China’s Weak Economy Won’t Stop ‘100 Million’ Tourists

Let's hope a weak economy doesn't stop 100 million Chinese tourists from turning out globally this year. -Dawit Habtemariam

Skift India Summit 2024: Oyo’s Funding Needs, Future of Air India and More – India Report

Oyo's IPO has been in focus for years. Its profitability and subsequent stable situation is indicative of the robust Indian hotel industry. -Bulbul Dhawan

Marriott Won’t Miss Out on India’s Wedding and Religious Tourism Market

The hotel chain's 150th property in India will be at Katra, close to Hindu pilgrimage site Vaishnodevi temple. -Srividya Kalyanaraman

Delano Dubai Resort to Open at Location of Former Caesars

Ennismore's lively Delano brand heads to a legendary location in Dubai. -Josh Corder

Oberoi Chief Plans to Double Its Luxury Hotel Room Count by 2030

Oberoi Group's CEO wants to introduce more luxurious, boutique-style hotels in India, and he disclosed the company is working on a concept for new hotels that are close to nature. -Josh Corder

Connecting with my south-Asian roots on a traditional Indian yoga retreat in the UK

On a weekend break in rural Lincolnshire, the ‘smiling yogi’ takes this ancient practice back to its origins, with an emphasis on mantras and mindfulness

Often when I’ve turned up at various yoga studios in London, the groups I’ve encountered have been overwhelmingly white, svelte and middle class. Perhaps I’ve not found the right class, but as a south Asian woman, it always felt like I was in somebody else’s space.

Yoga originated in ancient India, and I wanted to connect with my Indian roots, so I started looking for an authentic Indian yoga teacher in the UK. I thought it would be a lot easier than it was. In a 2020 report about UK yoga, 91% of practitioners who responded to the survey were white, and south Asian instructors regularly speak out about the lack of diversity in the industry. Continue reading...

JetBlue Cuts More Cities From Network, Reduces Flights From Los Angeles

JetBlue is cutting more routes as part of the carrier’s strategy to restore its profitability following the loss of the Spirit merger and Pratt & Whitney engine issues.
-Meghna Maharishi

Busbud Acquires Buson to Expand Digital Bus Ticketing in Latin America

Much of the world's population travels between cities via bus, and many of those operators track sales on spreadsheets. There's a big opportunity to digitize that industry. -Justin Dawes

Ask Skift: What Are the Top Travel Trends in India?

India's travel industry is booming, and here are some trends worth noting in one of the world's largest travel markets. -Rashaad Jorden

What Are the Most Searched Cities for Summer 2024 Flights?

Based on millions of search results, these latest findings offer insights into the top-trending destinations for summer 2024. -Gordon Smith

India’s Weddings Are Big Business for Travel Brands

Today's podcast looks at the business of Indian weddings, United CEO's apology, and Egypt's tourism shortfalls. -Rashaad Jorden

India’s Newest Airline Takes Off – India Report

Regional air connectivity is a major focus for the India government. Amid this, the commencement of operations by Fly91 highlights the vibrant aviation landscape in the country. -Bulbul Dhawan

Viewing Options for Skift India Summit 2024

Unable to make it to Delhi in-person for our first-ever Skift India Summit? Register to view the live stream. -Nicole Meyer

Q&A: Why Vrbo’s New Brand Campaign Is Spotlighting Trust, Transparency, and Consistency

Do vacation rental travelers prefer consistent experiences over quirky stays? Vrbo is betting they do, with a new brand campaign that aims to outshine the competition by highlighting traditional properties, price transparency, and loyalty rewards. -Expedia Group

Emirates Chairman to Run Dubai Royal’s New Mega Development Firm

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum already runs Dubai's Emirates Airline. He'll now oversee two of its biggest development organizations too. -Josh Corder

My hammock was my window on to the valley: a new type of walking trail in the Swiss Alps

The world’s first hammock hiking trail in southern Switzerland takes hikers into quiet corners of the Alps – with their beds in their backpack for lazy pit stops and overnight stays

It was a summer’s morning in the Lepontine Alps in Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton, and there was the vague threat of a storm on the horizon. I was already out on a trail through larch and hazelnut forest, backpack shouldered, aiming for a mountain pass. Up ahead, a herd of short-haired goats grazed, their bells chiming merrily, while behind me the peaks that tower over the Maggia Valley shuffled in and out of view from behind the clouds – each top grimacing, stone teeth chipped and bared.

I hike in Switzerland every summer, but this time I’d been drawn to a new adventure, billed as the world’s first hammock hiking trail, west of popular Locarno. Launched last year, it begins in the village of Bosco Gurin and appeals to those who like combining vertiginous hikes with the more horizontal pastime of lounging in a hammock. It’s low-key, low-impact travel, offering a chance to get to know one of Switzerland’s most extraordinary valleys. Continue reading...

Big Money in the Big Fat Indian Wedding

The “I do” in Indian weddings is a multi-million-dollar extravaganza that will make your head spin faster than the bride and groom during their eleventh outfit change. -Peden Doma Bhutia

Sagas and geothermal swimming pools – Reykjavík moves to a different rhythm

Wild landscapes, distinctive architecture and child-friendly facilities also help raise the happiness levels of our writer on a stay in the Icelandic capital

It is said that when Norse explorer Ingólfur Arnarson and his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttir threw some wooden posts from their ship in AD878 they floated to a bay covered with steaming springs, hence the name Reykjavík, or “stormy bay”, and that’s where Arnarson decided to settle. I am here researching women in Icelandic sagas for my next book, and our two small children have accompanied me, with their father sharing childcare.

We do the usual touristy tour around the Golden Circle, and the children pet Icelandic horses, swim in Iceland’s oldest geothermal bath and see the aurora borealis. But Reykjavík itself is an interesting, child-friendly city with much to offer. Our children especially enjoy the National Gallery of Iceland and learning about trolls and Viking history at the Saga Museum. Continue reading...

Hyatt Sees China Supporting Hotel Development During Property Crisis

Hyatt has 40% of its hotel pipeline in China despite trouble in the country's property market. The hotel giant is betting that government support for the country's developers will help get new projects off the ground. -Sean O'Neill

Sonder Delays 2023 Earnings Report, Needs to Restate Financials for Past 2 Years

The expectation is for an increase in Sonder's overall net loss for 2022 and 2023. -Dennis Schaal

Hoshino Resorts: How This CEO Built an Iconic Japanese Hotel Brand

Yoshiharu Hoshino, the CEO of Hoshino Resorts, is one of the world's most remarkable hotel executives. He's built a group of brands now intimately associated with Japan's tourism development and distinctive approach to hospitality. -Sean O'Neill

10 of the best European activity breaks with a spirit of adventure

Fancy seatrekking, swimrunning or bodypainting? These and more familiar outdoor pursuits are on offer at destinations from northern Norway to the Greek islands

The Scotland-based company Slow Adventure advocates a more mindful approach to activity holidays. Options include climbing and yoga in the Italian Alps, mountain biking in Sweden and horse riding and rambling in Iceland. On the Finnish Happiness trip, guests stay in log cabins by a lake in Lapland and activities include canoeing under the midnight sun, hiking, swimming, swamp foraging and daily saunas. On all trips, 5% of the fee goes to local conservation projects, which in Finland could mean helping protect the rare Saimaa ringed seal, preserving forests or supporting a children’s environmental charity.
From £876 for five nights, slow-adventure.com Continue reading...

We found a swimming pool in every city on our Interrail trip around Europe

Swimming at every stop left us fresh and invigorated – and led us to parts of cities that tourists seldom visit



Stepping into the lobby of the Gellért Baths in Budapest is like stepping back in time. Having resisted the temptation to look at photos of the baths online, I was thrilled at my first sight of the spectacular art nouveau interior.

After changing, my husband and I did a few laps of the main indoor pool, admiring the intricately decorated columns surrounding us. Afterwards, we explored the building’s labyrinth of geothermal pools before emerging on to the enormous roof terrace. There, we swam in the heated outdoor pool under bright sunshine.

Less touristy than the more party-style Széchenyi Baths, the Gellért offered us the chance of a decent swim and steam. Continue reading...

3 Companies Modernizing Air Travel: Startup Funding Roundup

Investment in air travel was one theme we saw among seven startups that raised money in the past two weeks. -Justin Dawes

Soho House Sees Red Ink Flow Despite Membership Surge at Clubs

The upscale members' club saw mounting losses despite a jump in membership during the fourth quarter. Has rapid growth ruined its exclusivity? -Sean O'Neill

Qatar Airways U-Turns on First Class, New Cabin Coming Soon CEO Says

The new CEO of Qatar Airways is shaking up the carrier's premium strategy with a major change in policy. -Gordon Smith

Brilliant activity breaks by readers – from Portugal to the Lake District

River trekking, paragliding, cycling and via ferrata feature among our tipsters’ adventurous jaunts across Europe

Spring in northern Lake Garda is an adventure paradise. I’ve been several times and enjoyed the via ferratas: iron cables fixed to scrambling routes, which require fitness and sense of adventure but not technical mountaineering skills (safety equipment required). The views are amazing and varied, from gorges and ledges to grassy mountaintop finishes and, for the bold, huge vertical ladders – with castles, bastions and shrines along the route. It’s a great area, too, for hiring a bike or picking one of the many apartments that include them, to explore the paths and see the lakes and mountains by pedal power. Bored with all that? There’s also paddleboarding, windsurfing, swimming and river boat trips. All accompanied by brilliant food and gelato.
David Thomas Continue reading...

State Tourism Boards Relying More on Instagram and YouTube

Today's podcast looks at travel marketing sans Tiktok, the recovery of business travel, and the Middle East's most expensive hotel. -Rashaad Jorden

Solar Eclipse and Short-Term Rentals: Texas Revenues Soar 300%

Big events should bring some relief to the U.S. short-term rental market following a year dominated by global travel trends. -Srividya Kalyanaraman

Hilton Buys Graduate Hotels Brand in $210 Million Deal

The hotel behemoth Hilton is acquiring the hip, localized Graduate Hotels brand for a cool $210 million. The boutique chain has rapidly expanded to 33 properties clustered around universities in the U.S. and U.K. -Sean O'Neill

The Solar Eclipse Tourists Gather in April

Today's podcast looks at solar eclipse tourism, slower pilot hiring in the U.S., and the latest most expensive hotel in Dubai. -Rashaad Jorden

Oyo Gets Boost for Program to Aid New Hotel Owners – India Report

Oyo launched an accelerator program last year to support first-generation hoteliers. The credit facility boosts India's hospitality industry. -Bulbul Dhawan

Who Needs a Travel Visa? Requirements Are Easing

While international travel has gotten easier in some regards coming out of the pandemic, far too many travelers are still dealing with lengthy visa processing delays that have hurt the industry's recovery. -Rashaad Jorden

A TikTok Ban Would Disrupt Tourism Marketing: What You Need To Know

Travel brands would lose the ability to reach one of the world’s largest outbound tourism markets on TikTok. -Dawit Habtemariam

Passenger Capacity at Indian Airports Set to Surge by 60 Million – India Report

Till a decade ago, roads and railways were major means of transportation between places other than metros and tier 1 cities in India. The inauguration of these airports plays a key role in regional air connectivity. -Bulbul Dhawan

Alaska Airlines CEO Doubles Down on Hawaiian Merger, Bets Big on Joint Loyalty Program

In his first public comments since the merger was announced, Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci expressed confidence that the deal would pass regulatory hurdles.
-Meghna Maharishi

Cathay Pacific Releases New ‘Aria Suite’ Teaser Video: See the Highlights

After being hit harder than most by the pandemic, Cathay Pacific is hoping the Aria Suite will re-establish the airline as one of Asia's finest carriers. -Gordon Smith

One Week Until the Best Travel Industry Conference in India

It’s not too late to reserve your seat today for the most anticipated travel industry conference in the region: Skift India Summit. -Nicole Meyer

Share details of a UK spring walk … you could win a holiday voucher

Tell us about your favourite walk in spring – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

With spring almost here, now’s the time for lacing up your walking boots and getting back outside. Whether it’s woodland strolls, day-long coastal walks or more challenging hikes, we’d love to hear about your favourite lesser known destinations which come into their own at this time of year.

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition. Continue reading...

Steaming in: Galicia’s scenic – and free – thermal baths

In the northern Spanish town of Ourense, locals and visitors luxuriate in hot spring waters at a series of free public baths – or enjoy a private spa for a fiver

A bronzed, willowy veteran in black Speedos glides into the shallow, round-ish thermal pool snuggled into a grassy riverbank. It’s one of a huddle of rock pools, with trees and a modest wooden changing hut. We’re the only people here bathing beneath a cement-coloured sky that seems to inhale the steam billowing from the baths. It could be an onsen in rural Japan, except I’m about 10,000 miles from there, in north-west Spain.

The Outariz and Burga de Canedo thermal baths in Galicia are the largest of the council-run thermal areas in Ourense, with six thermal pools and two cold plunge pools, linked by a white, curved metal footbridge. Today, it’s almost empty and, most importantly, free to use, like most thermal baths here. Continue reading...

Amadeus Acquires Voxel to Expand Payments Business

Amadeus acquired another company earlier this year to expand its biometrics business. Now it's taken the same strategy to expand its payments business. -Justin Dawes

4-Hour Waits at Immigration and $27 Hot Water: Has American Hospitality Lost the Plot?

There's a worrying trend in American hospitality: Travelers coming to the U.S. from abroad often encounter sloppiness, rudeness, and ineptitude in stereo sound. -Lex Haris

Choice Abandons Hostile Merger Bid for Wyndham Hotels

It's dead. Choice Hotels International’s hostile buyout offer of rival Wyndham Hotels & Resorts fizzled out because of an effective resistance by Wyndham's board and a lack of interest by Wyndham's shareholders. -Sean O'Neill

Where people who love good food come to holiday: Vila Nova de Milfontes, Portugal

Its glorious beaches, great food and fine walking make it a magnet for Portuguese families in summer, but this Alentejo resort is largely unknown to British visitors

Coastal and river beaches coalesce beside the Alentejo’s Vila Nova de Milfontes, a lyrical name meaning “new town of a thousand springs”. This resort at the mouth of the Mira River is a magnet for Portuguese families in high summer but largely unknown to British visitors, despite its glorious beaches, great food and fine walking.

At this spot in the upper half of the 100km-long Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, the main beaches are found at the ria, where the river meets the sea. Across the ria from town is Praia das Furnas, a long beach, which is reached by car or ferry, with sandbars at low tide that make playing in the crashing waves fun. Nearer town are Praia da Franquia, Praia de Vila Nova Milfontes and Praia de Farol (Lighthouse Beach), with its sloping sands. Continue reading...

In May it is bliss, silent except for whistling bee-eaters: Tinos, the Cyclades, Greece

Unlike its noisy neighbour Mykonos, this peaceful island is known for its laid-back cafe-bars, taverna dinners and ancient footpaths that link beautiful villages

We are staying in the House of Light (from £62 a night, £90 in summer, sleeps three, on Airbnb), which is a work of art where even the shower drains through locally handcrafted ceramic. I pad along barefoot to the terrace and sit down on the stone bench in the sun, looking across a field of daisies, poppies and mallow to the crumbling dovecote.

As with all the villages of Tinos, Kato Klisma is busy in the summer months, says our host, but in May it is bliss; silent except for whistling bee-eaters. If I walk down one nearby alley, the croaking of frogs leads to a maze of bamboo-encircled fields where sheep graze on artichokes. The valley stretches to Kolymbithra, a sweep of white sand drifting up to blue cliffs, backed by dunes and lagoons populated by ducks and wading birds. Continue reading...

Horses on the beach, fried fish and sherry: Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalucía, Spain

A life-affirming spirit of joy and entertainment builds from noon at the beach bars and restaurants in this laid-back coastal town near Cádiz

Even the geology conspires to make Sanlúcar de Barrameda feel laid-back. Spain slows and drifts out peacefully in this coastal cul-de-sac of estuarine sandbanks, wide beaches and shallow rippling sea in the corner of the province of Cádiz. It certainly helps that there are no rocky cliffs and surfer waves, and that the thick sand keeps the beaches soundproofed and free from the rattling drawl of pebbles.

I live among uneven green mountains in the Sierra de Cádiz, so a visit to this flat expanse of navy blue and cream is tantamount to therapy. Each August, horses thunder down the sands in a series of evening races, but that burst of exertion aside, the mood on its several beaches is generally tranquil. Especially in winter and spring. Continue reading...

12 of the best UK breaks to celebrate spring

From blossom trails to bluebell woods, and foraging to farm stays, we’ve picked some of the finest seasonal getaways



This is cider country, and the Brockhampton Estate, near the Worcestershire border, is the largest orchard under the National Trust’s care, with over 145 acres of damson, pear, quince, cherry and apple trees, which blossom in great frothy clouds from late March through April. Continue reading...

Readers’ favourite spring breaks in the UK and Europe

Our readers make the most of spring with woodland walks in Yorkshire’s ‘Little Switzerland’ and picnics of ham and cheese baguettes in the French Alps

The area around Hardcastle in West Yorkshire springs into life in mid-March. The woodland floor transforms as if by magic into a soft carpet of wildflowers with bluebells appearing later in the season. The area was once called Little Switzerland because of its steep lush valleys bisected by rushing rivers, silver streams and footpaths. We found it to be the perfect antidote to winter, with shafts of golden sunlight casting their magic rays on all the lovely foliage. Head for a nice pub lunch at the Old Gate in Hebden after a morning walk.
Nigel Continue reading...

My Rasta father showed me the real Jamaica. After he died, I wanted to share it with my kids

I had no idea where I was heading when we set sail from Jamaica in the 70s, but I’m glad I’ve returned with my children to remember their grandfather this way

As we bump along terrible roads in my dad’s hot, noisy buttermilk-coloured Beetle, I’m unable to take in the beauty of Jamaica’s north coast – its waterfalls and gin-clear sea, its lush fern-quilted interior and the majestic Blue Mountains my dad loved.

It’s the late 1980s. I’m 15. It’s been nine years since I last saw my dad. To mark our reunion in the country of my birth, my dad, who adored adventures, and wanted my mum, sisters and I to “visit all your people ’dem and see every corner of your beautiful home”, is taking us on a road trip. However, admiring Jamaica’s landscape is the last thing on my mind as I sit squashed between my sisters in the back of the Beetle, angry at my dad because he’d dropped in and out of our childhood. My aim, despite my teenage moodiness, is to get to know him better. Not Jamaica. Continue reading...

Tell us about a great activity break – you could win a holiday voucher

Tell us about your favourite action-inspired trips in Europe including the UK – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

There’s a palpable sense of the changing seasons at this time of the year – longer days, warmer weather, and the feeling that people are stirring from winter hibernation. The parks are getting busier, tennis courts are being used and pelotons of cyclists are starting to appear on our roads. There are so many ways of enjoying the great outdoors while keeping yourself fit and healthy. You may have enjoyed a kayaking trip, a hiking break, cycling through beautiful scenery or a wild swimming holiday. Whatever gets you up and out for an adventure, we’d love to hear about it.

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition. Continue reading...