FAA Exceeds Air-Traffic Control Hiring Goals But Shortage Persists

Despite exceeding its hiring goals for the 2024 fiscal year, the Federal Aviation Administration is still dealing with an air-traffic controller shortage that airline executives are expecting will last for years.
-Meghna Maharishi

Oyo 2.0: After Motel 6 Acquisition, Next Comes an IPO

The Motel 6 acquisition marks a huge step forward for Oyo. With an IPO on the horizon, the big question is: Will it be the blockbuster Oyo’s aiming for? -Peden Doma Bhutia

Short-Term Rental Hosts Confront Cleaning Fee Conundrum

Airbnb’s total price display policy has pushed some hosts to reconsider how they use cleaning fees. Experts say it’s better to determine what makes a fair fee than it is to eliminate it entirely. -Dennis Schaal

Indian Vacation Rental Startup Elivaas CEO on Its $5 Million Funding and Expansion Plans

As hospitality, technology, and sustainability start to blend, Elivaas is showing how luxury travel could be redefined. But a lot rides on how the brand handles the challenges, especially in India.
-Peden Doma Bhutia

Tripadvisor CEO on Company’s Evolution From Advertising to a Booking Model

Tripadvisor's challenge is that it is no big deal these days to see a static image of someone who wrote a hotel or experiences review. Many people are accustomed to scrolling TikTok instead. -Dennis Schaal

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky: ‘I Never Called it Founder Mode’

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky gave a talk that led to some controversy in Silicon Valley. He clarified his thoughts in one area and doubled down in another. -Justin Dawes

Leela’s Parent Files For IPO to Fuel Hotel Expansion in India

The IPO is a big deal for The Leela Hotels and could pave the way for more investment in luxury tourism just as demand for premium travel is booming. -Peden Doma Bhutia

By volunteering around the world, I found my purpose in life, my husband and my roots

Working with charities, farms and rural development projects has been life-changing for our writer – and is something anyone can do, regardless of background

The first time I joined a volunteering trip I was 22, and had no idea what I wanted to do in life. It was in the summer of my third year at university, in 2018, and the project was a 10-week expedition with Raleigh International in Malaysian Borneo.

Raleigh offered bursaries, covering flights, insurance and vaccinations, to people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds [Raleigh International Trust went into administration in May 2022 and was acquired by The Impact Travel Group but still offers expeditions]. I was thrilled to be given a place on the scheme, and the bursary was a huge help. It also meant my fundraising target before the trip was reduced from the £2,000-plus they typically ask for to £800. Continue reading...

Oyo to Buy Motel 6 for $525 Million in U.S. Expansion Bid

Oyo, based in India, has tried for years to gain traction in the U.S., but it has claimed that competitors have played hardball. It's now betting that buying a network is its best way to gain scale fast. -Sean O'Neill

Sabre Hospitality Is For Sale … Again

If Sabre sells its hospitality unit this time around, it can use some of the proceeds to pay off debt, and then refocus on its core airline and travel agency business. -Dennis Schaal

10 Things We Learned at the Skift Global Forum

Executives speaking at this year's Skift Global Forum offered no shortage of opinions about the current state and future of the travel industry, and here are some of the most noteworthy comments. -Rashaad Jorden

Expedia’s Evolution, JetBlue’s Challenges and Dubai’s Sphere

Today's podcast looks at Expedia's new focus, Jetblue's frustrations, and a sphere for Dubai. -Rashaad Jorden

‘A perfect place to build a film community’: a tour of Scotland’s island movie clubs

The Sea Change film festival on Tiree is a DIY affair that celebrates women and also connects communities on a series of small, scattered isles

Think of a film festival and images of celebrities, paparazzi and throngs of tourists might spring to mind, but one festival on a Hebridean island does things a little differently. The Sea Change film festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday, has been attracting the public and the film industry to Tiree (population about 650) in the Inner Hebrides for the past five years.

It’s Scotland’s only annual festival dedicated to celebrating women through film, and hosts screenings, workshops and talks, as well as beach walks, pilates classes and swimming sessions. The community centre becomes the main cinema and an after-party might mean a few pints at a pop-up bar rather than a glitzy hotel. Continue reading...

Where Certares Plans to Invest Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

There is huge untapped potential in getting Americans to travel to Europe or the Middle East for lower prices on high-tech wellness services. -Justin Dawes

MGM Shares Plans for Dubai Sphere, ‘Equally Compelling as Las Vegas Sphere’

MGM Resorts is building its own "Dubai Sphere." Though not linked to the Las Vegas Sphere, the hotelier says it will be just as exciting. -Josh Corder

JetBlue to Open Airport Lounges in Major Premium Push

Speaking to Skift, JetBlue president Marty St. George said it’s possible to balance a low-cost airline with high-end lounges. If realized as planned, these could be some of the most exclusive spaces of any U.S. carrier.  -Gordon Smith

Waterford revival: the reinvention of Ireland’s oldest city

From Viking history, to its wild coastline and even its ‘damp’ weather, Waterford has taken its natural assets and run with them

It was a pretty long interregnum, about 1,000 years, but Waterford is once again a hot travel destination.

The Vikings were the first to popularise this corner of south-east Ireland, liking it so much they settled, built a town and called it Vadrarfjordr, Norse for “winter port”, around AD914. There was no better refuge for weary raiders to rest and recuperate. Continue reading...

Wyndham’s New Ways to Make Money — One Text at a Time

Wyndham's CEO says its tech investment is paying off. Other travel brands need to up their game. -Rashaad Jorden

Challenges in Capturing Growth in Experiences: Taylor Swift, AI, Scaling

The demand for experiences isn't showing any sign of slowing down, but travel companies are still figuring out how to capture it. -Rashaad Jorden

Dubai Is Known for Luxury Travel — Now it Wants to Focus on ‘Real Culture’

Even the CEO of Dubai Tourism says the city has previously lacked a "soul," now they want to change that. -Josh Corder