Continuing our series on Skift’s Megatrends for 2024, today we feature a conversation focused on developments reshaping India, the Middle East, and by extension, the whole of the global travel business. Up for discussion are Megatrends on the growing Indian middle class, a potential short-term rental boom in the Middle East, and whether “Made in Dubai” will be next global brand. To explore these topics Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit is joined by two members of Skift’s editorial team well versed in these regions: India-based Asia Editor Peden Domo Bhutia, and Dubai-based Middle East Reporter Josh Corder. You can see all of Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 right now at Skift.com/megatrends.

On our second episode exploring Skift’s Megatrends for 2024, Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit is joined by Managing Editor Lex Harris, Airlines Editor and Reporter Gordon Smith, and Airline Weekly Senior Analyst Jay Shabat, to discuss our three most "problematic" Megatrends. They cover: the current uproar over Junk Fees, the continuing supply chain issues faced by the aviation sector, and the impacts of the burgeoning climate crisis on the business of travel.  You can see all of Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 right now at Skift.com/megatrends.

Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 were released at the beginning of the year, our 12th annual reporting on the trends defining the travel industry. Today, we’re proud to present the first episode in a series highlighting these Megatrends featuring Skift’s editor-in-chief Sarah Kopit and Skift Hotel Editor Sean O’Neil. They discuss the Megatrend that Sean himself penned, entitled “How Hotels will Seduce the Middle Class Traveler”, where Sean explains how a growing global middle class and ample opportunity in mid-market hospitality should result in continued and increasing investment in so-called select service hotels. Sean spoke with Wyndham Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Checchio at the Megatrends release event in New York last week and he relates how Wyndham and other major hotel players, such as Hyatt and Hilton, are approaching this focus on Midscale. Sarah and Sean also discuss other Megatrends related to: the growing Indian middle class, the impact of artificial intelligence, and the controversy surrounding hotel junk fees. You can read the Skift Megatrends for 2024 right now at skift.com/megatrends

One year ago, on January 8 2023, China began reopening to tourism. In our first dispatch of 2024, Skift founder and CEO, Rafat Ali, talks with Check-In Asia director, Gary Bowerman, to discuss the state of Chinese tourism. It is a wide-ranging conversation covering the evolution of the Chinese reopening, how China is addressing the "3 pillars" of travel and tourism, visas, the importance of travel influencers in China, and much more. If you enjoy this conversation visit skift.com for breaking travel news, the latest research, and industry-defining events.

Today we feature Hany Abdelkawi, Head of Travel Sales for Google, in conversation with Skift CEO and Founder, Rafat Ali, on stage in Dubai at Skift Global Forum East this December. They spoke on the topic of "Connections in the Age of AI". Visit live.skift.com to learn more about how you can attend or view our next industry defining event.

Today we feature Kerzner Internaltional CEO, Philippe Zuber, in conversation with Skift Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Kopit, on stage in Dubai at Skift Global Forum last week. They spoke on the topic of "Inspiring Innovation in the Age of AI". Visit live.skift.com to learn more about how you can attend or view our next industry defining event.

This episode of the Skift Travel Podcast is a rebroadcast of a session that took place at Skift Global Forum East in December of last year: His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism, speaks with Rafat Ali, Founder & CEO of Skift, on the topic of "Bringing Travel into the Future". As we prepare to return to Dubai on December 12-14, we're revisiting a few of the most popular sessions. Visit live.skift.com for info on how to attend or view Skift Global Forum East 2023.

This episode of the Skift Travel Podcast is a rebroadcast of a session that took place at Skift Global Forum East in December of last year. As we prepare to return to Dubai on December 12-14, we're revisiting a few of the most popular sessions. Visit live.skift.com for info on how to attend or view Skift Global Forum East 2023.

In anticipation of Skift Global Forum East, happening in Dubai December 12-14, I wanted to sit down with both our Middle East Report, Josh Corder, and Twenty31 Consulting (now Skift Advisory) Managing Director, Joe Naaman, to discuss a big picture view on growth and dynamics in the Middle East. In 45 minutes, we were able to just scratch the surface of our 25+ full speaker lineup and topic discussions slated for our Forum in December. If you haven’t secured your pass, get yours today as you don’t want to miss it. In this podcast, we discuss:  How is the conflict in Israel being felt on the ground in the region? What is the anticipated impact for COP28 and did the World Cup deliver?  How are countries planning ahead for Indian outbound travelers? What important changes have happened for China as a source market?  The status of a GCC unified visa and what this means for tourism in the gulf. Supply and oversupply: how has the hospitality mix shifted and is it working? How has Dubai captured the market and what are other countries doing to compete? Listen in to this exciting discussion and join us at Skift Global Forum East this December as we gather representatives from the world’s leading brands who are eager to delve into the transformative global, economic, and technological trends shaping the travel industry.  From aviation and hospitality to technology and online booking (and everything in between), this event is a unique opportunity to expand your industry knowledge and be inspired by the region and influential decision-makers in this space.

Today on the podcast we feature Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in conversation with Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali onstage at Skift Global Forum in New York City last month.  Among a litany of subjects, Khosrowshahi discusses Uber’s high burn rate, its use of artificial intelligence, upcoming product releases like Uber Teens, Uber becoming a super app, and how essential the delivery service (Uber Eats) is to the business today.  Visit live.skift.com to learn how you can attend our next industry defining live event. Up next is the Skift Aviation Forum, coming to Ft Worth, Texas on November 1.

This week Choice Hotels publicly offered to acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts following months of private discussions between the two companies. This was pretty exciting in itself, with the last major M&A deal in the hotel industry being the Starwood-Marriott merger in 2015. However, later that day, more news broke that Wyndham had rejected Choice’s offer and saw its stock being halted on the NYSE. All of this drama had Skift's team asking: Are we covering Twitter here or the relatively stable hotel industry? In this episode Pranavi Agarwal, senior analyst at Skift Research, Skift senior hospitality editor, Sean O’Neill, and Alan Woinski, editor of the Daily Lodging Report, talk us through the details of the deal, what might be motivating each side's actions, and what the story tells us about the current state of the hospitality landscape.

Today, we’re happy to share the latest episode of The Skift Ideas Podcast, which recently returned with its fifth episode. In it, host Colin Nagy is joined by Harsha L'Acqua, Founder and CEO of Saira Hospitality.  Together, they delve into the past and future of hospitality, and the undeniable importance of unlocking opportunities within communities. If you like what you hear, be sure to sure follow The Skift Ideas podcast for more candid conversations on the innovations and ideas powering the future of travel.  

Today on the show, we play a rousing session from the recent 10th Annual Skift Global Forum that was held in New York City late last month.  The session, titled "Travel's Future as AI Reshapes The World," features tech entrepreneur, investor, and podcast host, Jason Calacanis, along with Brad Gerstner, founder and CEO of Silicon Valley investment firm Altimeter, in discussion with Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali about the coming days when generative AI will become reliable and have a real effect on how the world operates. And they believe that could be the case in some areas in as soon as a year. If you enjoy this insightful and, at times, provocative conversation, learn about how to attend our next next Skift Live event by visiting Live.Skift.com. You can also find full video recordings of this session and many others at skift.com and on the official Skift News YouTube channel.

Skift Editorial Director of Events, Brian Quinn, and Research Director, Seth Borko, preview the topics and speakers of next week's Skift Global Forum. Happening September 26-28 in New York City, the momentous 10th annual Skift Global will explore the theme of "Connection in The age of AI" and feature leaders from throughout travel, deciphering the big trends facing the industry.  Visit https://live.skift.com for information on speakers, schedules, and how to attend. 

We’re back from our late summer break with a special live streamed panel discussion conducted by Skift's editorial team last week on September 5, the very day that New York City’s short-term rental crackdown went into effect. Skift Hospitality editor Sean O'Neill was joined on the panel by Executive editor Dennis Schaal, Travel Tech Reporter Justin Dawes, and Short-term rental reporter Srividya Kalyanaraman to discuss the details of the new regulations and how they effect hosts, travelers, hotels, the city, and the industry at large.  Since this panel, Skift has reported that Airbnb—the brand synonymous with short-terms rentals—has lost 77% of its New York City listings over a three-month period. For this reporting and all of the latest news in the business of travel, visit Skift.com. And if you haven’t already, check out live.skift.com for information on how to attend the 10th annual Skift Global Forum in New York City this September 26–28, where we’ll feature leaders from throughout the travel industry on stage, including Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, who will no doubt have some comment to offer on the challenges posed by these regulations to Airbnb and other short-term rental players. Enjoy the conversation.

Today on the program, Skift Lead Producer Jose Marmolejos speaks with Miguel Neves, Editor-in-Chief of Skift Meetings and host of the Skift Meetings Podcast. This week, Miguel has been covering the sale of the core business of virtual event company Hopin—the pandemic era unicorn founded in 2019 that rose to a valuation of nearly $8 billion by August of 2021, but that by the following February had started laying off employees, culminating in its sale last week to cloud-based communications company RingCentral for a mere $15 million. As Miguel points out in his reporting: “That is billion with a b and million with an m.” In this conversation Miguel details the raise and decline of Hopin, how the established players in events never really had incentive to pursue virtual events outside of pandemic era lock downs, and the implications of the Hopin fire sale for the broader events industry.  Check out Skift Meetings to find Miguel’s reporting, along with the latest guidance and inspiration for business event professionals, at meetings.skift.com.

Today we feature audio from a livestream presentation done this week by Skift research analysts Seth Borko, Pranavi Agarwal and Varsha Arora, where they discuss some key takeaways and stories from The State of Travel 2023, the comprehensive report that was just released by Skift research. Download the report at https://skift.com/insight/state-of-travel/ You can also head to research.skift.com to find this report as well as all of Skift Research’s in depth analysis of the global travel industry.

As we look ahead to the landmark 10th Skift Global Forum happening this September in New York City, today we take a look back at a panel session from Skift Global Forum 2016 correctly billed as "Legends of Online Travel". On the panel were: Brad Gerstner, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Altimeter Capital; Rich Barton, co founder and, at the time, Executive chairman of Zillow Group (he is currently CEO); Dara Khosrowshahi, then the President and CEO of Expedia (he is currently the CEO of Uber); Jay Walker, Founder of Priceline and CEO of Upside; and moderator Dennis Schaal, Skift’s Founding and Executive editor, who earlier that year had released the "Definitive Oral History of Online Travel", the authoritative account of the rise of the online travel agency.  We revisit this session from nearly 7 years ago to assess just how prescient these esteemed speakers were as they discussed the future of online travel as seen from that far away time, still 3+ years before the onset of the global covid pandemic, and 6+ years from the broad release of ChatGPT, the widely-used generative AI tool that has sparked imaginations throughout the world and travel industry. As the panelists in this session point out, many of their predictions have been around since the 1990s ".com" boom and before, so what makes now the moment? The prognostications you’ll hear in this session give us some insight into the answer, and we can be certain that this question will loom large at the coming Skift Global Forum as our sessions look to tackle the theme of “Connection in the Age of AI”.

On Wednesday of last week, Skift broke the bombshell news that Expedia Group—the world’s leading Online Travel Agent—had decided to end its longstanding partnership with Hopper, a rival OTA that Expedia had nonetheless been providing hotel and vacation rental inventory for many years. What’s more, Expedia used their announcement to voice concerns about several practices employed by Hopper that they perceived to be detrimental to consumers. On this episode of the podcast Skift's Lead Producer Jose Marmolejos speaks with Skift's Founding Editor and Executive Editor Dennis Schaal (the journalist who broke that story), as well as Skift Research Analyst Pranavi Agarwal (who recently published the definitive deep dive report on Hopper’s business model and performance), about why this business relationship fell apart so suddenly and dramatically. They listen back to some clips from Dennis’ interview with Hopper CEO Frederic Lalonde at the Skift Global Forum this past September, get some unique insights from Pranavi’s unprecedented access to Hopper’s business while she authored her report, and dig into what this rupture could mean for Hopper, Expedia, and the entire online travel industry.

Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia interviews Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam about the series of articles he's written recently for Skift.com that detail the plight of U.S. cities, how they are coping, and what they are doing to encourage both domestic and international tourists to return in the wake of the pandemic. You can find all of the articles referenced in this episode, as well as Dawit's continued reporting on the subject at Skift’s tourism hub.

Senior hospitality editor Sean O'Neill interviews travel tech reporter Justin Dawes about his experience on the floor of the Hospitality Industry Technology Expo and Conference, better known as HITEC. The conference bills itself as "the world's largest hospitality technology show," and Justin was there in Toronto last week covering it for Skift. In this interview, Justin talks about what he saw and heard at the conference from presenters and industry leaders, the current state of tech in the industry, and why—even amidst all the talk of AI, holograms and even robots—many hoteliers are talking about focusing on what matters: bringing their operations squarely into the 21st century, versus investing in tech for tech's sake. You can find all of Justin's reporting from HITEC at Skift.com, including comments from industry executives and videos of the cutting edge technology that was on display.

In late May, the Skift team returned from our annual retreat, which was held this year in Iceland. Still buzzing with the energy and lessons from that experience, we decided to share our insights in a special edition of the Skift podcast. CFO Michael Cunniff, Senior Director of Events Regina Yuen, and Human Resources head Mariana Ruiz joined CEO Rafat Ali to discuss their learnings about company retreats and the business of travel. As the conversation unfolded, they delved into the logistics and budgeting challenges of organizing company retreats. Cunniff and Yuen shared how coordinating flights, accommodations, and venues required careful planning and attention to detail, especially in a destination like Iceland with its unique logistical challenges. These Skift leaders reflected on the company’s growth and the increasing number of employees attending the retreats. They discussed how the retreats fostered a sense of connection and collaboration, both within teams and across the entire company. Ruiz emphasized how the retreats deepened personal connections and ultimately enhanced work synergy among staffers.

The short-term rental industry has experienced a major boom coming out of the pandemic, driven in large part by the surge in remote work. But what does the future hold, especially since the sector’s enormous recent growth may not be sustainable? Executives speaking at Skift’s Short-Term Rental Summit offered their thoughts about what comes next. To go deeper into short-term rentals, you can watch highlights from our June event or subscribe to the Skift Short-Term Rental Report.

In this special episode of the Skift Travel Podcast we introduce listeners to our newest show, the Skift Ideas podcast. Join travel industry thought leaders Rafat Ali and Colin Nagy on the new Skift Ideas podcast. On the Skift Ideas podcast we will immerse listeners in discussions regarding the latest innovations within the industry, focussing on the key topics of design, marketing, sustainability, experience and so much more.  This first episode looks at the current state of creativity and innovation within the travel industry, and what ideas are already transforming the way we look at travel.

In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Ankur Randev, Chief Commercial Officer of Highgate, discusses the current hospitality investment climate with Skift senior research analyst Pranavi Agarwal.  The conversation covers topics such as the uncertain lending and investing activity, the luxury segment, advanced revenue management capabilities, and Highgate’s European expansion and investment in complex investments. They also discuss the blending of the hotel and short-term rental space, and the new type of demand that is arising from it. Randev discusses Highgate’s interest in the luxury and lifestyle segment and how the company plans to acquire more properties in this space. He explains Highgate’s advanced revenue management capabilities and how it has helped increase ADRs and ROI in luxury hotels. Randev talks about the blending of hotel and short-term rental spaces and the new type of demand that is arising from it, which Highgate is also exploring.

I have known Brian Harniman, the Head of Strategy at digital transformation agency From since the early days of Skift — he was amongst the first online travel veterans to latch on to the potential of what we were building. Harniman is a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years experience leading innovation in travel companies. He was on the founding team of Priceline.com and held executive positions at Kayak, Hickory Global Partners, Open List, Where I’ve Been, and more. He and I have talked about travel startups informally on and off for years. This current episode’s context was sparked by a LinkedIn post I did a few weeks ago about travel startups in an age of artificial intelligence: “We are in the travel planning/inspiration/recommendations startups circa 2015 phase of AI boom now… dozens & dozens of them launched in the social media boom phase, all fizzled out because… no way to get enough usage frequency, and then drive to actual transaction which is where you make all money in travel…. I also won’t dump on any specific startups/single-feature companies that have launched, too early to write off all the innovation to come, but as with every wave 8/10 will fizzle out, one will get bought by a larger player & maybe one becomes next the next Airbnb. But even then…it will have to be all around transaction, that is where it is at in travel, nowhere else.” And Brian responded to any post with this: “Planning startups don’t connect well with booking sites – the outdated content and pricing kills demand or worse, creates anger with failed bookers. Content/recommendation startups don’t scale without spidering or autogenerating content, and that ruins their cred with users who are looking for “real” reviews and ratings. And yet, every travel startup competition has a company that is going to solve this problem for us.” Which was enticing enough to invite him on to The Skift Travel Podcast and discuss this more in depth. And so it was, amongst the most fascinating conversations I have had on travel startups in a long time and definitely worth your time to listen in.  Some of the points we discussed: How a travel startup’s position in the transaction funnel corresponds directly to its survival.  How generative AI like ChatGPT is currently being deployed in travel booking. In this age of AI, if planning does come into the booking process, what happens next? Can the travel planning phase be shortened? The travel search box is broken. ChatGPT could be really instrumental in streamlining that down, what are the possibilities? Travel booking filters and why they are evidence of travel search being broken. Most travel companies don’t have a unique enough corpus of content for training data for AI.

Episode Summary It started with a Linkedin post.  When Michael J. O’ Regan, a Lecturer of Tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University posted an academic article he wrote about why we should stop using the word “Overtourism” and the issues he sees with its usage since the time we at Skift coined the term in 2016 (the backstory on that here), it came across my feeds. And in a surprise twist, considering we were responsible for this term spreading, first across the travel industry and then as a widespread media term, I agreed with him.  Here’s what I wrote: “This is a fascinating new academic paper arguing why the travel industry should stop using “overtourism” as a construct/phrase and as the person who coined that term in 2016 (he cites it in this paper), I agree with him!  “Surprise twist, I know, but not for the reasons he outlines (read the paper) but because I agree that now post-covid, with so many layers of complexity involved particularly as tourism intersects with climate change, it is reductive and doesn’t bring out the nuanced solutions that are required.  “The reductiveness was necessary when we first coined it, alarmism and inducing fear wasn’t a side effect, it was the intent, as I explained it here in detail two years after, and it was never meant as a phrase to demonize the travelers, as the paper says what happened after, but for destinations to wake up and take destination stewardship seriously.  “It did its job, now time to move on.” To discuss the paper, his reasonings and more, I invited him to The Skift Travel Podcast, and we had a fascinating discussion. Here’s the summary of the discussion, the best way to get the full flavor of it is to listen to our podcast episode, below or in your fave podcast app. Michael discusses his research on the concept of overtourism, which he believes is outdated as term in the post-COVID era. O’Regan explains that the term has been successful in highlighting the challenges of managing tourism in destinations, but it also demonizes tourists, whereas the focus should be on sustainable tourism management. He also discusses his ongoing research on how newspapers cover the phrase and the metaphors they use to link overtourism. The interview also touches on the role of academia in engaging the public with research and ideas. There is an increasing number of professionals pointing out “overtourism” is not a useful analytical concept for measuring mismanagement and directing attention only towards tourists, rather than facilitators of tourism, such as policymakers and license providers. Destinations are trying to move beyond overtourism and look for other ways to talk about complex tourism issues beyond blaming tourists for all the ills. Post-Covid, the conversation is about recovery, and there is a need for a nuanced approach to tourism that considers the impact on climate change and how companies are responding by reducing their carbon footprint. O’Regan also questions the definition of quality tourists and its relevance in different destinations. He believes that backpackers are the quality tourists as they stay longer and use local services. The conversation also includes other phrases such as “regenerative tourism,” “sustainable tourism,” and “transformative travel,” and the need for managing tourism to reduce its unintended impacts on destinations. They discussed different tools that can be used to manage tourism, such as tourist taxes, regulating short-term rentals, and improving education on tourism and hospitality at the local level. Finally, they talked about Amsterdam’s efforts to improve the quality of life of people living around the airport.

Adam Harris, the CEO of hotel management software company Cloudbeds, has a great no-nonsense grasp of the macro – and micro – environment in the startup fundraising world. On this edition of the Skift Travel Podcast, Harris sits down with Skift CEO Rafat Ali to get a perspective on what it means for travel tech startups across the spectrum of maturity to be raising funding in this environment. This podcast was recorded before the Silicon Valley Bank and other bank meltdowns, which has added even more complexities to the already dicey tech startup fundraising world, and a new spotlight on venture capital world overall and its outsized role in the growth pathways startups take.

Parag Khanna is an author, geopolitical scientist and founder of Climate Alpha, an AI-powered analytics platform forecasting asset values and future-proof global real estate, as well as FutureMap, a data and scenario-based strategic advisory firm. Khanna, who has also spoken at Skift events, shares in this recent interview with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali his perspectives on travel, globalization and immigration and discusses a key theme from his latest book MOVE: Where People Are Going for a Better Future.

Hotel earnings season has just ended, with public hotel companies reporting their end of 2022 performances. In the latest Skift Podcast, our team covers the highlights, reviews the 2023 outlook, and pinpoints one of the most critical metrics to watch. The conversation will also bring up  topics and themes we'll focus on more in-depth at our all-day Skift Future of Lodging event, happening in London on March 29. "Analyst guidance for 2023 was robust, even after accounting for a likely economic slowdown in the second half of the year," said Pranavi Agarwal, the London-based Senior Research Analyst for Skift Research, in her discussion with Sean O'Neill, the Washington, D.C.-based Senior Hospitality Editor. One key theme of the brief discussion between Agarwal and O'Neill was how hotel groups may see a divergence in their performance this year as certain trends tend to favor some kinds of hotel portfolios over others. "Portfolios skewed to APAC [Asia Pacific] and lux will see the biggest uplift in 2023," Agarwal said. "Hyatt should really do well, while Choice said its domestic RevPAR [revenue per available room, a key metric] will be just 2 percent year-over-year in 2023."

Today, we’re going to look at some of the future trends happening across hospitality and the big questions facing the sector as a preview for our Future of Lodging Forum happening in London on March 29th, 2023. Join Skift Head of Research Wouter Geerts and Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill, in discussion with Skift Head of Programing Brian Quinn, as they preview the topics and themes on top of mind heading into this event. Learn more about the event at https://live.skift.com/skift-future-of-lodging-forum-2023/

India is projected to surpass China as the world's most populous country later this year, as China begins to decline and India's population growth shows no sign of slowing until 2064. That shift carries huge implications for travel across the globe, and has the potential to rewire the race for attracting global tourists around the world. Skift addressed this in its Megatrends 2023 package in the story India Becoming the New China in the Reordering of Asia Travel. For this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali is joined by Senior Research Analyst Varsha Arora and Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia, in a focused discussion on India's growth, the demographic and economic challenges before India could become as big a force as Chinese outbound travelers have become, what changes have come in the domestic tourism market during and post-covid, and what the global tourism community looking to attract Indian travelers has to keep in mind.  This podcast builds off the discussion Ali and Senior Research Analyst Seth Borko had at the Skift Megatrends event earlier this month about the seminal moment of demographic switch about to happen this year, where India will become the world's most populous nation overtaking China, estimated some time this April.

For this bonus episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, we turn to our colleagues at Airline Weekly for perspective on Southwest Airlines. As most of the traveling public knows, the airline had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad holiday season. The cancellation of 15,000-plus flights between Christmas and New Years will weigh on its fourth quarter results, but consumers' memories are short and the airline will survive. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss. Plus, what European country does Eurocontrol's latest data show led the continent's air traffic recovery last year? Further Reading: European Airlines Could Face Steep Operational Challenges in 2023 by Jay Shabat Southwest’s Meltdown Should Be a Technology Warning for Airlines by Justin Dawes

Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano took the stage at Skift Global Forum in September 2022 to discuss what the hotel giant had accomplished in 2022 and where it was headed in the coming year “I’m optimistic because we are a data driven company,” Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano told Skift’s Sean ONeill. “Not withstanding all the very real headwinds in terms of inflationary environment, rising interest rates, sociopolitical unrest. We’re just not seeing the impact yet in the data. We’ve had a great first two quarters of the year. When I look at the forward bookings through the end of the year, the resilience of travel is born out in that data.” It’s not just bookings by guests that make Capuano optimistic, its property partners give it reason as well. “We announced during our first quarter earnings call we had signed more transactions globally than in any first quarter in our history,” he told the audience. “Then we replicated that in the second quarter. In many ways, those votes by the wallet of our partners are the most telling indication of our owner community’s optimism about the pace of recovery.” Follow news about Marriott and the hotel business at https://skift.com/hotels Get daily updates about hotels deals around the world at https://dailylodgingreport.com/subscribe/

Skift founder Rafat Ali interviewed Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta via hologram Wednesday at Skift Global Forum East in Dubai. Nassetta said Hilton expects to organically develop its own new brands rather than chase costly acquisitions in part because “we don’t want to have to fix other people’s problems.” He said Hilton’s brand portfolio more than doubled to 19 in the 15 years Nassetta has been at Hilton and they are all successful, although some are “a little bit early in gestation.” “We have designed these in a modern context around exactly what customers want and we built it out of the dust,” Nassetta said. “We built it with our own blood, sweat and tears rather than paying a big price. It’s been great for our shareholders, infinite yields effectively by creating these, and creating brands that really resonate with our customer base.” Learn more about hotels at Skift.com/hotels. Read more about Hilton at Skift.com/tag/hilton.

Something shifted in the last two weeks on the zeitgeist about the use of artificial intelligence in our daily personal and professional lives.  The launch of the first large-scale, general purpose chatbot using OpenAI‘s GPT3 AI engine on November 30 has reenergized the whole tech industry all at once. Skift CEO Rafat Ali wrote a story about it, which will give you a good sense why. To get an understanding of why there is so much buzz about Generative AI — the sub-sector with larger AI world which includes creation of text, images, audio and video — and what this means for our daily lives, for the travel industry and even travelers, Ali talked to the best expert analyst and writer on it I know: David Mattin. He writes an excellent newsletter called New World Same Humans on trends, technology, and our shared future and has been doing a deep dive into Generative AI all this year with his writings. This is a fascinating conversation you would want to listen to from start to finish, to understand the implications of it for our industry and indeed our daily lived reality.

A lot of ground was covered during Peter Kern’s appearance at Skift Global Forum in New York City on September 21. The vice chairman and CEO of Expedia Group gave his take on technology, micro-services, mergers and acquisitions, and outlined why the online travel agencies still only control around 20 percent of a “multi-trillion dollar” travel market. "There’s huge opportunity," Kern says. "You just have to innovate the products and innovate the business model over time." And of course he (delicately) responded to comments made earlier at the forum by Barry Diller, the chairman and senior executive of both Expedia Group and IAC, that working from home was “kind of stupid” and “a crock,”while in discussion with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali. Listen now for the full conversation of the “Democratizing the Travel Ecosystem” session. Read more about Expedia on Skift. Get weekly updates about online travel by subscribing to our online travel newsletter.

"I’m really excited about the quality of the brand portfolio," IHG CEO Keith Barr said at Skift Global Forum. Barr goes on to describe the current realities of the hotel business: it's a real estate business at the end of the day, after all. But IHG has been hyper-focused on its brands and its franchise partners. "It’s been great because there’re such clearly defined brands that enable us to work with a number of opportunities," he told Skift's Sean O'Neill. Two weeks after this conversation, IHG announced its deal to market all-inclusive resort giant Iberostar. You can listen to the full conversation in this podcast. Read full coverage of IHG at https://skift.com/tag/ihg Read full coverage of the hotel industry at https://skift.com/hotels Get deeper insight into the business of hotels at https://dailylodgingreport.com

For this bonus episode of The Skift Travel Podcast, we turn to Dallas where we held our first in-person Skift Aviation Forum earlier this week. To begin the event, we invited American Airlines CEO Robert Isom to have a conversation conversation with Airline Weekly's Ned Russell about post-pandemic pattern changes and how his airline is preparing for the holiday season ahead. "One of the things that we’re seeing though, is that demand is more spread out," Isom told the audience. "It’s just really high, and at least from an airline perspective, we don’t have the ability to actually peak and valley as much as we’ve had in the past." You can listen to the full conversation, below. You can also watch the interview on our YouTube channel. For more airline news, visit https://skift.com/airlines For deeper understanding of the aviation industry, subscribe to Airline Weekly.

“I’m going to bring you behind the tent, tell you what we’re doing,” JetBlue Airways COO Joanna Geraghty said at Skift Global Forum earlier this fall.  In a conversation with Airline Weekly Editor Ned Russell, Geraghty laid out JetBlue’s current challenges with labor, sustainable aviation fuel, integrating Spirit Airlines, and competing in major U.S. markets. She also discussed the airline’s potential expansion in Europe, beyond it’s current London flights.  “We just have a very challenging environment that we operate in, so we must make sure that we’re providing a better level of resilience, whether that’s more pilots in reserve, whether that’s flying a little bit less, whether that’s staffing up in some of our airports.”  Listen to Geraghty’s full on-stage appearance, below.  Follow news about JetBlue on Skift. https://skift.com/tag/jetblue/ Follow all airline news at Skift. https://skift.com/airlines/

At at time when the travel industry is still grappling with a labor shortage, you have to think some companies in the sector are "labor hoarding," hanging on to workers that might have otherwise been downsized for costs savings or seasonality reasons, simply because of the fear of not being able to fill roles later. The continuing issue of delays and bottlenecks for the H1B visa program, which was a major feeder for tech talent in the U.S., must be giving some tech executives pause when contemplating layoffs, knowing that that supply of talent is not as easy to come by should demand for workers return.  On today's bonus podcast, we're joined by Skift editors and a Skift Research analyst to better understand what's happening in the tech sector and what it means for the travel industry. Some of the topics they discuss include: Tech headcount has grown during pandemic while travel has shrunk Lesson for travel is don't assume the 'boom' times of today will last forever Harder to reach sales contacts at tech firms Less business travel and meetings and conferences from tech companies VC slowdown could be possible as valuations of other firms dip Listen to the entire conversation here. For more insight into the business of travel, visit Skift Research.

Google is one of the undisputed heavyweights in online travel. So when one of the key masterminds behind all of its travel platforms and products talks about where the search giant is heading, it's worth paying attention to. The search giant has been busy these past few months, updating its options for rail travel but also making the news for its controversial move to remove contrail emissions data. But speaking at Skift Global Forum, Richard Holden, vice president of product management at Google Travel, also shared some future developments, including the return of its own fintech product whose life was cut short by the pandemic. Listen to Holden’s full on-stage appearance with Skift founding editor and executive editor, Dennis Schaal. More interviews from Skift Global Forum are available here. Subscribe to our Online Travel Newsletter here.

Waze has 151 million monthly active users, and is more than an app to beat traffic jams, Waze CEO Neha Parikh told Skift senior research analyst Seth Borko, as they dissected the intersections between maps and community. “Why should anybody feel emotional about a navigation app? Yet people do, including me,” said Parikh. “It’s not just a one-way app that uses technology. It is a two-way ecosystem where people actually contribute to help each other.” The duo also looked at future mobility possibilities, and how Waze can change the way cities move, while the CEO shared her own personal and professional journey from Expedia that led her to the driving seat of Waze. Watch videos and read more interviews from Skift Global Forum. Follow all Skift coverage of online travel and technology.

In one year, the Walt Disney Company will be an astounding 100 years old. At Skift Global Forum, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro excitedly talked to Skift Senior Research Analyst Seth Borko about the company’s upcoming birthday and its dreams for the next 100 years.  In the on-stage conversation, D’Amaro spoke about how Walt Disney’s original business plans were far ahead of his time. Now, the company can further their founder’s vision with immersive storytelling that mixes virtual and physical experiences, he said. Borko and D’Amaro also discussed how Disney’s has recovered revenue and staff since the pandemic, ongoing projects, what it’s like to work there and D’Amaro’s leadership style. Listen to the full interview now, and read the transcript at Skift.com.

Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali interviewed Chesky on stage at the Skift Global Forum in September 2022 in Manhattan, where the Airbnb CEO detailed his vision of the new era. Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said travel experts and analysts underestimate travel’s potential, and that the industry would soon witness a new “golden age of travel.” Fueling part of the trend, he argued, is that an estimated 50 percent of U.S. workers could potentially labor on their laptops from home, and they would travel to get out of the house, and seek human connections. Chesky termed it a “dystopian” risk to people to remain glued to their screens all their day, and they will leave their homes to travel and combat loneliness. And they won’t merely be traveling to places such as Las Vegas, Rome and Paris, but would venture out to some of the 100,000 cities and markets where Airbnb would try to inspire them to travel to. Listen to the podcast for the full discussion, and visit Skift Live for details about discussions like this.

The world’s largest travel company Booking Holdings is using people’s anxieties about their trips as a lens through which it prioritizes the products and services it is refining and introducing, such as flight search and insurance or other paid guarantees to cover when things go wrong. The company wants to make booking all of the components of a trip as low-stress and seamless as Uber has made booking a rideshare, said Glenn Fogel, president and CEO, on Tuesday at Skift Global Forum in New York. “When I’m in an unfamiliar city, I want to get a notification from the Booking.com app letting me know about a museum or other experience nearby that I can press a button to book right there,” Fogel said, in conversation with Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Fogel joined Schaal at Skift Global Forum on September 20, 2022 in New York City. For full coverage of the event, visit https://skift.com/tag/sgf2022/

Today on the Skift Travel Podcast we feature a session entitled "The Business Advantage of Sustainability" that was recorded live during this year's Skift Sustainable Tourism Summit.  In this session, Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O'Neill spoke with Inge Huijbrechts of Radisson Hotel Group and Michel Gelobter of Cooler about a couple of issues that are very hot right now. A number of decision makers in travel worry about climate change, but it often seems like a tomorrow problem.  Today, many hoteliers have their hands full dealing with the chaotic recovery from the pandemic and some are also worried about recission and other things later this year. But talking with these leaders reveals real business advantages to travel companies if they get ahead of the crowd on lowering carbon emissions. This isn't just happy talk. There is a lot of pragmatic thinking and practical examples for travel decision makers. 

The chairman and co-founder of Intrepid Travel has said there was too much “rhetorical flourish” from travel companies when it comes to discussing sustainability. Speaking at the Skift Sustainable Tourism Summit, Darrell Wade bemoaned how organizations were touting a “build back better” ethos, while failing to take action. “It’s disappointing, embedded into marketing, or even worse the boardroom,” he said during the online event. “Half of the companies, probably more, will have done nothing. At the World Travel & Tourism Council, a good number of companies are talking the right way, and committing, but not enough are putting the rubber on the road.” While some companies had managed to go beyond what he described rhetorical flourish, he said travel companies needed to ensure there was”company engagement” from the top, and they needed to commit measurable action, including science based targets. “You need to sign up to have that line in the sand,” Wade told moderator Rafat Ali, Skift CEO and co-founder. “Sustainability is not easy, it’s heavy lifting. Even one aspect like climate change, to work out a pathway to zero emissions, is a lot of work,” he added. For more insight into tourism, destinations, and sustainability, please visit https://skift.com/tourism.

Marriott’s Homes & Villas unit is taking a different approach to the home-sharing business than many of its competitors, focusing its growth on the company’s vast pool of loyalty members. This resource — Marriott Bonvoy — members is not a cap to Homes & Villas growth as some have claimed, Vice President Jennifer Hsieh said at the Skift Future of Lodging Forum on Thursday. Instead, she said this is a differentiator that a source of strength. “The industry has not anchored itself around a loyalty program,” Hsieh said of the short-term rental sector. “We lean into it.” Listen now for her full conversation with Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O'Neill.

As damaging as Covid was for tour operators, the inability to conduct trips provided companies in the sector a valuable opportunity to reevaluate their all aspects of their businesses. Ulla Heffer Böhler, chief operating officer for the Travel Corporation, and Travis Pittman, the CEO & co-founder of TourRadar, told Skift Senior Travel Tech Editor Sean O’Neill at Skift Forum Europe 2022 on March 24 what changes they realized they had to make. Böhler said Covid forced her company to take another look at, among other things, group sizes and domestic offerings while Pittman stated TourRadar was forced to look at what markets it was targeting.  Listen to the conversation, or read a transcript of it here, to learn how Böhler and Pittman used the pandemic-induced pause to develop new tours.

While hospitality company Sonder has a complex digital strategy in place to fill its properties, what it really wants is for its mostly Gen Z and millennial guests to brag about their cool stays on social media. Sonder describes itself as a next-generation hospitality company, and its R&D budget is wide-ranging, with marketing a key focus, according to its senior vice president of revenue. “We have a very omnichannel approach to distribution, whether its sales or third-party distribution, things like Airbnb and booking.com,” said Sonder's Shruti Challa, speaking at the Skift Future of Lodging Forum in May 2022. Challa speaks with Skift's Seth Borko at the Skift Future of Lodging Forum in New York City in May 2022. You can listen to their entire conversation in today's episode. For more insight into the business of hotels and short-term rentals, visit https://skift.com/news.

Blueground's Alex Chatzieleftheriou and Selina's Sam Khazary speak with Skift's Seth Borko at the Skift Future of Lodging Forum in New York City in May 2022.  The college gap year will become a “remote year” if Sam Khazary has anything to do with it. Now that virtual learning is more prevalent than ever before, Selina’s senior vice president of global corporate development sees new opportunities to redefine “studying abroad” with a 12-month “remote year” passport to hop among Selina’s culturally immersive hostel/hotel/coworking spaces.  Khazary is not alone in appealing to the next generation of digital nomads, a Skift panel found on Wednesday. He was joined by Alex Chatzieleftheriou, CEO and co-founder of Blueground, to share their vision for “How Shifts in Lifestyle and Work Will Reshape Hospitality.” Chatzieleftheriou recalled that his first job out of university put him on the road for stretches where he was often looking for furnished apartments. Enter Blueground, a proptech startup offering turnkey, long-term apartment rentals globally.  “I’ve never owned a single piece of furniture in my life,” he said. “There are more people that want to have this asset-light lifestyle. They want to be able to move more freely, and for them, the ultimate currency is time.” Listen to the full conversation, below. For more insight into the business of hotels and short-term rentals, visit https://skift.com/news.

Vacation rentals have been around “forever,” but Skift's recent feature The Definitive Oral History of Short-Term Rentals tells the story of short-term rentals as they transitioned from classified ads in newspapers and Craigslist to rudimentary websites and the momentous Airbnb IPO of December 10, 2020 — and a full-blown industry that disrupted hotels and traditional hospitality models.  This is a primer in the evolution of an industry, as told through the reminisces, anecdotes and insights of key people who made it all happen and, in some cases, are still doing it today. This history of short-term rentals is a tale of both risk-taking and cold feet. For today's podcast episode, Skift's Dennis Schaal is joined by RVshare's Jon Gray, UndertheDoormat Group's Merilee Kar, and HomeAway's Carl Shepherd to discuss their experiences. Read "The Definitive Oral History of Short-Term Rentals" here.

What comes next for travel loyalty? As travel returns, brand loyalty and retaining trust with long-standing customers is more important than ever. With an increased focus on the customer experience and journey, companies are reimagining points programs and loyalty efforts in hopes of stealing customers and increasing market share. Delta Air Lines' VP of Loyalty Prashant Sharma sat down with Skift's Brian Sumers at Skift Travel Loyalty Summit on April 21, 2022 to discuss how his airline is approaching loyalty and what he sees for the sector at large. Learn more about future Skift events like this at Skift Live.

Hospitality is a sector that’s well placed to leverage loyalty in the coming years. Winning a bigger share of direct bookings has long been a goal of hotel companies, to ease their dependence on online travel agencies. Now IHG is using a revamped loyalty program in tandem with a new booking app to address this. The advantages will go beyond free nights and upgrades, according to its senior vice president, global loyalty and partnerships. “We’re proud of what we’ve brought to market. But delivering loyalty at scale to 6,000 hotels is complex,” Heather Balsley told Skift senior hospitality editor Sean O’Neill. Listen to the full conversation with Balsley here.

We’re looking ahead to a very exciting Future of Lodging Forum on May 11 and 12 in New York City. We will explore what we are calling “The Great Merging” between hotels and short-term rentals, driven by the merging in how we live and work and the ways this has changed what consumers need from their stays.  Listen to this mini-podcast for a synopsis of the themes and big ideas we’ll cover during this forum as we hear from CEOs and leaders of Standard International, Marriott Homes & Villas, Airbnb, Kayak, JLL Hotels, Sonder, MCR Hotels, Life House, Autocamp, and more.

CitizenM is renowned not only for its design-forward aesthetic and affordable luxury ethos, but also tools such as in-room MoodPad tablets that control the temperature and blinds and lights that serve as TV remote controls. But digitization will never replace human connection, CEO Klaas van Lookeren Campagne said on March 24, 2022 at Skift Forum Europe in a discussion with Skift Senior Travel Tech Editor Sean O’Neill.  “Digital is the salt and pepper on the table,” van Lookeren Campagne said. “It enables much better service and much more interaction with our guests.”  Join us for our next event focused on hotels and short-term rentals, the Future of Lodging Forum.

Every weekday morning, New York City time, we publish the Skift Daily Briefing. Today we're sharing the latest Briefing on our Skift Podcast channel  Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast discusses Wyndham Hotel’s new brand, Asia’s tourism rebound, and the ongoing challenge of getting corporate travelers out of Ukraine. Search for "Skift Daily Briefing" in your favorite podcast app or click here to learn more.  Show Notes As Asian nations such as Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines are taking steps to treat Covid as an endemic virus, tourism to the region is expected to make a significant rebound in 2022. But what will it look like? A new report provides three different scenarios for Asia’s travel recovery, writes Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia. The Pacific Asia Travel Association’s report, which examines the trends for foreign inbound visitors across the region between 2022 and 2024, envisions mild, medium and severe scenarios in its tourism recovery. The agency’s special advisor John Koldowksi said the parameters determining the scenarios include containing Covid, keeping borders open without a quarantine-on-arrival and reopening entertainment and hospitality venues. As for what the scenarios predict, interventional visitor arrivals to Asia are expected to surpass 2019 levels under the mild scenario by 2024 while almost equaling them under the medium scenario. However, the severe scenario predicts visitor numbers to Asia will hit 69 percent of 2019 figures. We turn now to a big move by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The U.S.-based hotel franchising giant is creating an extended-stay brand focused on the budget market, reports Senior Travel Editor Sean O’Neill. Wyndham said on Tuesday it has signed deals with two development partners to launch 50 hotels by 2027. The yet-to-be named brand is expected to open its first property next year, and a Wyndham executive said the company projects its average daily rate for those hotels to run between $50 and $55. Extended stay caters to travelers staying anywhere from a week to a few months, such as traveling nurses and construction workers. O’Neill writes developers favor the economy extended-stay segment because it generally performs well during periods of economic boom and bust. Finally, as the war in Ukraine continues, companies are looking to still evacuate workers from Ukraine, writes Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons, noting that the humanitarian crisis is worsening throughout Eastern Europe as countries in the region grapple with a limited amount of corporate housing available for refugees. Parsons writes that corporate housing in countries such as Poland and Romania are buckling under pressure from the large numbers of Ukrainian refugees as well as Russians seeking shelter there. One travel executive said the crisis is the worst he’s seen during his career. But despite the urgent need to provide accommodation to those fleeing the war, the same executive said companies need to ensure their employees didn’t apply for refugee status, which he described as a time consuming process.

Earlier this week we published The Oral History of March 2020: The Month Global Travel Shut Down, a feature that looked at March 2020 from the perspective of two dozen travel leaders. These people shared their personal stories of pain, shock, and of resilience as borders closed, airplanes went empty, and hotel doors shuttered. To get a sense of what things were like from many angles we captured voices as varied as Expedia’s CEO and the manager of a Holiday Inn Express in Wuhan, China. This episode of the Skift Podcast is hosted by Skift Senior Multimedia Producer Jose Marmolejos who is joined by Skift CEO Rafat Ali, Editor-in-Chief Tom Lowry, Executive Editor Dennis Schaal, and Global Tourism Reporter Lebawit Lily Girma. Read more about how the travel industry is rebuilding at https://skift.com/tag/coronavirus-recovery

Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta spoke with Skift CEO Rafat Ali at Skift Global Forum 2021. The two discussed what’s changed about the way people travel, work, and relax. “You’re going to be living in a world of greater mobility,” Nassetta said. “We’re going to be more efficient. We’ll do hoteling, we’ll do all sorts of things. What does that mean? It means more mobility. That means our people — they’re not going to work from home. It’s going to be work from anywhere. The more people move around the world for various reasons, the more we grow our business.” Listen to the full conversation below. Read more coverage of Hilton and the travel industry at https://skift.com/hotels

Earnings season is wrapping up, which means it's time to compare and contrast the performance of competing travel brands. Since Airbnb went public in 2020, it has given close watchers the opportunity to put up against other online booking giants, in particular Booking Holdings.  For this bonus episode of the weekly Skift Podcast, senior research analyst Seth Borko and executive editor Dennis Schaal look at the brands' fourth quarter margins and profits and talk about profit momentum and strategy differences. For more on Airbnb and Booking Holdings, follow news coverage at https://skift.com/online-travel

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine rages on with the potential to drag out, the ripple effects in the travel industry are unfolding fast as well. In my role as the dots-connector-in-chief for Skift, I run through the impact on the travel industry as we know it so far, chilling as it is coming out of the pandemic. I talk about the immediate impact on the airline, hotel and tour operator sectors and potential short and long-term effects on the tourism inflows and outflows from the region.    Be ready for a new caution in travel sentiment for the short term, and long term a return to some variation of the Cold War, which will likely have a bigger impact on travel than immediately apparent.   Follow more travel news at skift.com/news

Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel spoke with Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal at Skift Global Forum 2021. The two discussed Booking's connected trip strategy. "I believe [in] this connected trip," Fogel said. "I don’t think it’s just a bunch of words. I think it’s creating something that we all want and desperately need, and it will help make travel a much better experience. And that’s what I want to help achieve. Listen to the full conversation with Skift's Dennis Schaal.  Read more coverage of Booking and the travel industry at https://skift.com/online-travel

There is still a long way to go to get to recovery, but even in midst of the rise of the Omicron variant, some travel leaders were looking forward to better times. "There is this huge pent-up demand for leisure travel and destinations where there was big business demand," said Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith at Skift Global Forum late last year. "This is excellent, very good news for us and a very positive signal." Smith spoke with Airline Weekly Reporter Edward Russell about new tourism habits, business travel challenges, and more. Listen now for the full interview. Read more coverage of the travel industry at skift.com/news

Earlier this week Tripadvisor revealed that the company was planning to spin off its tours and activity brand Viator. For this bonus episode of the Skift Podcast, senior research analyst Seth Borko and executive editor Dennis Schaal debate the merits of the spinoff.  For more coverage of Tripadvisor and its peers, follow news at skift.com/online-booking.

Accor’s CEO is steering the brand towards more luxury and lifestyle properties. Fortunately, hotel owners are more than obliging. “I’ve been at the helm of this company for the past eight years, and I’ve been trying to wake up a sleeping giant, which Accor has been for a number of years,” said Sebastien Bazin, CEO of Accor, at Skift Global Forum, in conversation with Skift’s hospitality reporter Cameron Sperance. Listen now for the full interview. Read more coverage of the travel industry at skift.com/news

“We’re moving away from a competitive house of brands,” Kern said when speaking at Skift Global Forum on Wednesday in New York City. He said he wanted “a simplifying universe of brands” that are “working toward a common goal.” Expedia Group Vice Chairman and CEO Peter Kern spoke with Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal at Skift Global Forum 2021. The two discussed the theme “Powering Travel Beyond the Booking to Boost Recovery.”  Listen now for the full interview. Read more coverage of the travel industry at skift.com/news

Trivago Managing Director and CEO Axel Hefer spoke with Skift Senior Travel Tech Editor Sean O’Neill at Skift Global Forum 2021. The two discussed the future of metasearch and its ability to inspire travelers. "Travel is absolutely fascinating right now," Hefer said. "So many things have actually happened the last one and a half years. And the discussions that we are having here all day — what will actually stay and what will not? And how will the competitive dynamic actually change in the future is fascinating. It offers a huge opportunity if you navigate that well." Listen to the full conversation with Skift's Sean O'Neill.  Read more coverage of Trivago and the travel industry at https://skift.com/online-travel  

Each year, our Megatrends event brings together industry leaders -- the people creating and defining the future of travel -- to hear Skift’s deep reporting and research around the global travel industry. Through the thousands and thousands of hours spent by our journalists and analysts talking to you, analyzing and connecting the dots, these presentations provide attendees with a vision of what’s next and the tools they need to drive the industry forward. For our 2022 event we are joined by the CEO of Kayak, as well as leaders at Marriott, Hilton, Hopper, Cape Town Tourism, and Certares, as well as Skift editors and analysts.  This edition of the Skift Podcast highlights Hafner's discussion with Skift Senior Travel Tech Editor Sean O'Neill. The event was recorded at Ogilvy's headquarters in New York City on January 19, 2022. For more insight into the trends driving travel in 2022, visit https://skift.com/megatrends-2022

Google will put an eco-badge of sorts next to a listing if sustainability-minded firms like GreenKey or EarthCheck have highlighted a hotel for its positive impact with environmental practices. Potential guests can even find out property-specific sustainability practices through the new feature, which will also be on Google Travel. "There are a lot of aspects that go into a ranking,” Richard Holden, vice president of travel products at Google, said in September 2021 at Skift Global Forum, and “travel obviously has an outsized impact on the world in terms of carbon." Listen to the full conversation with Skift Research's Seth Borko.  Read more coverage of Google and the travel industry at skift.com/tag/google  

Uber's CEO doesn't want to offer a super app for everything, but he believes his company is in the best position to bring consumers anything they need, from rides, to food, to medicine, and more. “Anything you want to be delivered to your home with a frequent use case, that’s what we’ll offer,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, at Skift Global Forum, in conversation with Skift executive editor Dennis Schaal. Listen now for the full interview. Read more coverage of the travel industry at skift.com/news

Thanks for listening to the Skift Podcast. We have another podcast you can listen to every weekday morning. The Skift Daily Briefing podcast delivers the day's top headlines in under four minutes. Search for "Skift Daily Briefing" in your favorite podcast app to listen and subscribe. Here's the latest episode: Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, January 6, in New York City. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. The travel industry faces numerous critical issues in the new year as many destinations grapple with the damage brought forth by Covid and its variants. Yet, six underappreciated storylines will define 2022 in travel, says Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali in a special episode of the Skift Podcast. One of those underappreciated storylines, Ali says, is destinations such as the United States, Latin America and Dubai deciding to remain open to tourism despite the emergence of Omicron, developments that will have enormous implications for their economies. Ali adds another storyline to keep on is Chinese travelers, saying that visitors from the world’s most populous country will not be the economic force they were pre-pandemic as China becomes more isolationist. Next, corporate travel — a sector devastated by the pandemic — is still expected to struggle to reach to pre-Covid travel volumes in 2022 as video conferencing continues to replace large amounts of travel. However, some businesses operating in the sector are managing to attract investors, reports Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons. One such company is the world’s largest corporate travel agency, American Express Global Business Travel, which estimated it may only see corporate travel levels reach 70 percent of pre-pandemic figures. Amex GBT could see its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange in the first half of this year if a planned merger with blank check company Apollo Strategic Growth Capital goes ahead. A venture capital executive told Skift that more investment firms are focused on the travel recovery and possible investment returns, adding that despite the general belief that corporate travel won’t return to 2019 levels, a travel recovery above the 70 percent pre-pandemic figure projected by Amex GBT will be a boon for investors. We end today in Barbados. The Caribbean nation is home to a new online travel booking platform that’s working to create new revenue streams for its tourism businesses, writes Global Tourism Reporter Lebawait Lily Girma. It is unusual in that it was launched by a destination itself. BookBarbados.com — which was launched at the end of 2021 — is a privately funded and owned online travel booking platform that allows users to make reservations for hotel stays, Airbnb rentals, and local tours in one place. It also aims to solve a problem several Caribbean countries have faced during the pandemic — delayed payments from major international tour operators. Close to 70 percent of hotels in the region had reported being owed significant amounts of money by May 2020. The platform’s future goals include offering cruise booking for ships sailing out of Barbados as well as other services visitors to the country might seek, such as a personal trainer. Peter Harris, the website’s founder, said he aims to expand the BookBarbados.com model to other Caribbean locations. For more travel stories and deep dives into the latest trends, head to skift.com. To find these stories and more insight into the business of travel, subscribe to Skift daily newsletter at skift.com/daily.

Skift CEO Rafat Ali explains the underappreciated storylines from the last year that will continue to define the travel industry in 2022. The United States, Latin America, and Dubai will remain open by prioritizing keeping their economies open over everything else. Outdoor is now a permanent and premium part of the leisure and business travel industries.  Basing a strategy based on Chinese travelers even post pandemic is foolhardy, as a China turns inwards and isolationist. Tour operators remain the most devastated sector in travel and will remain so in 2022. As an asset class for investors this sector will remain troubled, unless most pivot to independent, customized tours versus group fixed-date tours. Booking windows may have permanently shortened and financial products that introduce flexibility will help players stand out. Exciting as a sector and lot more innovation and investment to come. Labor turmoil will continue in 2022, with higher wages all across the board and turnover of top ranks to continue. This will be a lot more than just transitory over next couple of years. For more insights into the business of travel, visit skift.com/news.

New Southwest Airlines CEO Robert Jordan said that he sees 2022 as another “transition” year in the recovery. He is optimistic that business travelers will return — his predecessor has said this may take 5-10 years — but does not expect this to occur overnight. “I’m an optimistic guy,” said Jordan. “I’m very optimistic that we’re going to get the travel back," said Robert Jordan, incoming CEO of Southwest Airlines, at Skift Global Forum, in conversation with Airline Weekly editor Madhu Unnikrishnan. Listen now for the full interview. Read more coverage of the travel industry at skift.com/news

Skift Research’s Online Travel Agency Factbook is your one-stop shop to understand the global universe of online booking sites. We collected data on and built individual profiles for the 11 largest publicly traded online travel agencies. We analyzed the scale, revenue, growth, profitability, historical performance, and customer acquisition ability of each OTA. Join Skift founding editor Dennis Schaal and Skift Research Senior Analyst Seth Borko as they discuss the report's findings and what they mean for companies including Airbnb, Booking, Expedia, and more in 2022. For more insights into the business of travel, visit skift.com/news.

Clear's previous experience vetting travelers and moving them quickly through airport security put it in an excellent position to take on the challenges of identity, health, and vaccination in the (hopefully) coming post-Covid panic world. "Cyber and privacy and data security are in our roots, but also we have a brand that’s continually communicating about privacy, data security and what we’re doing," said CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman Becker while speaking with Skift Senior Travel Tech Editor Sean O’Neill at Skift Global Forum 2021. Listen now for the full interview. Read more coverage of the travel industry at skift.com/news

Cancellations and closures are on the rise as countries react to the Omicron variant. What does this mean for a recently optimistic travel industry? This special episode of the Skift Podcast features Skift founder and CEO, Rafat Ali, looking ahead to early 2022 and what impact the Omicron variant may have on the travel industry. Read more about travel and coronavirus at https://skift.com/coronavirus.

Hopper has big plans ahead in its ongoing mission to continue being the best at lowering the cost of travel for consumers — it’s betting on the future of superapps for travel, which are already popular in Asia. “There will be a Western global superapp for travel — it may be owned by Google, Facebook or Alibaba, but it will be a superapp and we’re trying to become that,” said Frederic Lalonde, CEO of Hopper, at Skift Global Forum, in conversation with Skift founding editor Dennis Schaal. Listen now for the full interview. Read more coverage of the travel industry at skift.com/news

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky acknowledged that enough affordable housing is a major challenge but argued that the new flexible nature of work wrought by the pandemic will see people migrating to city corridors and other less-dense locales where residences can be less expensive. In a fireside chat Tuesday with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali at the opening event for Skift Global Forum 2021, Chesky said previously people needed to live in a certain city to work but with remote working taking hold people have more options. Listen now for the full interview with Skift CEO Rafat Ali.  Read more coverage of the travel industry at skift.com/news

Like many airline chiefs, Doug Parker is “bullish” on the future, particularly after a surge in demand for transatlantic flights after the travel ban lifted on Nov. 8. But American Airlines is poised to begin 2022 as a larger airline — despite labor woes. Speaking at Skift Aviation Forum on November 17, 2021, Parker said business travel will return to 2019 levels, at some point. Listen now for the full interview with Skift Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan.  Read more coverage of the airlines industry at skift.com/airlines

The world’s largest hotel company plans to juggle global growth over the next few decades with a major step forward in its sustainability efforts. Marriott International CEO Anthony Capuano announced September 22, 2021 at Skift Global Forum a company plan to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050. The measure would follow criteria and recommendations of the Science Based Targets initiative — a partnership among climate non-profit CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Listen now for the full interview with Skift's Cameron Sperance Read more coverage of the hotel industry at skift.com/hotels  

“We will win customers on quality,” Kirby said at the Skift Aviation Forum on November 17, 2021. And he had plenty of examples quality improvements to cite: The addition of premium-heavy “high-J” Boeing 767-300ERs that fly to Europe, the Bombardier CRJ-550 that met pilot contract rules while bringing a dual-class product to smaller cities, and a return of in-seat entertainment screens to its domestic mainline narrow-body fleet to name a few. And, while further out, United is investing in new spaces in Denver and Newark, and possibly in Washington, D.C. Listen now for the full interview with Skift contributor Brian Sumers.  Read more coverage of the airlines industry at skift.com/airlines

For this episode of the Skift Podcast, we're featuring a conversation between William J. Hornbuckle, Chief Executive Officer and President of MGM Resorts International and Skift Hospitality Reporter Cameron Sperance. The two discuss the return of big events and the changes and opportunities ahead for large hotels. The conversation took place online at the Skift Hospitality and Marketing Summit on June 16, 2021.  To take part in future events, find the one that suits you at live.skift.com.

The recent Skift Short-Term Rental and Outdoor Summit brought together leaders from online rental marketplaces, investors, startup founders, and outdoor recreation operators for interviews with Skift editors and research analysts. We uncovered what might happen next in both sectors as their growth outpaces the rest of travel and the big questions facing these sectors.  This session features a discussion with Allen Mask, Managing Partner of CōLab, and Laurence Tosi, Managing Partner & Founder of WestCap Group, along with Seth Borko, Skift Senior Research Analyst, on May 19, 2021. Read more coverage of this session in the story "Will It Be Airbnb, Sonder — and Then Everyone Else?" 

While Skift Podcast is on hiatus, we wanted to share the first episode of the Event Manager Podcast, a production of our partner site EventMB.  Julius Solaris founded Event Manager Blog in 2007, as a result of his passion for events and in the process discovered a whole industry. Throughout his professional journey he's become a master of how to build a brand on social media and is one of the industry's undisputed thought leaders. Editor-in-chief Miguel Neves and deputy editor Dylan Monorchio discuss the unique current market conditions and the strategies for surviving and even thriving in the event industry. Subscribe to the Event Manager Podcast here. 

Marriott Group President Stephanie Linnartz speaks with Skift Hospitality Reporter Cameron Sperance at Skift Forum Asia in October 2020. Learn more about our slate of online events in 2021 at live.skift.com.    

IAC/Expedia Group Chairman Barry Diller speaks with Skift Editor-in-Chief Tom Lowry at Skift Global Forum in September 2020. Learn more about our slate of online events in 2021 at live.skift.com.

Your daily insight into the business of travel from the industry’s most trusted authority.  We are excited to share another update from the Skift Daily Briefing. Our daily podcast tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

What a difference a year makes — and perhaps a pandemic. During a discussion at this year's Skift Short-Term Rental & Outdoor Summit on December 9, held online, signs of more collaborative environment emerged between cities and short-term rental operators. The discussion was moderated by Amy Hinote, founder and editor-in-chief of VRM Intel. “The industry came in and we weren’t ready as municipalities and now we’re ready for those conversations and I’m excited about them,” said Clarence Anthony, CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities. Amanda Pedigo, Expedia vice president of government and corporate affairs, and Tim Burgess, former Seattle mayor and city council member, weighed in as well about the impact of the pandemic on short-term rental players and cities desperate to revive downtown economies. To learn more about short-term rental regulations and opportunities, read this story.

Since Skift's own launch it was the first media outlet to ask hard questions of Airbnb, and it has been amazing to document that journey of the company from start till its IPO day and beyond. Here are CEO Rafat Ali's thoughts in an audio essay. Read complete coverage of Airbnb at https://skift.com/tag/airbnb.

In early November Skift hosted its first Design the Future event, an afternoon of discussions with leaders in the design and creativity space. As part of this, we're posting extracts of these conversations.  Host: Robert Rosenthal, author, speaker, and journalist Guest: Aaron Walton, CEO of Walton Isaacson Diversity means harnessing the power of disruption. Differences are disruptive, and that’s the key to innovation — disrupting the status quo or predictable, said Walton Isaacson CEO Aaron Walton. The travel industry, like the entire world, has had a major wake-up call this year when it comes to diversity, but Walton said the industry needs to see diversity is more than just the look of a company: “The eye should be able to be see diversity, but what’s probably just as important is how it sounds,” he added. “The sound of diversity is the sound of the status quo smashing into a million pieces and someone rearranging those in ways nobody thought about before.”

What a difference a few days make for optimism in the beleaguered travel industry. With the clarity on U.S. presidential election results coming this past weekend and the encouraging news on vaccine development and effectiveness from Pfizer, the travel industry is riding high, at least on optimism for rapid recovery starting second half of 2021 and after. Travel stocks, particularly airlines, are reflecting that larger market optimism for travel. To decipher what this all means for the travel sector and what scenarios could play out in the coming months and in 2021, Skift Editors and Research Analysts met on Friday, November 13 to discuss both short- and long-term recovery prospects. To participate in more events like this live please visit https://forum.skift.com

In the closing interview for Skift Forum Asia, Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer argued that his company and its Viator brand are in the “pole position” because of the company’s vast content and international reach in tours and activities. Kaufer is interviewed here by Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Learn about and participate in future events by visiting Forum.skift.com

At Skift's recent Travel’s Path Forward: Online Travel event, Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal interviewed Kayak and OpenTable CEO Steve Hafner about the state of travel metasearch, restaurant bookings, and what digital discovery and booking looks like during and after a pandemic.    To participate in more events like this, visit https://forum.skift.com

At the Travel Loyalty Online Summit on July 16, 2020, Skift Aviation Business Editor Zoomed The Points Guy's Brian Kelly to talk about how consumer spending during the Covid-19 pandemic and (hopefully) afterwards will change how airlines, other travel brands, and travelers themselves think about loyalty.   Join us for more events like this at https://forum.skift.com

Your daily insight into the business of travel from the industry’s most trusted authority.  We are excited to share another update from the Skift Daily Briefing. Our daily podcast tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

Oyo has been in the eye of the storm for the last year, for many reasons Skift has covered over time. But with coronavirus shutting down a big part of its business in India, China, and other countries, the acceleration of its troubles have continued. Through it the charismatic founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal has been front and center in making sure the high-profile company survives this, through instituting various cuts and financing moves. The company now says it has enough money for next three to four years and has no plans to exit any of the 80 markets it is in. In the final episode of the inaugural season of the weekly The Long View livestream, Skift CEO Rafat Ali talks to Agarwal about Oyo’s long-term prospects, how he is thinking of reopening the company, reinvigorating the sales and growth of the company, becoming a long term player in the market now that its honeymoon period in the industry is over, and his views on future of hospitality. For more events like this, visit https://forum.skift.com

In this unprecedented downturn in travel as a result of Covid-19, the crisis is impacting every hotel company, from the top chains to small hotel operators. Major declines in occupancy and room rates are a global problem, which has forced many hotels to furlough employees and others to shutter, or convert to quarantine centers and host healthcare staff working round-the-clock. As this uncertainty continues, especially in Europe and North America, the likelihood of a strong rebound of occupancy within two or three months seems ever more distant. Listen as Skift editors and research analysts, along with leaders from across the hospitality sector, discuss how hotels might prepare now for the long recovery ahead. Learn about more events like this at Forum.skift.com Agenda Asia’s Uneven Normality: Business Travel, Weekend Leisure, and Adaptable Operations Guest: Stefan Leser, CEO LANGHAM HOSPITALITY GROUP Monderator: Matt Parsons, Skift Shifts in Luxury, Wellness, and Guest Experience Guest: Dino Michael, HILTON Monderator: Carolyn Kremins, Skift A Data-Driven Look at Hospitality’s Recovery Guest: Alex Alt, ORACLE HOSPITALITY Moderator: Jeremy Kressmann, Skift X Trust and Reputation in the Post-Coronavirus Age Guest: Adele Gutman Milne, LIBRARY HOTELS COLLECTION Moderator: Cameron Sperance, Skift Safeguarding Hospitality’s Future: From Safety to Operations to Brand Messaging Guests: William “Chip” Rogers, AHLA; Lisa Borromeo Checchio, WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS Moderator: Cameron Sperance, Skift  

We are excited to share another update from the Skift Daily Briefing. Our daily podcast tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

As the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a sharp decline for both the rapidly expanding urban short-term rental market and the prospects of a busy summer vacation rental season, how can players both large and small across alternative-accommodations best balance find resilience in this time? How can platforms best balance the needs of both guests and hosts, following more consistent policy enforcement? Join Skift editors and research analysts, along with leaders in short-term rental ecosystem to discuss how the crisis has impacted the business landscape and how to prepare for the key challenges ahead. Participate in events like this by registering at https://forum.skift.com Agenda: How is the Leisure Rental Market Preparing for Recovery? Guests: John Banczak, TURNKEY VACATION RENTALS; Michelle Hodges, MEYER VACATION RENTALS; Kelly Barton, EXPEDIA GROUP Moderator: Amy Hinote, VRM INTEL Post-Crisis Tech, Pricing, and Marketing Strategies for Property Managers Guests: Vered Schwarz, GUESTY; Andrew McConnell, RENTED.COM Moderator: Wouter Geerts, SKIFT RESEARCH Built for Adaptability: A Look Into Urban Market Shifts Guests: Francis Davidson, SONDER Moderator: Dennis Schaal Accelerating Tech’s Service Role Around Cleaning and Safety Guests: Alex Nigg, PROPERLY; Jeremy Gall, BREEZEWAY Moderator: Sean O’Neill, SKIFT Does the Luxury Market Have a Competitive Advantage in Recovery? Guests: Will Lucas, MINT HOUSE; Amanda Dyjecinski, ONEFINESTAY Moderator: Seth Borko, SKIFT RESEARCH

We are excited to share another update from the Skift Daily Briefing. Our daily podcast tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

We are excited to share another update from the Skift Daily Briefing. Our daily podcast tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

We are excited to share another update from the Skift Daily Briefing. Our daily podcast tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. This month, the podcast is presented by Starbucks.  Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

We are excited to share Skift Daily Briefing, a daily podcast that tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. This month, the podcast is presented by Porsche. Introducing the new Porsche 911. Timeless machine. Learn more at PorscheUSA.com/NEW911  Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

This episode of the Skift podcast drills down on the economic outlook for travel in 2019: the good signs, the risks, and the reasons you shouldn’t panic. Our guests are Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal and Senior Research Analysts Seth Borko and Rebecca Stone.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we explore the biggest trends that will define travel in 2019, with audio from one of our annual Megatrends events. Skift experts discuss topics including consumer demand for more control; the appeal of undertourism; the way lines are being blurred in hospitality; the rise of wellness marketing in travel; and Google's domination of local discovery.

This episode of the Skift podcast explores a major hurdle for low-cost airlines: how to make long-haul flights make money. Our experts are Skift Senior Aviation Business Editor Brian Sumers and Seth Kaplan, editor of Airline Weekly, a 14-year-old newsletter that Skift recently bought.

This episode of the Skift podcast explores uncomfortable truths about travel, as well as the things that inspire us about the industry. The conversation was sparked by two pieces of writing from Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali, who is one of our guests. He's joined by Skift Co-Founder Jason Clampet, who is also general manager of Skift Table, and Skift News Editor Hannah Sampson.

This episode of the Skift podcast dives into Amazon's history in travel and the retail giant's potential future in the sector. Our experts are Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal and Senior Research Analyst Seth Borko.

On today's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're hearing from Tina Edmundson, global brand officer for Marriott International. At Skift Forum Europe in Berlin, Edmundson spoke to Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting about why the company decided not to kill any brands after acquiring Starwood. They also explored how the role of luxury is changing, Marriott’s approach to millennials, and its experiment in homesharing. This is one of several conversations we're featuring from Skift Forum Europe.

On today's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're hearing from AccorHotels CEO Sébastien Bazin. You may recognize his name from dozens of stories about acquisitions the company has made in recent years. At Skift Forum Europe in Berlin, Bazin spoke to Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting about why the company could no longer be a "sleeping giant" and what it plans to do with all its investments. This is the first of several conversations we're featuring from Skift Forum Europe.

On this sponsored episode of the Skift podcast, we're diving into the Skift Megatrend: Travel Brands Want To Become Experience Platforms. We’re taking a look at how travel brands are expanding beyond what they’re known for doing in travel into new segments of travelers’ experiences. Leading the discussion is Jeremy Kressman, SkiftX research editor and Deanna Ting, Skift hospitality editor. Our guest is John Greenleaf, global head of Hilton Garden Inn.

There is a tech arms race underway in the vacation rental market. As this space enters a new phase of growth and scale, the need for tech solutions is real, but not every company will succeed. Understand the vacation rental tech stack, its major players, and our outlook on where it’s all headed in this Analyst Session. This Analyst Session discusses the state of technology in the vacation rental market and provides useful insights for property managers and owners, technologists and investors alike. It serves as a supplement to our Skift Research Report, Decoding the Modern Vacation Rental Technology Landscape. We review the current state of the market, take a deep dive into the tech stack and segment the different types of end-customers. Lastly, we discuss our outlook for consolidation, professionalization, and convergence with hotel tech. What You'll Learn From This Podcast Why technology is so important to the vacation rental space How software can help vacation rental operators drive sales Which tech solutions are creating operational efficiencies Who the three major types of vacation rental managers are and why their needs differ Why some tech solutions could consolidate while others will to remain independent Why we believe there could be a convergence between vacation rental and hotel technology Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

This episode of the Skift podcast goes all in on Airbnb and the competitive threat it poses to traditional hotel companies and booking sites. Leading the discussion is Skift Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting, joined by Executive Editor Dennis Schaal and Skift Research Senior Analyst Rebecca Stone.

Hotel owners have their hands full with choosing the appropriate operating model, ensuring their properties are being run efficiently and effectively, and remaining innovative and thoughtful. Doing all of this in an increasingly complex environment can be challenging. Some will need the major brand chains' help, some won't. This Analyst Session discusses operating and branding strategies for hotel owners in today's environment. It serves as a supplement to our Skift Research Report, A Deep Dive Into Operating & Branding Strategies for Hotel Owners. We review different ownership operating models and the pros and cons of each, the benefits of brand affiliation versus non-affiliation, and our proprietary Brand Matrix which ranks the seven major brand chains according to 13 key quantitative metrics. We also provide our expectations for distribution costs, management contract terms, soft brands, non-branded operators, and independent hotels. What You'll Learn From This Podcast The advantages and disadvantages of different ownership operating models Key considerations when entering into management and franchise agreements An overview of the hotel industry in terms of branded versus non-branded and managed versus franchised versus owned properties Why the large brands have increasingly shifted to asset light The benefits of brand affiliation How consolidation has negatively impacted hotel owners Examples of when to remain independent versus affiliate with a brand An overview of Skift Research’s proprietary Brand Matrix ranking seven major brand chains Skift Research’s expectations for distribution costs, management contract terms, soft brands, non-branded operators, and independents Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

This was a record year of funding for travel startups. It's exciting for travel to be in the spotlight, but it also means that founders and their VC backers see a field full of market openings, oftentimes at the expense of established incumbents. Travel leaders need to keep tabs on what is driving the latest opportunities. This Analyst Session discusses the state of venture capital investing in the global travel market and provides useful insights for founders, investors, and incumbents alike. It serves as a supplement to our Skift Research Report, Venture Investment Trends and Startup Opportunities in Travel 2018. We review market sizing, active investors, and funding trends. We also try to separate fact from fiction in emerging technologies, such as blockchain. Lastly, we cover growing businesses in emerging economies and rising verticals. What You'll Learn From This Podcast The size of the travel startup financing market Trends in corporate venture capital investments and partnerships Challenges facing founders of early stage startups A look at travel startup 'unicorns' and their year of change Growth in emerging markets, such as China and India Separating hype from reality in emerging technologies Trends in verticals, including tours and activities Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we explore the biggest trends that will define travel in 2018, with audio from one of our annual Megatrends events. Skift experts discuss topics including the way travel brands are turning into experience platforms, how travel companies and destinations are responding to nationalist rhetoric, the return of European travelers to disrupted destinations, and the way restaurants are battling the delivery boom.

There is room for optimism heading into 2018 for the global travel industry with numerous indicators pointing to a solid year of macroeconomic growth. In this Analyst Session we discuss our expectations for the global travel market, as a supplement to our Skift Research Report, Room for Optimism: 2018 Global Travel Market Outlook. We review some key economic data points that are top of mind for Skift Research as we head into 2018, provide market sizing data for the travel and tourism industry today, detail global growth and travel industry expectations, and discuss U.S. and global economic policy uncertainty as well as risks to our economic outlook. What You'll Learn From This Podcast Global economic growth forecasts Sales and earnings growth expectations for the hotel, airline, and cruise industries U.S. consumer and corporate economic expectations International economic trends for key regions and countries A discussion of U.S. and global policy uncertainty Key items of focus that could positively and negatively impact economic growth in 2018 Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we're tackling the issue of overtourism with some ideas for addressing the problem. Our guest is Megan Epler Wood, director of the International Sustainable Tourism Initiative at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her latest book, Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet, was released earlier this year. She spoke with Skift tourism experts Andrew Sheivachman and Dan Peltier and news editor Hannah Sampson.

With more hotel booking options becoming available to travelers, hotel brands must consider their distribution approach and direct booking strategies. This Analyst Session discusses hotel distribution, with a particular focus on direct booking. As a supplement to our Skift Research Report of the same name, we discuss results from our Hotel Direct Booking Survey, which collected responses from 370 hotels around the world. Hotel distribution strategies are discussed, along with specific case studies of hotel companies. What You'll Learn From This Podcast Comparison of direct and non-direct channels Overview of commission rates and costs Case studies of hotel company distribution and direct-booking campaigns Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

As China's travel market continues to grow and Chinese travelers are increasingly booking online, Ctrip and the country's travel industry are poised for high growth. This Analyst Session offers a recap of Skift Research's report, A Deep Dive Into Ctrip and the China Online Travel Market 2017, and supplementary discussion. In the Session, we provide an overview of the Chinese travel market and insight regarding the size of this opportunity area. We discuss the particular consumer travel trends and preferences of Chinese travelers. We also provide a breakdown of major travel companies' roles in the Chinese market, and a deeper look at Ctrip from a financial and competitive perspective.   Also, take a look at our accompanying Data Sheet on Ctrip and the China Online Travel Market. What You'll Learn From This Podcast Overview of the Chinese travel market Unique consumer travel trends and preferences Roles of major Chinese and non-Chinese companies in the travel industry Deepdive into Ctrip Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

On this sponsored episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about what destinations can do to better forge alliances between tourism and tech. Our guests come from both worlds: London and Partners innovation relationship manager Danielle Sheerin joins research and insights manager Louise Wilks along with Katie Hegarty, lab program and community manager with the Trampery. This is a sponsored podcast produced by SkiftX in collaboration with London and Partners.

Anyone who follows travel knows that Expedia has been making a lot of news lately. Now-former CEO Dara Khosrowshahi left to take the top job at Uber, and Expedia promptly promoted its CFO Mark Okerstrom to the chief executive position. At Skift, we've been all over this story since the news broke late one recent Sunday night, so we put together a team to do a newsy conference call in early September about Dara’s legacy, his replacement, Expedia’s financial performance, and the opportunities and challenges ahead. We recorded that call, which is featured in today’s episode of the Skift podcast. 

On today's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're hearing from hotel experts who make a living helping travelers find standout properties. Our guests are Claus Sendlinger, CEO and founder of Design Hotels, and James Lohan and Tamara Heber-Percy, the founders of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a travel club that started out as a guidebook featuring under-the-radar boutique hotels. They spoke at Skift Forum Europe in London this year and sat down with us backstage in the Skift Take Studio.

This analyst call discusses the current state of destination marketing, with a particular focus on current and developing content marketing, digital advertising and data analytics strategies. Destination marketing is a changing landscape. Technological innovations and emerging trends in content marketing and data analytics are paving the way for numerous exciting opportunities for those working in the destination marketing space. Programmatic advertising is making automation and targeting easier, and a number of key players in the travel tech space have released solutions specifically designed for use by DMOs and convention visitors bureaus (CVBs). Facebook’s dynamic ads are yielding good returns and some DMOs are implementing video (and, in some cases, virtual reality) marketing strategies, refining how they work with influencers and exploring opportunities for partnerships with online travel agencies (OTAs). What You'll Learn From This Podcast Funding and spend outlook for DMOs Shifting spend from offline to digital and vice-versa Digital advertising channels and content Competing in an increasingly noisy digital landscape Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

Our guest on today's mini-episode of the Skift Podcast is Richard Solomons, the soon-to-retire CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group. He spoke at Skift Forum Europe this year and joined us backstage in the Skift Take Studio to discuss how IHG is trying to cater to both millennials and baby boomers, the way the company is keeping well-known brands relevant but comfortably familiar, the reason he isn’t really worried about Airbnb, and plans to expand the boutique Kimpton brand.

On today's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're talking about the way consumers comparison shop for travel. Our guests are executives from some of the top metasearch companies in the world: Trivago managing director Johannes Thomas, Kayak CEO Steve Hafner, Momondo Group CEO Hugo Burge, and Skyscanner CEO and co-founder Gareth Willams. Each spoke at Skift Forum Europe in London this year and sat down individually with us backstage in the Skift Take Studio.

On today's mini-episode of the Skift Podcast, we're talking about disruption in the airline industry. Our guest is Bjorn Kjos, the CEO of Norwegian Air. He spoke about low-cost transatlantic flights, competition from legacy carriers, the airline’s growth opportunities around the world, and the risks facing global travel. Kjos joined us in the Skift Take Studio backstage at the first ever Skift Forum Europe in London.

On today's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're talking about volatility in the world, and how the travel industry deals with it. Our guests are Olivier Jager, CEO and co-founder of ForwardKeys, which compiles tourism data based on reservations transactions, and Gerald Lawless, chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council. They joined us in the Skift Take Studio backstage at the first ever Skift Forum Europe in London.

On today’s episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking hotel loyalty: who’s doing it right, who’s still trying, and how it is continuing to evolve. Our guest is Gary Leff, founder of the View from the Wing blog. We also have insights from Best Western Hotels & Resorts CEO David Kong and Langham Hospitality Group CEO Robert Warman.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about why bargain-priced airfare is all over the news, the true cost of cheap flights, the reason airlines are fighting to capture price-sensitive travelers, and what they’re charging for instead. Our guests are Brian Sumers, Skift’s airline business reporter, and editor in chief Jason Clampet. We've also got clips from interviews with British Airways CEO Alex Cruz, International Airlines Group CEO Willie Walsh, and Emirates Airline President Tim Clark.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we're hearing from leaders of the world’s two largest cruise lines on attracting newcomers to cruising, appealing to millennials, and considering the needs of Generation Z. The episode features portions of separate conversations we had with Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, and Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

On this episode of the Skift Podcast, we're talking about tourism growth in New York City, the role of gentrification, the new ways that visitors are experiencing the city, and what kind of growth is sustainable. Our guest is Skift reporter Andrew Sheivachman, who reported an in-depth piece on the city's tourism landscape, and we're also hearing from interviews he did with several industry leaders.

While the vacation rental industry is becoming more popular among consumers, particularly in urban areas, behind the scenes three waves of consolidation are hitting the sector. In this Skift Research Analyst Session we discuss the global vacation rentals landscape and look at how the industry is quickly evolving when it comes to vacation rental managers and the digital tools and platforms they use to fill their properties. We talk about what's happening with Airbnb in the context of the professionally managed segment of the business. We outline the landscape in terms of competition and the companies that are setting themselves up for success in this increasingly competitive market. We also highlight topline data from our 2017 U.S. High-Income Traveler Survey including attitudinal data on what high-income travelers think about Airbnb and rentals as an alternative to traditional hotels. What You'll Learn From This Podcast The State of the Vacation Rental Industry Airbnb's positioning in Vacation Rentals Vacation Rental Inventory Supply of Inventory Distribution Marketplaces Management Tech Vacation Rental Funding Profiling the Vacation Rental User Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we explore the biggest trends that will define travel in 2017, with audio from our annual Megatrends event. Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali and co-founder and editor-in-chief Jason Clampet delve into topics including how low-cost airlines are changing the transatlantic game, the festivalization of meetings and events, the return of humanity to travel, and the evolving desires of Baby Boomer travelers.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about a very specific form of travel advice — the where-to-go-in-the-coming-year list — and what goes into making them. Our guests are Dan Saltzstein, a travel editor at The New York Times who organized the 52 Places to Go in 2017 project, and Nikki Ekstein, travel editor at Bloomberg Pursuits. She oversaw Bloomberg’s Where to Go in 2017 list.

On this mini-episode of the Skift podcast, Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans discusses last-minute behavior, direct bookings, advertising, new search methods, and more. We interviewed Gillian backstage in the Skift Take Studio during the Skift Global Forum. The Skift Take Studio Series is presented by Mastercard, a payments technology company that is enabling loyalty, security and data solutions for the global travel industry.

On this mini-episode of the Skift podcast, TripAdvisor CEO Stephen Kaufer speaks to us about the threat of competition, challenges for instant booking, the changing ways consumers are using the site, and what is still left to review. We interviewed Stephen backstage in the Skift Take Studio during the Skift Global Forum. The Skift Take Studio Series is presented by Mastercard, a payments technology company that is enabling loyalty, security and data solutions for the global travel industry.

On this mini-episode of the Skift podcast, SilverRail CEO and co-founder Aaron Gowell speaks to us about his company's mission to make it easy to book train travel online by building a digital infrastructure for the global rail industry. We interviewed Aaron backstage in the Skift Take Studio during the Skift Global Forum. The Skift Take Studio Series is presented by Mastercard, a payments technology company that is enabling loyalty, security and data solutions for the global travel industry.

Google's steady push into the online travel space has deep implications for both established players and aspiring startups. In our first Skift Analyst Streamcast, we discuss Google's steady and seemingly relentless push into online travel. From search to bookings to reviews to the launch of Flights and Hotel Ads, the search giant has made its intentions quite clear. Established players are rightfully concerned about what Google means for the future of travel. What You'll Learn From This Podcast Google’s vast and complex reach in the travel industry Online travel consolidation Digital Transformation Survey results Google’s travel windfall Google Flights Hotel Ads Why Google is not becoming an OTA Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com

On this mini-episode of the Skift podcast, Club Med President Henri Giscard D’Estaing speaks to us about the iconic company's transformation, its efforts to reach affluent millennials, and what's in store for all-inclusive model. We interviewed him backstage in the Skift Take Studio during the Skift Global Forum. The Skift Take Studio Series is presented by Mastercard, a payments technology company that is enabling loyalty, security and data solutions for the global travel industry.

On this mini-episode of the Skift podcast, Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald speaks to us about the cruise giant's efforts to reach new travelers, the company’s expansion into China, and what the future holds for cruising. We interviewed him backstage in the Skift Take Studio during the Skift Global Forum. The Skift Take Studio Series is presented by Mastercard, a payments technology company that is enabling loyalty, security and data solutions for the global travel industry.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about the business of theme parks: How they’re trying to reach broader audiences, use technology to personalize visits, and raise the bar in the park experience as they raise prices. Our guests are Robert Niles, founder and editor of Theme Park Insider, and Martin Lewison, a professor of management at Farmingdale State College in New York who studies the theme park industry.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about how Iceland became a hot tourist spot, the tiny country’s complicated relationship with its visitors, and how the problems of overtourism can be solved. Our guest is Skift reporter Andrew Sheivachman, who reported a deep dive on the country's tourism issues, and we're also hearing from interviews he did with several industry leaders.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about the contemporary Black Travel Movement in the U.S., how it’s evolved, and what the future looks like for the community. Our guests are Evita Robinson, founder of Nomadness Travel Tribe, and Shannon Washington, co-founder and director of Parlour Magazine.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about how hostels have evolved, what’s next for the sector and whether they might finally break through in the U.S. Our guest is Fredrik Korallus, the CEO of design-focused Generator Hostels.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about the efforts to keep tourism afloat in Puerto Rico amid the debt crisis and Zika outbreak, what officials have learned about coping with crisis, and how Caribbean destinations are sharing tips and information. Our guests are Ingrid Rivera, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and Clarisa Jiménez, president and CEO of the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association.

In this special edition of the Skift podcast, we’re taking a look at why it's especially hard for small business owners to take a vacation and examining some potential solutions. Joining us on the podcast are Ida Kroll, founder and CEO of Eventland in New York City, and Katie Denis, senior program director of Project: Time Off. This podcast is sponsored advertising content produced by SkiftX for the Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card from Chase.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about hot topics in hospitality: direct booking, the rise of the sharing economy, opportunities and challenges in Cuba, evolving loyalty programs, and more. We have interviews with executives from Marriott International, Choice Hotels, Virgin Hotels, AccorHotels, and Red Lion Hotels, all of whom spoke to Skift editors Deanna Ting and Greg Oates while they were in town for the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we're talking politics: the legacy of the Obama administration when it comes to travel, priorities that have not yet been accomplished, and what's at stake for the industry as the country prepares to elect a new president. Our guest is Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we're talking frugal travel: who does it, how travel companies are providing budget-friendly options, and what travelers might give up to save some bucks. Our guests are Dan Saltzstein, a travel editor at The New York Times, and Tom Meyers, founder and editor-in-chief of the booking and advice site EuroCheapo.com.

We dedicate this episode of the Skift podcast to the topics we've been exploring in our CMO interview series: the modern challenges marketers face in their jobs, where they get insights, what helps them make smarter decisions, and what keeps them up at night. Our guests this week are Rich Fontaine, CMO of small-ship expedition company Lindblad Expeditions, and Noelle LeVeaux, CMO of Visit Dallas.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we're talking about the history of online travel, listening to stories from some of the founders, and learning about behind-the-scenes drama from the early days. Our guest is Skift news editor Dennis Schaal, who spent months researching and writing the Definitive Oral History of Online Travel, featuring candid interviews with more than two dozen insiders.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we welcome some park enthusiasts to talk about the creation of New York's High Line, its legacy and the quest to create the next big thing in public space. Our guests this week are Adrian Benepe, who was the New York City parks commissioner before becoming city park development director at The Trust for Public Land, and Meg Daly, founder and president of Friends of the Underline in Miami.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about the changing role of travel media, how publications are adapting to shifting consumer habits, and what that means to the travel industry as a whole. Our guests this week are Nathan Lump, editor of Travel + Leisure, and Pavia Rosati, founder and CEO of the travel website Fathom. Both of them bring years of experience on both the print and digital side of travel media at multiple brands and startups.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we welcome some travel experts to help us bust myths, check facts, and answer frequently asked questions about an industry that too often benefits from consumers' confusion. Our guests this week are George Hobica, the founder of Airfarewatchdog, who has written extensively about deals, loyalty, and industry trends, and Scott Mayerowitz, the Enterprise Airlines Reporter at Associated Press, where he reports on both airlines and the travel industry at large.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about what it takes for travel companies to reach the 1 percent — and keep them happy. We are joined by Edie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Crystal Cruises, which is growing fast and venturing beyond ships. Also with us is Doug Gollan, co-founder of Elite Traveler magazine, who writes about ultra-high-net-worth individuals and consults with companies trying to get more business from the very rich.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we’re talking about who can claim to be an adventure traveler, how the word is used (or overused, in our guest's opinion), and how social media is a blessing and curse for operators. We are joined by Bruce Poon Tip, founder and CEO of G Adventures. Also with us is Casey Hanisko, VP of marketing for the Adventure Travel Trade Association.

On today’s episode of the Skift podcast, we’re discussing the next generation of Chinese travelers, what they want, who is trying to deliver it and what it all means to the rest of the world. Joining us are Adam Goldstein, president and chief operating officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises and Michael Zakkour, a consultant at Tompkins International here in New York who co-authored the book "China’s Super Consumers: What 1 Billion Customers Want and How to Sell it to Them."

In 2016, business travel spending is expected to increase to $1.25 trillion. It’s a massive industry that’s going through big changes. Helping us sort through what’s real, what’s hype and what’s important in business travel is Mike McCormick, Executive Director and COO of the Global Business Travel Association, and Evan Konwiser, VP Digital Traveler for American Express Global Business Travel.

In this week's podcast we discuss smarter and more efficient bike-share programs, how wise cities set aside politics for transportation progress, and the ways contactless payments make everything easier for tourists. Joining us for the podcast is Hany Fam, a 20-year veteran of MasterCard and its President of Enterprise Partnerships and Seth Schultz, Director of Research, Measurement & Planning at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

Family travel is one of the fastest growing segments in tourism, accounting for a third of all leisure trips. This podcast looks at the family travel segment and what it has become as generations have aged, the economy has changed. Guests: Rainer Jenss, president and founder of the Family Travel Association and George Fleck, VP of global brand management for Le Meridien and Westin

In this week's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're asking why the United States is not a vacation nation — and why it matters. We hear from Gary Oster, managing director of Project: Time Off, a coalition started as an initiative by the U.S. Travel Association to promote the benefits of taking vacation. We also welcome Dr. Ken Matos, senior director of research at the Families and Work Institute.

For this episode we take a deep dive into how Marriott is reshaping how brands — both in travel and beyond — rethink their role in content production and distribution. Marriott International has been a pioneer in this area, launching its own studio in late 2014 to create content for the company’s brands. We speak to David Beebe, Marriott International’s vice president of global creative and content marketing.

With our kickoff 2016 episode, Skift staffers Jason Clampet, Alexandra E. Petri, and Rafat Ali discuss highlights from the 15 big trends affecting travel in 2016. These trends are playing out across the global travel industry, from changing consumer habits, to the big marketing changes happening, to how consumer data are finally being used to understand the traveler.

Packing is an integral part of the travel experience, one that we all experience no matter where we are going or how we get there. To talk about the evolution of luggage, and the art of packing, we’re speaking with Diego Saez-Gil, CEO of Bluesmart, which has created the first crowd-funded carryon and Brad John, co-founder of travel retailer Flight 001.

Smartphones are at the center of the evolution of guest experience at hotels. Third-party services are quickly developing apps and tools that transform personal devices into portals for the hotel experience. In this week's episode of the Skift Podcast, we talk about the future of in-room technology and the evolving guest experience, with Chris Holdren, senior vice president of Starwood Preferred Guest and Digital, and Justin Effron, CEO of hospitality engagement platform ALICE.

Although slipping into a local routine in a strange and foreign city has never been easier, most tourists are confounded by their basic need to know that they have indeed seen and experienced a place as they imagined. To discuss what draws a supposedly independent-minded traveler into the vortex of commercialism and parody that Times Square, Las Ramblas and Trafalgar represent, podcast host and Skift reporter Samantha Shankman and Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali sat down with Fred Dixon, CEO of NYC & Company, and Pegi Vail, an anthropologist at New York University.