. -Rashaad Jorden

Friday, April 28, 2023

Fiji Embraces Happiness As a Way of Life, Not Just a Tourism Campaign

Sometimes it takes a negative reaction or backlash to remind tourism marketers to refocus their efforts on highlighting the local community. -Peden Doma Bhutia

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Sonder’s New Stock Market Challenges

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at Premier Inn's expansion into the German hotel space, Sonder's delisting notice from Nasdaq, and Saudi Arabia's focus on regional hotel development. -Andres Buenahora

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Premier Inn to Expand Budget Hotel Empire in Germany Through Acquisitions

Branded rivals Ibis, B&B, Motel One, and Best Western better watch out. UK-based brand Premier Inn is hungry to grow in the large German market. -Sean O'Neill

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Hotel Earnings Season Projections

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks closer at hotels and the forthcoming earnings season, the Yucatan's new train, and a short-term rental shortfall. -Rashaad Jorden

Monday, April 24, 2023

What’s the Travel Industry’s Record on Sustainability?

This week we looked at the travel industry's record on sustainability, as well as headlines about Marriott, American Air, Hopper, and more. -Jason Clampet

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Russia Advises Citizens Not to Travel to Canada, Citing Risk of Attacks

Russia strongly advising its citizens to avoid traveling to Canada is the latest chapter in a row that shows no signs of slowing down. -Rashaad Jorden

Saturday, April 22, 2023

The Travel Industry’s Struggles With Climate Change

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks closer at a timeline of climate change actions, Six Senses’ new products, and the tourism board that dropped its destination. -Rashaad Jorden

From festivals to glamping: 20 great UK campsites with a difference

With summer pop-ups, nature, watersports and foodie options, these sites with a twist will appeal to even the most reluctant campers Rock climbing, Shropshire Wild Contentment is a small, off-grid campsite in a meadow at the far end of a dairy farm near Oswestry. There are a handful of pitches for tents, campervans or caravans, plus two bell tents and three “Beryls” – converted horse trailers with flushing toilets, showers and copper rolltop baths. The site, which is Greener Camping Club-certified, is a short walk from Llanymynech Rocks, and the owners have teamed up with a local climbing instructor to offer half-day climbing sessions (£50pp). New for 2023 are occasional activity weekends, with yoga, climbing and abseiling (the first is 13-14 May, from £105 a night). The whole site sleeps 46 and can be hired from £400 a night. Pitches from £20, wildcontentment.com Continue reading...

Friday, April 21, 2023

Las Vegas Sands Corp Upbeat Ahead of China’s Full Recovery

Las Vegas Sands has outperformed analysts' expectations in the first quarter of 2023 — even without the expected boost from China's tourism spend, which has yet to rebound fully. -Selene Brophy

‘Unzip your tent and take in the magic’: readers’ favourite UK campsites

From the wild Highlands to the sunny Scilly Isles, our campers enjoy the simple pleasures of life: beaches, walks and stargazing. Scroll down for the winning tip and enter next week’s competition Secluded, serene and unspoilt, Dark Skies Camping, near Llandovery, offers camping without the crowds. With just 10 pitches (from £40 a night for two) set within 12 hectares of meadows, which run alongside a mountain stream, this is the perfect spot to unwind and get back to nature as you sit and enjoy the incredible night’s sky beside a crackling fire. The Cambrian mountains and Brecon Beacons national park offers plenty of nearby hiking opportunities. Hosts Tanya and Duncan keep the campsite facilities immaculately clean and are always on hand to offer local walking and wild swimming recommendations. The Neuadd Arms is close by for a great pint. Helen Continue reading...

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Hyatt’s New Hotel Brand Wants You to Stay Awhile

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks closer at Hyatt’s new extended stay brand, Delta’s hub needs, and tipping on Hopper. -Rashaad Jorden

Switzerland unplugged: a hike in the off-grid Bavona valley

Using paths surrounded by terraced chestnut groves, walkers can encounter a traditional corner of Europe untouched by mains electricity When hydroelectric power first arrived in Switzerland’s Bavona valley in the 1950s, residents of its 12 hamlets gathered for a vote. Should they connect their valley – one of the steepest and wildest in the Alps – to the grid, or should they shun the trappings of the modern world? Surprisingly, 11 of the 12 towns chose to reject electricity. That’s why on a sunny October day, as I walk the seven-mile path connecting Cavergno, in the south, with San Carlo, in the north, I see no wires, poles or antennas. It feels as if I’ve stepped back in time to a simpler era. Continue reading...

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Brazil to Reimpose Tourist Visa Requirements on Four Countries

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks closer at Ritz-Carlton’s training experiment, Brazil’s new visas, and a new Paris boutique hotel. -Rashaad Jorden

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Airbnb’s Uncertain Experiences Strategy

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks closer at Airbnb’s Experiences pullback, the impact of the silent traveler, and the glamour and practicality of European night trains. -Rashaad Jorden

Monday, April 17, 2023

India Daily: Marriott Aims for 250 Properties Across India by 2025

The Indian hospitality segment is highly undersupplied, especially in terms of quality accommodation. International hotel chains are well-positioned to cater to this demand. -Peden Doma Bhutia

Sunday, April 16, 2023

The Big Hotel Stories Were Out of India This Week

This weekend's roundup looks at hotel news out of Asia, a very big generative AI research report, and Airbnb's activities reset. -Jason Clampet

China’s Hainan Island Aims to Be a Duty-Free Paradise for Tourists

The "Hawaii of China" drew 26.8 million visitors in the first three months of the year partly thanks to its duty-free shopping and its strategic courting of foreign brands to its stores. -Sean O'Neill

From childhood to cubism: on the Picasso travel trail in Spain and France

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death. Here are seven great spots to commemorate his work Picasso would often tell his children, “I want Málaga to have a large museum with my works” and his wish came true, for balmy sea-facing Málaga now has a splendid museum, soon to stage an exhibition focusing on the body as an instrument of the artist. The sculptures displayed cover the many styles and materials Picasso adopted to express the human form. After exploring the artist’s three-dimensional oeuvre, uncover the places he frequented. Although he never returned after the Civil War, Málaga left a lasting impression on him. With an expert guide you can visit Casa Natal Picasso, Pablo’s birthplace home (now an educational foundation staging exhibitions), his nursery school, then his father’s workshop and his baptism church. Picasso Sculptor: Matter and Body runs from 8 May to 10 September 2023 (museopicassomalaga.org); Tours by Locals start at £42pp (toursbylocals.com/picasso-and-old-malaga); stay at Parador de Málaga Gibralfaro (parador.es), double rooms from £114. Continue reading...

Orient Express to axe UK section after 41 years due to Brexit

Luxury train operator cuts service ahead of biometric passport checks so passengers will have to join train in Paris When the Orient Express began operating in the 19th century, passports were optional – the only paperwork required by British travellers was a copy of the Thomas Cook Continental Timetable. But Brexit and 21st-century biometric checks are killing off the romance of crossing borders for modern passengers looking for the nostalgia of the luxury train journey that inspired Agatha Christie and Hollywood. Continue reading...

Expedia Group’s New Loyalty Program Will Have Fans and Critics

In an era of blended travel, meaning tacking on a weekend vacation rental to a business trip in a hotel, Expedia's new loyalty program would be flexible enough to accommodate this sort of trip mashup. -Dennis Schaal

Saturday, April 15, 2023

‘No cars, just donkeys’: readers’ top tips on off-the-beaten track Greece

Walks through gorges and lovely quiet towns plus secluded coves to swim in: our readers give the lowdown on the Greece you really want to visit Trizonia, in the Gulf of Corinth is a small island visited mainly by Greek families and “yachties”. We spent time there while sailing round the Med, from our home on the Isle of Skye. Filled with olive groves and wildflowers, Trizonia is a 10-minute ferry ride from the mainland and makes for an ideal retreat, or a base for exploring the mainland. No cars, just donkeys. There are tavernas and bars in the pretty village, and various accommodation options. Porto Trizonia Taverna is our favourite. A mainland town nearby is historical Nafpaktos with its Venetian harbour. Fiona Mandeville Continue reading...

Friday, April 14, 2023

A stranger paid my family’s motel bill – kindness is indeed alive in our selfish world | Michelle Macfarlane

Someone covering our stay as we chaotically packed our car reminds me to look for opportunities to help my fellow human beings In a world often focused on the individual, I recently had a countercultural experience on a road trip with my family. We had embarked on our first ever road trip: my husband and I and the four kids, aged 12, 10, eight and five. Full of optimism and adventure, we were on our way to Carnarvon Gorge, a beautiful, unspoiled national park in the middle of Queensland. It being such an isolated destination, we allowed ourselves three days for the journey out there. We had spent months preparing, booking accommodation and planning the route, and our first stop was a small country town called Chinchilla. Its claim to fame is the enormous watermelon that sits in the middle of town and a free children’s water park surrounded by native parklands. Continue reading...

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Radisson to Debut Its Luxury Brand In India

Mixing brands has served Radisson well. Now, with the launch of its luxury brand in India, the hotel group is making sure that it provides a compelling set of choices for travelers. -Peden Doma Bhutia

Delta’s Summer Plan Is 15,000 More Premium Seats Than Pre-Covid

Major U.S. airlines, including Delta, are betting that demand for premium seats will continue despite inflationary pressures. -Dennis Schaal

JetBlue Claims It’s Disrupting the Transatlantic Market

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at JetBlue’s transatlantic boasts, Airbnb’s non-acquisition, and a creative shaping hotel guest experience. -Rashaad Jorden

Glamping with Johnny Vegas at his east Midlands Field of Dreams

The comedian’s collection of quirky vehicles to stay in has been relocated to the grounds of Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire What started as a drunken 2am eBay bid for a dilapidated 1960s Maltese public bus has ended up with Johnny Vegas – and his longsuffering assistant Bev – filling a field in Derbyshire with an accidental army of once-forgotten, magnificently repurposed vehicles and creating what must be the UK’s quirkiest new glamping spot. The ceramicist-turned-comedian’s rollercoaster journey to becoming an unlikely camping trailblazer was captured in Channel 4’s Carry on Glamping series in 2021. After one season at a temporary base on a farm near Harrogate, Field of Dreams has now found a grander, more spacious permanent home – in the grounds of 17th-century Georgian stately home Melbourne Hall, in south Derbyshire. Continue reading...

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Chinese Airlines See Surge in Cabin Crew Applicants

Carriers are gearing up for busier times in travel in 2024, and need to start training crew now. Fortunately for them the tourism sector's future is perceived as healthy compared to other industries so recruiting isn't an issue. -Matthew Parsons

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Google Lifts Ideas From Instagram for New Hotel Search Tool

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at Google’s Instagram inspiration, Club Med’s upscaling, and Malaga’s sustainable tourism support. -Rashaad Jorden

Monday, April 10, 2023

Leeds must: 10 hidden gems to see during the city’s Year of Culture 2023

Leeds’ summer festival is the perfect time to visit – and explore its ornate architecture, dynamic art scene and Britain’s only gaslit cinema Leeds has long been known for its energy and innovation, but now this former industrial powerhouse is showcasing its playful side. Built on the back of the wool trade, the city retains a reputation for enterprise and commerce: it’s a place of swish shopping arcades, shiny tech startups and financial services giants. Not the obvious choice, then, for a cultural weekend away. Continue reading...

Sunday, April 9, 2023

It Is Time to Ditch the Phrase ‘Overtourism’

The phrase "Overtourism" did its job since we coined it in 2016. Now it's time to move on for more nuanced solutions. -Jason Clampet

Saturday, April 8, 2023

A city of a hundred charms: how I fell in love with Siena, Tuscany

A spring cycle tour of Tuscany ends at the medieval city that has kept its identity intact despite centuries of visitors The first time I visited Tuscany in spring was on a cycling trip with friends. Early one morning, before the sun had the chance to burn off the nocturnal dampness, we set off, wearing jackets and gloves, on a circuitous route from our tiny hamlet in the Chianti hills to Siena. By lunchtime, we were looking for suncream, amazed at the difference a few hours could make. Ostensibly, the day’s objective was a coffee in Siena’s central piazza, but the real intention was to explore the hills called the Crete Senesi, between Chianti and the Val d’Orcia. Named after creta, the blue-grey clay that gives much of this countryside its distinctive colouring, it is a part of Tuscany that could keep a cyclist or hiker entertained for a lifetime. Continue reading...

Friday, April 7, 2023

Goldman Sachs Bets on India’s Samhi Hotels

Goldman Sachs has a couple of notable hospitality investments. Plus, other highlights from the week's news in hotel deals and development worldwide. -Sean O'Neill

Sustainable Travel Collides With Inflation Concerns

Although some travelers are committed to making their trips greener, the travel industry has struggled to take advantage of that desire due to its inability to provide more affordable and practical sustainable trip options. -Rashaad Jorden

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Expedia’s New AI-Powered Mobile Chatbot

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at Expedia’s AI chatbot, vacation competition for beaches, and Choice Hotels’ emissions reporting choices. -Rashaad Jorden

Picasso pilgrimage: a Spanish art trail marking 50 years since his death

From Málaga to Madrid, there’s a fiesta of special exhibitions this year in the places where the artist lived and worked Pablo Picasso sits on a bench in Málaga’s Plaza de la Merced. Staring ahead, notebook in hand, elderly and made of bronze, he is as much a part of the city as the sea. It’s a wistful work. Picasso spent almost all his adult life – and died – in France, but no 20th-century artist is more Spanish than Picasso, with his bull motif, machismo, defining image of the civil war and fondness for Málaga wine. “Living abroad,” he said, “one becomes even more Spanish.” Continue reading...

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport Will Cut Night Flights to Tackle Noise Pollution

Despite opposition from trade bodies and citizens, Schiphol Airport plans to cut late-night flights. Airlines and tourism bodies worry this will impact summer travel to the Netherlands. -Srividya Kalyanaraman

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Southwest Wants to Prevent Repeat of Holiday Chaos

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at Soutwest’s preventative prep, Oyo’s IPO shrinkage, and LGBTQ+ travel marketing over the years. -Rashaad Jorden

Monday, April 3, 2023

10 of the best seaside hotels in Ireland

From Donegal down to Kerry on the wild west coast and Cork up to Wexford on the eastern seaboard, these spectacularly located boltholes make the most of the island’s dramatic cliffs and beaches Set above the sapphire-blue waters of Mannin Bay, this family-owned hotel offers the chance to immerse yourself in Connemara’s vibrant culture, as well as its stunning coastline. Ideal for an active break with older children, the surrounding beaches offer excellent surfing, coasteering, kayaking and paddleboarding, with guided hillwalking for those who prefer to stick to dry land. The Sands Bar & Restaurant creates traditional Irish dishes from the best local produce, while the Voya Spa specialises in revitalising seaweed baths and treatments. The all-white rooms are simple and crisp, and offer excellent value for money. Doubles from £99 B&B; connemarasands-hotel.com Continue reading...

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Trump to Operate Hotel and Golf Course at Indonesia’s Java Tourism Complex

The Trump Organization would surely have in mind the huge tax breaks that Indonesia has been dangling to lure private players to invest in the country's projects. -Peden Doma Bhutia

Saturday, April 1, 2023

‘It damages our free spirit’: war on British tourists won’t work, say Amsterdammers

Young Britons are the target for a crackdown on antisocial behaviour in the city – but are they the real problem? It’s 9.30pm and groups of British lads are gearing up for a big night out in Amsterdam’s red light district. Although the narrow streets echo with French, German, Spanish, Dutch and Irish banter, this week Amsterdam city council launched a campaign to tell Britons from 18 to 35 in search of a “messy night, to stay away”. Lewis Flanigan, 24, from Middlesbrough, is taking the chance to party while he still can. “My plans are for sex and drink, going around the bars until 6am,” he said, peering into brothel windows beside the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal. His two friends – unnamed as they have “serious jobs” – have also come before things change. Continue reading...