Skift Daily Travel Briefing
1,213 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★ - 17 ratingsEverything you need to know about the business of travel today. Each episode covers new travel stories from Skift's editorial team. Listen to the latest developments at hotels, airlines, destinations, online booking sites, and more.
Published Tuesday through Friday by 5am ET.
For ongoing coverage, please visit Skift.com/news.
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Episodes
Hyatt Nears Dear Acquisition Deal
July 19, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesEpisode Notes Hyatt is close to a deal to buy Standard International, operator of the upscale Standard Hotels, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Negotiations between Hyatt and Standard International “are in advanced stages,” according to Bloomberg News. A source at Hyatt said the talks were ongoing and hadn’t been finalized, noting that Hyatt has walked away from deals at the last minute when there are issues. Next, United Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella has b...
Western Airlines Increasingly Withdraw From China
July 18, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Virgin Atlantic is pulling out of China after serving the country for 25 years. Virgin becomes the latest Western carrier to retreat from China, writes Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. Virgin Atlantic cited “significant challenges and complexities” as the reason for its decision. The carrier’s final round-trip service to China will be London-Shanghai flights on October 25. Smith notes the closure of Russian airspace has made Virgin Atlantic’s journeys even longer and helped increas...
Amsterdam Wants Fewer Visitors
July 17, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Amsterdam, one of the world’s most visited destinations, wants fewer tourists. The city’s Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki discussed Amsterdam’s strategy to decrease visitor numbers and attract better-behaved travelers with Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Mbarki said more rental units need to be reserved for residents instead of tourists, and that Amsterdam plans to introduce new short-term rental regulations. The city is also placing limits on cruise ships and developmen...
Last-Minute Travel Booking Sites Could See Surge in Bookings
July 16, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Last-minute travel booking sites have often done well during economic downturns. Executive Editor Dennis Schaal provides information about companies like last-minute vacation rental site Whimstay, which has announced discounted inventory deals with several major travel brands. Whimstay recently unveiled a partnership with Expedia Group and Vrbo that will furnish the company with up to 250,000 new listings. Whimstay, which targets Millennial and Gen Z travelers, gets its invent...
Delta Air Lines' Underwhelming Second Quarter
July 12, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesEpisode Notes Despite a record number of people traveling this summer, quarterly results from Delta — one of the most profitable U.S. airlines — fell short of expectations, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Delta reported record revenues for the second quarter but profits dropped 29% largely due to a surplus of seats and higher fuel costs. President Glen Hauenstein said domestic seat growth this summer has surpassed demand, affecting main cabin revenues. Hauenstein added that Delta e...
Paris Not Expecting Large-Scale Tourism Boom for the Olympics
July 11, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesParis is expecting to see a small bump in overseas visitors for the upcoming Summer Olympics, but no large-scale boom, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Less than 15% of the projected roughly 11 million Olympic visitors will be foreign, according to the city’s tourism board. Paris tourism chief Corinne Menegaux had previously told us that most Olympic ticket holders will be French. Habtemariam notes many travelers are avoiding the popular tourist destination because of the Ol...
The Growing Wealth Gap’s Impact on Travel
July 10, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Air travel is breaking records. But a recent Newsweek poll found that 44% of respondents won’t be traveling anywhere in the next three months, while 53% said they would’ve gone on vacation if the cost of living had been cheaper. Meanwhile, luxury hotel occupancy was up 1.8% in the first five months of 2024 while economy hotel occupancy was down 3.4% Next, Marriott has debuted an online travel booking portal for small-to medium-sized businesses. It’s part of the company’s strateg...
Boeing Agrees to Guilty Plea
July 09, 2024 06:00 - 4 minutesEpisode Notes Boeing will accept a guilty plea deal from the Department of Justice over charges the planemaker misled federal authorities on certain aspects of the 737 Max 8, which has been involved in fatal crashes. Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi lists three takeaways from Boeing’s deal with the Justice Department. Boeing will have to pay a more than $240 million criminal offense fine and invest at least $455 million in compliance and safety programs. The planemaker will be on probation...
Corporate Travel Rebounds Despite Cuts in Travel Budgets
July 03, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes A growing number of companies have reduced their travel budgets in recent years, but that hasn’t slowed down business travel’s rebound, writes Reporter Christiana Sciaudone. Roughly 60% of travel buyers said their companies have cut their travel budgets in the past few years, according to a recent BCD Travel survey. In addition, 96% said their companies have introduced cost control policies. However, Sciaudone notes 2024 is shaping up to be a strong year...
Oneworld's New CEO Explains Travel Trends
July 02, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Nat Pieper has the task of helping lead 13 airlines as the CEO of the oneworld alliance, one of the world’s three major airline groups. Pieper discussed the challenges he faces and industry trends in an interview with Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. Oneworld has opened airport lounges in Seoul and Amsterdam this year, but Pieper acknowledged he doesn’t have a magic number in mind for how many lounges he’d like to open. He did note that the revenue outlook this summer for oneworld ...
Boeing Screws Up
June 28, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes The National Transportation Safety Board has blasted Boeing, arguing the planemaker shared sensitive information with the media, writes Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. The NTSB said that Boeing had violated the agency’s investigative rules by disclosing information to the press about the January blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight. The agency also said Boeing improperly speculated about possible causes of the blowout. As a result, Boeing will no longer ha...
Xbox Can Teach the Travel Industry a Few Things
June 27, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes A Microsoft executive believes Xbox can teach the travel industry several things about the customer experience, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Shane O’Flaherty, a Microsoft executive who spoke this week at hospitality tech event HITEC, said Xbox has found ways to drive digital engagement with consumers. O’Flaherty explained that Xbox tracks every player’s movement and constantly presents them content that will improve their experiences. ...
U.S. Hotels’ Up and Down Performance
June 26, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes The U.S. hotel industry’s performance has had mixed fortunes so far this year. The luxury sector has experienced robust growth in demand and room rates while economy hotels have struggled, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Luxury hotel occupancy was up 1.8% in the first five months of 2024, according to CoStar. However, economy hotel occupancy was down a little more than 3%. O’Neill writes affluent travelers might be benefitting from a recen...
July Fourth Short-Term Rental Bookings Surge on the U.S. Coasts
June 25, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes Travelers heading to New York City for the Fourth of July weekend aren’t booking as many short-term rentals as they did last year. Bookings are instead surging at destinations along the Atlantic coast, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. AirDNA revealed that New York City is no longer a top 10 market for the holiday and has been replaced by coastal destinations in Delaware and Maryland. Short-term rental bookings at coastal destinations for ...
Travel Venture Capital, Airbnb Transparency and Real AI Biz Travel
June 21, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes Venture capital investment in the travel industry hit its lowest level in a decade in 2023, one finding from a new Skift Research report examining the state of venture capital investment in travel. The travel industry had only $2.9 billion of venture capital investment in 2023, compared to nearly $9 billion in 2019. Senior Research Analyst Pravani Agarwal also notes the number of deals last year in the travel industry dropped more than 20% from the previo...
Europe Grapples With Extreme Heat
June 20, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes Destinations across Europe are grappling with extreme heat, with soaring temperatures contributing to the deaths of five tourists in Greece. Authorities on the continent are struggling to develop strategies to combat the heat, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz. Chase-Lubitz notes policy experts in the European Union believe governments are unprepared for the heat despite having access to information about possible heatwaves. European C...
NYC’s Crackdown on Short-Term Rentals Detailed
June 18, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes New York City has cracked down on short-term rentals by requiring hosts to register since last September. Since then, the city has only approved a little less than 2,300 applications, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Schaal writes the figure is a sign of the lack of short-term rentals in New York City. Christian Klossner, the Office of Special Enforcement’s executive director, said Local 18, which also requires hosts to be present during the stay, h...
How to Plan a Successful AI Strategy in Travel
June 14, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes The use of artificial intelligence in the travel industry has grown significantly in recent years. However, the industry still has a lot of work to do to get the most out of AI. Vivek Bhogaraju, advisory partner of data and AI at Skift, provides travel companies with ideas on how to develop AI strategies. Bhogaraju writes that this is just the beginning of the AI era. He urges companies to be flexible when using the technology, noting that new regulations ...
Southwest CEO Is Staying Put
June 13, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes Activist fund Elliott Investment Management has called for a major shakeup at the top of Southwest Airlines after recently taking a $2 billion stake in the carrier. However, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan has no plans to resign, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Jordan said at a Politico event on Wednesday that he would consider Elliott’s feedback, adding that Southwest is ready to adapt its business model. Maharishi reports Elliott has been calling f...
IAG Loyalty Has Big Plans for Avios
June 12, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes IAG Loyalty has big plans to expand its frequent flyer currency Avios. IAG Loyalty CEO Adam Daniels discussed those ambitions and more in an interview with Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Daniels said one of IAG Loyalty’s goals is to make Avios a global currency. Avios has already entered into partnerships with Qatar Airways and Finnair, carriers outside of the IAG family. IAG’s airline brands include British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. Daniels ad...
Apple Makes Big Travel-Related Updates
June 11, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes Apple unveiled new travel-related features for several of its products on Monday at the 2024 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes provides details about Apple’s updates. Dawes notes the Apple Watch will have a new translation app, live update features for flights and Uber, and a setting to alert users before it rains. In addition, Siri is getting a connection to OpenAI, which will enable users to ask Siri anything...
Venice Might Hike Entry Fee
June 07, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes Authorities in Venice believe the roughly $5 entry fee it charges visitors has benefited the city. And a top tourism official told Skift Venice could raise the amount, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Simone Venturini, the city’s deputy mayor for tourism, said the fee is part of Venice’s strategy to preserve its beauty and pivot away from being “a cheap tourism capital.” Venturini added that everything has gone smoothly since the entry fe...
What's Happening in Short-Term Rentals
June 06, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Booking.com is targeting U.S. travelers to tap into the increasing demand for short-term rentals, writes Reporter Christiana Sciaudone. Eric Bergaglia, Booking.com’s vice president of Homes & Growth Segments, said at the Skift Short-Term Rental Summit that the company needs to be more U.S.-centric in how it develops products. Sciaudone reports Booking.com is focusing on in particular payments, liability insurance, damage policy to appeal to American consumers. Bergaglia said ...
What Travel's Best AI Experts Told Us Yesterday
June 05, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Hotel tech has a long way to go before it can satisfy travelers’ demands, two executives said at the Skift Data + AI Summit in New York on Tuesday, writes Reporter Christiana Sciaudone. Chris Hemmeter, managing director at Thayer Ventures, and Kurien Jacob, partner and managing director of Highgate Technology Ventures, explained how hotel tech needs to evolve. Jacob noted how the travel industry is behind tech-wise – “room assignment can be automated,” he said. Hemmeter said the...
Wyndham Targets Global and Upscale Growth
June 04, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by Brand USA Episode Notes Wyndham wants to shed its reputation for focusing on economy hotels in the U.S. The hotel group is looking to increase the number of upscale properties in its portfolio, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Wyndham CEO Geoffrey Ballotti said at a conference in New York on Monday that while the company loves the economy sector, it’s increasingly moving upscale. Ballotti added that Wyndham has added properties in Montreux, Switzerland and Detroi...
In-Flight Wi-Fi's Evolution
May 31, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by BrandUSA Episode Notes The market for unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity is set to boom as airlines look to make it easier for travelers to stay connected in the skies. Reporter Ajay Awtaney provides background into the history of in-flight Wi-Fi. Awtaney writes in-flight internet connectivity has come a long way since what he calls painfully slow service more than 20 years ago. As technology has improved over the past two decades, airlines have used advertising or sponsorsh...
American Airlines Looks to Make Changes
May 30, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesPresented by BrandUSA Episode Notes American Airlines CEO Robert Isom has paid tribute to outgoing Chief Commercial Officer Vasu Raja. But Isom has indicated it was time for Raja to go amid American’s struggles, reports Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. Isom admitted at a conference on Wednesday that American has dug itself a hole during the second quarter, with the company’s financial outlook having been downgraded. While praising Raja’s creative thinking and passion, Isom acknowledged that Ame...
4 Google AI-Powered Travel Projects Explained
May 29, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by BrandUSA Episode Notes Google has made further inroads in the travel industry in recent months with several AI-powered products it’s launched. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes delves into four of them. Dawes notes that Google has incorporated new AI features into software for physical products, including mobile phones. A new feature on Android devices enables users to translate content on the screen without having to switch apps. Travel technology firm Sabre recently unve...
What We Learned From Testing the Updated AI Chatbots
May 24, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by BrandUSA Episode Notes OpenAI, Google and Meta have big plans for AI chatbots that can serve as personal assistants for travelers. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes provides takeaways after reviewing the latest updates. OpenAI is releasing new voice translation capabilities in the near future that can understand non-verbal cues and recognize different voices in group conversations. Dawes notes OpenAI’s voicebot could break down language barriers that could keep travelers fr...
Are Airbnbs Cheaper Than Hotels?
May 23, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesPresented by BrandUSA Episode Notes Airbnb recently said its average daily rates can be cheaper than those of hotels. But there are lot of factors to consider, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. The company said the average daily rate in March of a one-bedroom Airbnb worldwide was $114 while data firm CoStar reported the equivalent rate for a hotel room was $140. But Schaal notes there is a lot of nuance in those numbers, adding they don’t include Airbnb cleaning fees, hotel resort fees ...
5 Countries With Booming Tourism Industries
May 22, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesThe World Economic Forum recently released its 2024 Travel & Tourism Index. Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam and Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill profile five countries the organization named as among the most-improved economies for enabling travel and tourism development since 2019. Habtemariam and O’Neill highlight Albania, Indonesia, Egypt, Tanzania and El Salvador. In particular, Albania has seen a 141% increase in daily flight traffic since 2019. Meanwhile, Indonesian aut...
Marriott vs. Hilton's Fight Over Hotel Fees
May 21, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Marriott and Hilton are in fierce competition regarding the growth of their portfolios and loyalty programs. But Marriott is the clear winner in terms of fees earned from services for hotel owners, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill in this week’s Early Check-In. Hotel groups charge owners fees for managing or franchising hotels. Marriott generated $1.24 billion in gross fee revenue last year while Hilton generated $773 million. While Hilton’s fee revenue is growing ...
Airlines Get a Boost From Business Travel's Comeback
May 17, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Airlines have recently gotten a big boost from a segment many airlines thought would continue to struggle — business travel, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Delta Air Lines said corporate bookings were up 14% in the first quarter. Delta President Glen Hauenstein said 90% of the companies it surveyed said they plan to increase travel in the second quarter. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines both recorded significant increases in corporate bookings during the first qu...
Gen Z Travelers Boost Hotel Revenue
May 16, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes This year’s Summer Olympics are boosting short-term rental bookings in Paris, writes Reporter Elizabeth Casolo. Short-term rental bookings in Paris between July 26 through August 11 are up 46% compared to the prior two weeks, according to data analytics firm AirDNA. Bookings in Paris’ suburbs for the Olympics are up 112%. However, AirDNA Chief Economist Jamie Lane said short-term rental rates during the Olympics are beginning to drop. Lane added AirDNA expects rates to continue...
Google's AI-Powered Trip Planning Updates
May 15, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesEpisode Notes Google is going deeper into the AI-powered trip planning world. The tech giant is adding itinerary-building capabilities on Gemini Advanced, its paid generative AI chatbot, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Google Vice President Sissie Hsiao said Gemini Advanced can create a personalized vacation plan using multiple sources of information. The trip-planning capability is coming to Gemini Advanced this summer. In addition, Google is also boosting trip-planning optio...
AI-Powered Travel Updates Will Make Translation Easier
May 14, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Travelers could have easy access to a robotic voice translator thanks to updates to ChatGPT. An OpenAI presentation explained how ChatGPT could serve as a human speech translator, the most significant travel-related feature in several updates unveiled on Monday, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Dawes reports the upgraded translation capabilities are part of the new flagship GPT-4o model for ChatGPT. OpenAI said the new model is better at interacting with voice, p...
Airlines' Frequent Flyer Programs Face Scrutiny
May 10, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesEpisode Notes The U.S. government is investigating whether airlines have devalued frequent flyer miles, which would make booking reward tickets more difficult for customers, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Rohit Chopra said at a hearing his agency has found some evidence of airlines and credit card companies devaluing points and miles. Chopra added the bureau found that airlines have sold inflated points to consumers while credit card issuers r...
Airbnb's Ready to Accelerate International Expansion
May 09, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesEpisode Notes Airbnb is ramping up its plans for international expansion. The short-term rental giant is looking to grow significantly beyond its five biggest markets, writes Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. CEO Brian Chesky said during its first-quarter earnings call that Airbnb is ready to step on the gas regarding international expansion. He cited Mexico, Brazil, China and Japan, among other countries, as markets the company is focusing on. Chesky said Airbnb recently updated its app in Ch...
World Cup Tickets: Corporations Are Beating the Fans
May 08, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes The 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is shaping up to be a very corporate event. Several travel executives believe a lot of visitors for the tournament will be business travelers, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Lena Ross, chairwoman of the International Inbound Travel Association, said at the IPW travel trade show that big corporations would buy up ticket blocks and give them to clients. In addition, Oswaldo Freitas, CEO...
U.S. Tourism CEOs Get Paid
May 07, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Skift has unveiled its list of the U.S.’s highest-paid tourism marketing CEOs. Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta took the top spot, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Beteta collected more than $1.5 million in compensation during the 2022 fiscal year. Former San Francisco Travel Association CEO Joseph D’ Alessandro came in second at just under $965,000. Skift used the 2022 fiscal year because it contains the most recent comprehensive up-to-date records. Habt...
Expedia and Booking's First-Quarter Reports
May 03, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Expedia Group has trimmed its 2024 outlook for growth due to its vacation rental brand Vrbo’s slower-than-expected recovery, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. O’Neill reports Expedia Group’s first-quarter profit margins were mostly in line with last year. But the company acknowledged that the struggles of Vrbo and Hotels.com drove it to lower its full-year guidance. A tech migration that brought together all of Expedia Group’s major brands hasn’t yet paid off. In...
Airbnb CEO Reveals Its Big Plans
May 02, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Airbnb is looking to make waves with the launch of nearly a dozen experience-based homes the company is calling “Icons.” CEO Brian Chesky discussed the new product, as well as AI, loyalty programs and other subjects in a wide-ranging interview with Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit. Chesky described Icons as a “gateway” into the experiences category, which Airbnb has been eager to break into. He acknowledged Icons won’t be a classic revenue generator for Airbnb as the houses wi...
Chinese Tourism to the U.S. Makes Slow Progress
May 01, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes The U.S. travel industry will likely see a full recovery in Chinese and Japanese tourism by 2026 — a year earlier than expected, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. The latest report from the U.S. National and Travel Tourism Office projects that international travel to the U.S. will fully recover in 2025. However, the office expects China and Japan to be behind the U.S.’ other source markets. An executive at the organization cited China’s weak economy and flight re...
China’s New Plane Wins Could Signal More Competition for Airbus and Boeing
April 30, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes One of China’s largest airlines, China Southern, is buying 100 domestically-built planes – the C919, produced by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). The plane is considered an emerging competitor to Airbus’ A320 and the Boeing 737. And Airlines Editor Gordon Smith examines if other airlines will look to buy these Chinese-built aircraft. Just last week, Air China signed a similar agreement with COMAC for 100 C919 jets. The bigger question is if inter...
Royal Caribbean Is Getting Younger
April 26, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesEpisode Notes India’s largest airline IndiGo has taken a step in its quest to make a mark globally. IndiGo has ordered a large number of widebody aircraft that will enable it to operate more international flights, reports Contributor Ajay Awtaney. IndiGo announced the order of 30 A350-900 jets on Thursday. The company has also retained the purchase rights for another 70 aircraft. Awtaney notes IndiGo expects to start incorporating the aircraft into its fleet from 2027 onwards, adding the air...
What Scraping 20,000 Google Hotel Listings Taught Us
April 25, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesSkift Research recently examined more than 20,000 hotel listings on Google to discover which online travel agencies and direct sites compete for bookings. Senior Research Analyst Pranavi Agarwal explains the major findings from Skift Research’s report. Agarwal notes that Booking.com is the dominant brand across Google’s sponsored results, paying to appear the most often in every region. However, Skift Research found Expedia.com is investing heavily in ad dollars to be the top-of-the list op...
Atlanta's Michelin Guide Deal Translates to Tourism Dollars
April 24, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Atlanta recently reached a three-year, $1 million deal with the Michelin Guide. Discover Atlanta CEO William Pate discussed that topic and more in an interview with Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Pate said having Atlanta’s restaurants appear in the Michelin Guide has boosted the city’s culinary scene. He noted restaurants that have already been selected for the guide have seen a 30% increase in business. Atlanta is the seventh U.S. city to be selected for the Michel...
Climate Change Comes for the Great Barrier Reef
April 23, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes The Great Barrier Reef is currently experiencing its worst-ever mass bleaching event, during which warmer-than-usual water causes corals to expel their algae and turn white. Tour operators have been doing their part in helping preserve the popular tourist landmark, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz. Chase-Lubitz cites Reef Magic as one tour operator that offers travelers the opportunity to help revive corals. At least six tour operators are a part of the Cor...
Amsterdam Says 'No' to New Hotel Developments
April 19, 2024 06:00 - 2 minutesEpisode Notes Amsterdam is banning hotel developments as part of its strategy to fight mass tourism, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Amsterdam’s municipal government announced the Dutch capital will no longer issue permits for new hotels. The only exception would be if another hotel in the city closes and the number of beds doesn’t increase. Habtemariam notes Amsterdam officials are looking to limit annual overnight stays in the city to 20 million. The new hotel restriction...
Airbnb CEO’s $1 Billion Pay Package
April 18, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutesEpisode Notes Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky’s 10-year pay package, announced in 2021, could hit $1 billion or more if the company’s share price hits certain price targets, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Airbnb said recently the potential value of Cheksy’s eight remaining tranches of unearned shares at the end of 2023 was $1.3 billion. However, Schaal notes it’s far from certain that Chesky will receive the shares. Airbnb awarded Chesky a pay package with 12 million restricted stock units...