Connecticut has launched a new campaign in response to Visit Florida taking down its “LGBTQ Travel” page. “We decided to do this now in response to what we saw coming out of Florida, and we knew that this was not only a smart move, but it was also a right move from both a business standpoint, but more importantly from a moral standpoint,” said Anthony M. Anthony, chief...
Traveler sign-ups for hotel loyalty programs have soared in the past five years, and Hilton and Marriott have enjoyed some of the greatest gains. Hilton was number 1 in growth: Its membership was up 110% in the five years through September, for a total of 173 million members. Marriott retained its lead with the most members at 192 million, a 5-year gain of 60%. Hilton is on track to overtake...
A new Italian law requires platforms like Airbnb to collect and remit tourist taxes in Italy. It starts Thursday, February 15, and Airbnb said it will comply beginning with more than 1,200 towns and cities. Airbnb will be required to determine the tourist tax for qualifying stays, using the local rate in the listing’s location. For instance, in Venice it is €1 ($1.08) – €5 ($5.39) per night...
This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner. Today’s corporate travel managers and business travelers face numerous challenges, from balancing costs to ensuring a seamless travel experience. Business travelers now expect more than just a smooth flight — they want the entire process, from booking to managing changes, to be as effortless as possible. According to the...
A bulging middle class, a mega-rich 1%, and a rapidly growing population are swirling to potentially make India a tourism superpower. But the country’s largest online travel agencies are not going to go to war; rather, they’re in a race for who can leverage the growth opportunities first and then on a long-term basis. “I don’t lose sleep about some competitor doing something for...
EasyJet Chief Executive Johan Lundgren is stepping down. The company confirmed the move as it published its latest earnings on Thursday. Lundgren has been in post for seven years and is widely regarded as a safe pair of hands. He successfully navigated the European low-cost carrier through the COVID-19 crisis and developed its increasingly lucrative easyJet Holidays division. The company says...
Selina, a hotel and experiences brand focused on youth travelers, has to give investors a haircut to receive a capital injection of up to $50 million from Global University Systems (G.U.S). Here are key points in its financial restructuring, which it hopes to finalize within a week or two. Selina has faced a cash crunch. Selina went public in a SPAC deal in October 2022. The deal failed to...
The Indian government is offering visa-fee waivers for the first 100,000 tourists entering the country under the “Chalo India” program. The operational guidelines will be finalized soon, after which the scheme will officially launch, the ministry has said. The Indian government had waived visa fees for 500,000 tourists between 2022 and 2023 to support tourism after Covid. Despite a 44% surge in...
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, January 11. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. Listen Now Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts Episode Notes The recent blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines flight is far the only problem that Boeing has experienced with its 737 Max aircraft. Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden takes a look...
Online travel agency Cleartrip has announced that its travel agent partners increased by 40% in 2023 as compared to 2022. The company’s business-to-business platform Agentbox 2.0 recorded four times higher volume of business in 2023 than the previous year, it added. Agentbox 2.0: Cleartrip’s agency business is a platform that aims to provide travel agents with a one-stop solution for...