All Categories

Airlines

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby at Denver airport

United Airlines’ CEO Wants The U.S. To Fund SAF Like It Funded Solar

Supply chain woes have long blocked the uptake of SAF, but United Airlines’ Scott Kirby sees potential in corn and soy currently grown for biodiesel. He wants more government support to firm up the industry — but criticized Europe’s approach.

September 9th, 2026 at 11:20 AM EDT

Everyone Is All In on the Airbus A321XLR — Except Delta

More airlines are embracing long-haul flying on narrowbody jets — in a competitive transatlantic market, they allow airlines to launch service in smaller cities. However, Delta is not convinced.

September 8th, 2026 at 9:07 AM EDT

An Entry Exit System kiosk at Copenhagen Airport.

EU Ends Border ‘Safety Valve’ as Airlines Warn of More Delays

The training wheels are off – Brussels now finds out whether Europe’s airports can actually stay upright.

September 7th, 2026 at 10:35 AM EDT

Business Travel

Navan Buys BoomPop to Push Into Meetings and Events

A public travel company growing 35% is buying its way into the meetings-and-events spend that managed travel never tamed.

September 9th, 2026 at 4:22 PM EDT

The U-shaped headrest on Emirates' new premium economy seat.

Emirates Pushes Premium Economy Upmarket as Business Class Gets Sliced Up

Airlines can no longer rely on passenger growth alone, so they're fighting harder for travelers who will pay more.

September 3rd, 2026 at 1:23 PM EDT

a plane on the tarmac surrounded by loading equipment.

Southwest to Launch ‘at Least’ 11 Airport Lounges in Chase Partnership

Lounges are the latest step in Southwest’s rapid transformation from a low-cost domestic carrier to a full-service operator.

September 2nd, 2026 at 10:24 AM EDT

Coronavirus

Paris tourists outside of shops selling trinkets.

The Travel Industry’s Immense Potential for Growth

Despite the pandemic’s unprecedented challenges, the travel industry’s recovery is proving to be remarkable.

August 3rd, 2023 at 6:49 PM EDT

Tourists near St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy.

The Travel Industry Surpasses 2019

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at the recovery of the travel industry that have allowed it to surpass spring 2019 benchmarks.

May 26th, 2023 at 2:44 AM EDT

Tourists taking photos on the roof of Milan’s cathedral

Travel Makes a Complete Recovery

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at travel's coronavirus recovery, Airbnb's optimism, and Hilton's extended-stay moves.

May 24th, 2023 at 5:27 AM EDT

Cruises

Carnival Cruise

Cruise Ports Top the Labor Day List and the K-Shaped Travel Gap is Narrowing

Airfare and gas prices are up, but research suggests Americans are committed to spending on travel.

August 24th, 2026 at 3:23 PM EDT

A rendering of the Disney Believe cruise ship.

Disney Has a New Metric to Capture Its Growing Bet on Cruises

Disney doesn't break out its cruise financials, but a U.K. subsidiary offers more details on the sector's growth.

August 19th, 2026 at 1:04 PM EDT

Four satellite images of European rivers running at low levels

Extreme Drought Is Upending River Cruises

Low water levels in Europe are causing widespread disruption to river cruises, leading to one Viking ship running aground. As guests face potential cancellations, the consumer travel insurance industry could be set to win as the sellers of peace of mind.

August 6th, 2026 at 9:47 AM EDT

Experiences

Klook

Klook Bets Creators Can Sell the Whole Trip, Not Just the Viral Attraction

The social media influencer’s “Like, Comment and Share” button just got a new friend… Meet the “Book” link.

September 8th, 2026 at 11:30 PM EDT

Two men stand looking at the camera

Black Tomato Founders Sell 75% to Employee Ownership Trust — But Keep Control: Exclusive

The founders of Black Tomato have sold the majority of their shares in a deal that gives them liquidity while keeping decision-making power — and qualifies them for a potential tax benefit.

August 24th, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT

Someone's holding the Viator app on a phone and in the background is the Colosseum.

Viator’s Updated Operator Agreement Formalizes a Power Shift in Experiences Pricing: Scoop

Is Airbnb's partnership with Tripadvisor merely an expansion of Airbnb's partnership with Tripadvisor's res-tech unit Bokun? So far some Airbnb employees aren't seeing signs of a broad, new Viator inventory partnership in the works.

August 21st, 2026 at 9:52 AM EDT

Food and Drink

How Wellness Hospitality Is Breaking Out of the Luxury Bubble

Health-conscious travel is entering the mainstream. Novotel’s Longevity Everyday model shows how hotel brands can extend wellness beyond premium retreats by embedding supportive choices into the ordinary rhythms of a stay.

September 8th, 2026 at 8:30 AM EDT

The F&B Strategy That Starts With Winning Over Locals, Not Just Guests

As hotel owners look for growth beyond the guest room, restaurants and bars are playing a more central role in how a property attracts locals, builds identity, and generates revenue. Paris Society, part of Ennismore and the wider Accor Group, offers a model for turning F&B venues into destinations in their own right.

September 1st, 2026 at 9:00 AM EDT

Food tourism

Omakase, Fine Casual… and Burgers: Marriott’s Top Food Trends in Asia

Asia’s food culture, from hawker stalls to omakase counters, has always been vibrant. But it’s now also setting the pace for how food tourism might look globally in the years ahead.

October 14th, 2025 at 4:00 AM EDT

Ground Transport

Uber to Lay Off 3,300 Employees, Reducing Management Jobs by 20%

Uber's reorganization doesn't directly impact its product portfolio, according to the company, but its attention is focused on core businesses.

September 2nd, 2026 at 12:42 PM EDT

Ayodhya is booming as a religious destination in India.

Ixigo Tests Packaged Tours for Trains, Uber Becomes a New Distribution Engine

Ixigo is taking a smart, low-risk approach to packaged travel. Rather than build and operate its own tours, it is testing demand by putting IRCTC-curated trips on its platform. If travelers bite, packaged tours could become the OTA’s next major product category.

August 25th, 2026 at 2:30 AM EDT

Grab

Grab Takes Taxis Across the Singapore-Malaysia Border

“Travel companion” Grab clearly isn’t ready to say goodbye at the border. With its cross-border taxi pilot, Grab is stretching the definition of “last mile” into an international one, keeping travelers in-app the entire way.

May 5th, 2026 at 7:46 AM EDT

Hotels

wyndham India

Wyndham Is Watching India’s Airports as Closely as Its Hotels

The 200-hotel target is only part of Wyndham’s India bet. The bigger opportunity may be getting Indian travelers to stay at Wyndham hotels wherever they go — from Jaipur to Athens and beyond.

September 9th, 2026 at 11:30 PM EDT

Choice’s New CEO Has 3 Top Fixes — Plus $450 Million in Hotels to Sell

New CEO Dominic Dragisich says Choice's build-and-buy era is over. His formula is to grow U.S. room count, close the revenue-generation gap with peer brands like Wyndham, and sell real estate it doesn't need to own.

September 9th, 2026 at 4:03 PM EDT

ceo of marriott on-stage at skift global forum

Marriott CEO Says AI Will Impact Hotel Distribution First

Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano was asked where AI is showing up in practice. He said the "biggest impact" so far has been on "distribution," or how travelers discover hotels online.

September 9th, 2026 at 1:35 PM EDT

Luxury

image of a posh hotel room at one of London's fanciest hotels, The Connaught, with a baby grand piano and luxury couches and paintings

Luxury+Lifestyle: Can a Small Collection of Iconic London Hotels Out-Earn Big Brands?

The owner of The Connaught and The Berkeley has hired the man who scaled Six Senses to build an operating company for luxury lifestyle hotels it owns and doesn't own.

September 8th, 2026 at 11:38 AM EDT

Saikindō at Four Seasons Abu Dhabi

Biggest Innovators in Travel and Hospitality: Summer 2026

There is no shortage of launches and you can easily find the most expensive hospitality offerings. We're most interested in judgment that leads to truly exceptional service.

September 4th, 2026 at 12:30 PM EDT

SingleThread

How SingleThread Is Growing Without Copying Itself

SingleThread is expanding thoughtfully, leaning on translating its service culture through people and giving them bigger challenges to tackle.

August 29th, 2026 at 8:00 AM EDT

Media and PR

A Meet Boston ad

‘Come Back Anytime’: How Travel Brands Courted World Cup Fans

Official FIFA sponsors spent millions locking up World Cup rights, but some of the most effective marketing may be based on response time.

July 9th, 2026 at 6:11 PM EDT

The Vancouver Science World geodesic sphere wrapped as a giant soccer ball for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

‘Hey @British_Airways’: Norwegian Air Shows How to Get Free World Cup Buzz

Two carriers with no official World Cup sponsorship have generated one of the tournament's biggest travel marketing moments – all without paying FIFA a cent.

July 9th, 2026 at 1:30 PM EDT

Image of football fans for Scotland's national team and Brazil's national team stuck in an elevator wearing their costumes or outfits, with a Marriott employee in the middle.

Marriott Outspends Rivals on TV, But Airbnb Owns the World Cup

Marriott outspent every hotel brand on national TV, yet Airbnb's World Cup ads have out-reached Marriott's so far. Marketers should note that focus, rather than budget, wins marquee experiences.

July 2nd, 2026 at 2:57 PM EDT

Meetings

The skyline of Dubai

UAE Bets on Discounts, Insurance, and New Visa Markets to Refill Hotel Rooms After Iran War Hit

The UAE is running two recovery tracks at once — emergency incentives to plug a war-driven demand hole and multibillion-dollar infrastructure bets. The gap between those timelines is the story.

July 2nd, 2026 at 9:52 AM EDT

5 Ways Meeting in Ireland Balances the Best of Both Worlds

All too often, choosing a destination for incentive travel forces meeting planners to prioritize either a busy city or rural country, business or wellness, modern developments or rich cultural experiences. Here’s how planners get to have it all on the island of Ireland.

December 15th, 2025 at 9:43 AM EST

3 Ways Corporate Meetings in New Orleans Can Fuel Creativity

Beyond the everyday challenges of organizing memorable events that move the needle for companies, today's planners are under mounting pressure to inspire a burned-out workforce. New Orleans combines its rich history, deep culture, and modern innovation to host corporate experiences that spark creativity and foster connection.

December 11th, 2025 at 9:19 AM EST

Online Travel

A family walking along a small road in a bucolic scene

European Vacation Rental Platform Awaze Felt Affordability Squeeze in 2025

Europe's largest holiday-rental group grew adjusted earnings and narrowed its loss in 2025, but revenue slipped, its cash position shrunk, and the group slid into net liabilities ahead of a 2028 refinancing.

September 9th, 2026 at 8:28 AM EDT

view of three credit cards on a table

The New Travel Loyalty Leaders Aren’t Hotels or Airlines — They’re Banks

Travel companies have spent years worrying about losing customers to online travel agencies. The bigger threat was already in the wallet.

September 4th, 2026 at 12:07 PM EDT

Swiggy Crew

Swiggy Has a New Travel Concierge. Can a Food Delivery App Make It Work?

Travel is full of problems that don’t fit neatly into an app. Swiggy’s Crew is betting it can handle the messy parts.

September 3rd, 2026 at 8:05 AM EDT

Podcasts

Vrbo’s Biggest Product Push Yet, and What Hosts Need to Know

Vrbo just rolled out its largest-ever product launch, with 12 new products and features spanning advertising, pricing, promotions, payments, guest operations, and property management.

September 7th, 2026 at 2:00 PM EDT

Fake AI Hotel Videos Are Coming for Travel

Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down two travel distribution stories that are really about trust.

September 4th, 2026 at 7:00 AM EDT

This Travel Tech Founder Says We’re Entering an Era of “Unlimited” Travel Demand

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Tim Hentschel, co-founder and co-CEO of HotelPlanner, one of the world’s leading travel technology platforms.

September 3rd, 2026 at 7:00 AM EDT

Short-Term Rentals

A sign from Lisbon's housing cost protest in March 2026.

EU Unveils Rules to Help Cities Crack Down on Airbnbs

Brussels has laid out a legal roadmap for restricting short-term rentals in stressed housing markets. Critics argue the rules lack oversight.

September 9th, 2026 at 2:25 PM EDT

Googleplex Headquarters, Mountain View, US

Google Strips Out EU Travel Search Features to Avoid More Fines

Google is scaling back certain search features in Europe as DMA enforcement escalates.

September 8th, 2026 at 12:59 PM EDT

A 2023 protest against increasing rents and house prices in Lisbon.

Europe Prepares New Law to Support Cities’ Airbnb Crackdowns

Brussels is looking to advance legislation that would clarify local authorities’ power to crack down on short-term rentals amid Europe's housing crisis.

September 4th, 2026 at 5:21 PM EDT

Skift Originals

Karak Chai, Luxury Retail, and the Invisible Millions of the Gulf Hub Airports: An Audio Essay

The largest purpose-driven travel flow on earth passes through the most commercially aspirational spaces on earth, and the dissonance is jarring if you stop long enough to watch who is actually walking past the glittering Hermes store...

June 20th, 2026 at 11:08 AM EDT

The Lessons Travel Buried After Covid Are Resurfacing in the Middle East

The travel industry edited Covid into a convenient story about resilient demand while ignoring the system’s fragility. We’re seeing the cost of that rewrite in real time.

March 16th, 2026 at 1:02 PM EDT

Building in Travel Has Never Mattered More

Travel is where history gets physical. We're in it. Right where we should be.

January 4th, 2026 at 12:37 PM EST

Startups

image of an add on an overpass above a road advertising a business travel service from Perk, seen in daylight

Perk Is in No Rush to IPO as Revenue Nears $400 Million

Perk, the travel management tech company, says it can wait on an IPO as long as it keeps growing near 50% a year without burning cash. The choppy market debut of Navan, its closest rival, hints at one reason for its patience.

August 10th, 2026 at 4:07 PM EDT

The Travel Industry Power-Struggle Map

Travel is not one market. It is a series of fights over who answers the traveler, who gets found, who owns the booking, who controls the inventory, who holds the wallet, and eventually, who remembers the trip.

August 2nd, 2026 at 9:26 AM EDT

Image of a male business traveler on a moving escalator with his luggage, wearing a long coat, as seen from behind

Permira-Backed Engine Buys Options Travel to Build Corporate Booking Tool

Engine is a startup that spent a decade selling hotel rooms to businesses that never hired a travel management company for help. Now it's just bought a TMC, and plans to build the booking software it thinks all business travelers should use.

July 31st, 2026 at 10:03 AM EDT

Tour Operators

A tour group stand at the base of a pyramid at Chichen Itza.

Flagship Group Makes First Three Acquisitions For Experiences Roll-Up

Appetite for an experiences roll-up has long existed, but Covid put plans on ice. Now P&Ls have had a chance to rebound, and the timing is perhaps even better today, with experiences positioned as a counter-AI play.

September 8th, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT

Intrepid Travel’s small-group adventure trips will be available through Air Canada Vacations’ booking platform and travel advisor network.

Intrepid Partners With Air Canada Vacations Right as Canada Pushes For More Domestic Travel: Exclusive

The partnership launches as escalating trade tensions have politicians asking Canadians to trade U.S. travel for destinations closer to home.

September 2nd, 2026 at 8:00 AM EDT

What Happens to a Travel Company Owned by Private Equity for Too Long?

One of travel's best tour operators went to market and couldn't sell. The reasons tell you as much about where the industry is headed as about the company itself.

September 1st, 2026 at 12:40 PM EDT

Tourism

Flyadeal

Flyadeal CEO Reveals Plans for Premium Economy and Long-Haul Network

Flyadeal’s move into connecting flights and premium economy marks a natural next step for a budget carrier scaling into long-haul.

September 7th, 2026 at 10:10 AM EDT

Qatar’s Arrivals Are Down 30% This Year — Its Recovery Now Rests on F1

Arrivals are still down a third from last year. Qatar’s answer, as it was for the World Cup, is another mega event on the calendar.

September 4th, 2026 at 7:40 AM EDT

Travel Execs Push Trump for 100 Million+ International Visitors by 2030

The meeting comes on the heels of the World Cup tournament and follows four consecutive months of inbound travel declines.

September 2nd, 2026 at 1:40 PM EDT

Travel Agents

two men speaking on stage

Saudi OTA Almosafer on Track for Year-End IPO Despite Iran War Disruption

Almosafer’s growth story now runs on domestic demand. That’s a bet on Makkah, the Red Sea, and Qiddiya outlasting a war that hit outbound travel first.

August 14th, 2026 at 11:45 AM EDT

Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa.

Travel Advisories Are Back and the Gulf Is Out With Flight Deals and Easier Visas

Gulf hotels were already struggling before this month's headlines. A hoped-for recovery may get pushed out further.

July 23rd, 2026 at 9:48 AM EDT

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

UAE Travel Agencies Report Delays in Payments From Saudi Clients

The Saudi-UAE rift is reaching travel through the banking rails first. The thing to watch is whether it reaches demand next.

July 22nd, 2026 at 10:41 AM EDT

Travel Technology

Meta Says Its Muse Agent Books Travel. Here’s How It Works

Meta’s Muse plugs directly into flights but shops the rest of travel through the open web. That puts the AI agent, not a travel integration, in control of where the search goes.

September 9th, 2026 at 8:44 PM EDT

An AI assistant

Why the Personal AI Assistant Hype Matters More for Travel Than Any AI Travel Product

The biggest shift in AI travel may be happening outside travel, as general-purpose agents learn to book, rebook, and act for the customer.

September 9th, 2026 at 9:30 AM EDT

A Viral AI Bot Just Showed Travel What Frictionless Actually Means

Instinct, a freshman AI assistant that has Silicon Valley buzzing, can book and rebook trips from a text thread. Key lesson for travel: Talking about frictionless booking isn't the same as delivering it.

September 4th, 2026 at 7:40 PM EDT

Venture Capital

Skift Capital Allocation Brief: A New Quarterly Read on Where Travel’s Money Goes

M&A, venture money, buybacks, take-privates, a free quarterly read on all the capital moving through travel, what it means, and a first look at the decision intelligence Skift is building.

August 9th, 2026 at 9:22 AM EDT

Who Owns Travel: The Sovereign Wealth Map of 2026

We mapped who owns travel's physical layer in 2026 and it came back sovereign, but the money is not as patient as it used to be, and after the Saudi-UAE rift, not as unified either.

July 29th, 2026 at 9:30 AM EDT

An EasyJet Airbus A319 at Ljubljana Airport.

Who’s Next After EasyJet? We Size Up 10 Possible Takeover Targets

A U.S. buyer has done what none of EasyJet's past suitors managed: It got the airline's board to the table.

July 8th, 2026 at 5:37 AM EDT