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PODCAST

Skift Daily Travel Briefing

Everything you need to know about the business of travel today. Each episode covers new travel stories from Skift"s editorial team. Listen to the latest developments at hotels, airlines, destinations, online booking sites, and more. Published Tuesday through Friday by 5am ET. For ongoing coverage, please visit Skift.com/news.

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All Episodes

4:06

Hyatt's All-Inclusive Bet, TSA’s Shoes-On Test and...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/07/08

Hyatt is expanding its all-inclusive resort business globally, targeting regions like Europe, North Africa, and Asia, while maintaining an “asset-light” strategy to reduce capital demands. Meanwhile, the TSA is trialing a policy at select U.S. airports that allows travelers to keep their shoes on, as part of broader efforts to streamline security screening with new technologies. Activist investor Starboard Value has acquired a 9% stake in Tripadvisor and may pressure the company to sell off brands

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3:47

Airbnb’s Pay-Later Bet, Airline Cyberattacks and a...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/07/03

Airbnb is piloting a “Reserve Now, Pay Later” feature in the U.S. and Canada to help guests book stays without upfront payments, aiming to boost affordability while keeping hosts protected under existing cancellation policies. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate has advanced a budget bill allocating $12.5 billion to modernize air traffic control infrastructure, including consolidating radar and traffic control facilities, as part of broader reform efforts. Finally, Hawaiian Airlines, WestJet, and Qantas have

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3:41

Too-Hot Eiffel Tower, Brand USA Budget Anxieties and...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/07/02

A scorching heatwave has forced the Eiffel Tower to temporarily close its summit and led other European landmarks, like Brussels’ Atomium, to reduce hours, while several countries have issued heat-related travel advisories. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate narrowly passed a bill slashing Brand USA’s funding from $100 million to $20 million, putting the tourism organization at risk of downsizing amid an ongoing budget crisis. Lastly, Sweden has abolished its air travel tax, drawing praise from airlines

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3:55

Hyatt’s $2B Flip, Six Senses Shake-Up and Europe’s...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/07/01

Hyatt announced it will sell the real estate portfolio of Playa Hotels & Resorts for $2 billion just weeks after acquiring it, aligning with its asset-light strategy while retaining management of the resorts for a net cost of $555 million. Neil Jacobs is stepping down as CEO of Six Senses after 13 years, during which he grew the brand globally and oversaw its acquisition by IHG. Meanwhile, European authorities have issued heat-related travel warnings amid a Mediterranean heat wave, with temperatures

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4:10

One Clever Hotel Ad, A Resort Brand’s Climate Warning...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/27

The Ritz-Carlton’s “Late Checkout” campaign, featuring Josh Hutcherson, won a Gold Lion at Cannes for its creative approach to luxury advertising, outperforming 181 other brands. Meanwhile, Iberostar warned that climate change is the greatest threat to its beachfront properties and called for increased investment in sustainable tourism efforts. At the Skift Data+AI Summit, travel investors emphasized the importance of solving real problems over AI hype and noted that future winners may emerge by

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3:36

Italy's Overtourism Campaign, Trump’s Student Visa...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/26

Italy has launched the “99% of Italy” campaign to encourage tourists to explore lesser-known regions, addressing the issue of overtourism that sees 70% of international visitors concentrated in just 1% of the country. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department now requires student visa applicants to make their social media accounts public for screening as part of renewed interview procedures. Lastly, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is expanding its luxury cruise offerings with the debut of a new

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3:44

Spirit's JetBlue Complaint, Carnival's Splashy...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/25

Spirit Airlines is urging U.S. regulators to block JetBlue and United’s proposed “Blue Sky” partnership, citing serious antitrust concerns similar to JetBlue’s past alliance with American Airlines. Carnival’s heavy marketing investments and private island offerings are driving strong booking growth and enabling premium pricing, according to its CEO. Meanwhile, social media–fueled tourism to Antarctica is booming, but scientists warn it’s contributing significantly to carbon emissions and

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3:51

Gulf Airport Routing Challenges, Over-Heated Tourism...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/24

Airlines in the Gulf are under pressure as rising Middle East tensions force flight rerouting, disrupting the efficiency of major hubs like Dubai and causing delays and missed connections. Despite 2024 being the hottest year on record, most U.S. travelers are not significantly changing their travel plans due to climate-related risks, according to a Skift Research survey. Skift CEO Rafat Ali has also introduced the Skift AI Travel Tracker, a new series exploring future travel industry roles shaped by

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3:52

Boeing’s Political Cash, Bhutan's Crypto Tourism and...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/20

Boeing has intensified its political influence efforts, distributing nearly $1 million through its PAC in early 2025 and maintaining a robust lobbying presence amid renewed scrutiny over its safety practices. Meanwhile, Bhutan has become the first country to roll out a nationwide cryptocurrency-based tourism payment system, allowing visitors to use over 100 cryptocurrencies for nearly all purchases via Binance Pay, with DK Bank converting funds to local currency. In the U.S., flight sales through

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3:53

Brand USA's Challenges, Hotel Immigration Crackdown...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/19

Brand USA is facing a potential 80% federal funding cut amid a fragile international travel recovery, though CEO Fred Dixon remains cautiously optimistic and has launched a new campaign, “America the Beautiful,” to promote U.S. tourism. Meanwhile, U.S. hotels are bracing for stricter immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which is worsening labor shortages, especially for resort properties dependent on seasonal immigrant workers. Finally, Air India is reducing international widebody

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4:10

A Google Hotels Threat, JetBlue Cost Cutting and...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/18

Google Hotels is facing increasing pressure from competitors like Expedia, Tripadvisor, and Trivago, partly due to changes from the EU's Digital Markets Act and the rise of Google's AI Overviews impacting search visibility. Hotel developers are embracing dual-brand properties to cut costs and boost profitability by sharing infrastructure and appealing to broader market segments, with major chains like Marriott and Hilton leading the trend. Meanwhile, JetBlue is cutting costs amid soft travel demand,

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3:41

U.S. Travel Slump, Accor Taps Mbappé and Airbus' Orders

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/17

Global travel grew slightly in April, but a 5% drop in North American activity—driven by weaker U.S. consumer sentiment—dampened overall progress. Despite the stronger euro, five million Americans are still expected to travel to Europe this summer. Meanwhile, Accor launched a direct-booking campaign with soccer star Kylian Mbappé to compete with online travel agencies, and Airbus outshone Boeing at the Paris Air Show with 132 orders, including a major deal with Riyadh Air.Global Travel Grows,

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3:42

After the Air India Crash

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/13

Air India Flight AI171 tragically crashed shortly after takeoff, marking the first-ever crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and presenting a critical challenge for the Tata Group's ongoing transformation of Air India. The crash undermines recent optimism in India's aviation sector and threatens to derail the Vihaan.AI project, Air India's five-year overhaul plan aimed at restoring trust and enhancing its global image. Additionally, this incident adds to Boeing’s mounting safety concerns, with the 787

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4:39

Hotels Vs. Airbnb Experiences, Wyndham's New Ads and...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/12

An Air India Boeing 787-8 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad to London, leading to suspended airport operations and an ongoing investigation with no confirmed casualties yet. Meanwhile, hotel leaders downplayed threats from Airbnb's expansion into experiences, though experts argue hotels are underestimating the appeal of personalized, seamless offerings. Finally, Wyndham launched its first comprehensive ad campaign to promote its loyalty program and all 25 brands under the unified message

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3:55

Airbnb’s Poaching Experiences, IHG's U.S. Bounce and...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/11

Airbnb has been accused by ToursByLocals and Withlocals of violating their platforms’ policies by using company emails to recruit tour guides for its relaunched Experiences service. InterContinental Hotels Group’s CEO Elie Maalouf noted a temporary dip in U.S. inbound travel due to calendar shifts but expressed confidence in future growth, particularly in Asia, with plans to open the group’s 1,000th hotel in China. Meanwhile, Meliá Hotels is seeing strong U.S. demand at Mediterranean resorts and

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4:02

Marriott's Mid-Market Push, Apple's Travel Updates...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/10

Marriott has launched its first mid-market extended-stay brand, StudioRes, in Fort Myers, Florida, offering apartment-style rooms with full kitchens to appeal to budget-conscious, long-stay travelers, and plans to expand with 40 more properties by 2027. Apple announced new travel-related tech updates, including digital U.S. passports in Wallet and live translation for messages and calls, enhancing travel convenience through AI. Skift Research highlights a major shift in travel marketing as Google

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3:53

Hotels Vs. Booking.com, Travel and Politics and AI...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/06

Hotels are seeking financial compensation from Booking.com over rate parity clauses that restricted lower pricing on their own sites from 2004 to 2024, with recent court decisions improving their chances. In Congress, several bipartisan bills could impact the travel industry, including legislation on hotel pricing transparency, tax deductions for tipped employees, and limits on airport facial recognition technology. Meanwhile, the new CEO of chauffeured services company Carey plans to use AI and a

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3:50

Hilton's Guest-Centered AI, Hotels' Branded Living...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/05

Hilton is using AI primarily to enhance guest experiences by predicting needs, recognizing loyal customers, and replacing post-stay surveys with real-time feedback, while guest messaging tools have already improved satisfaction scores. Industry experts at the Skift Data + AI Summit discussed how major hotel chains, like Marriott and Hilton, may leverage AI and brand trust to expand into areas like student housing, vacation rentals, and cruises, following a strategy similar to Amazon’s

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3:49

Hotel CEOs' on Wasted Potential, Airlines’ Climate...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/04

Hotel CEOs say the U.S. is missing out on its tourism potential due to visa processing delays and lack of investment in tourism infrastructure, while also focusing expansion efforts on international markets like India and the Middle East. Meanwhile, IATA’s Willie Walsh criticizes governments and fuel producers, particularly in the EU, for slowing progress on sustainable aviation fuel production, though producers argue they have increased output and lowered costs. Lastly, Starwood Hotels founder

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3:37

Hilton’s Luxury Push, Travel CEOs’ Pay, and Hotels’...

Skift Daily Travel Briefing ·

2025/06/03

Hilton is expanding its luxury portfolio to attract affluent travelers and strengthen its loyalty program, having recently opened its 1,000th luxury property with plans to add 150 more this year. Meanwhile, Skift analyzed 2024 CEO compensation for travel companies in the S&P 500, finding Booking’s Glenn Fogel, Disney’s Robert Iger, and Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi among the top 25 highest-paid CEOs. Lastly, CoStar Group has downgraded its 2025 U.S. hotel industry growth forecast to 1% due to spring

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1,104 results

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