Skift has looked into the hurdles that several major U.S. cities face in trying to boost tourism — San Francisco and Portland are just two examples.
25.08.2023 - 13:58 / skift.com / Joe Biden / Rashaad Jorden / Sean Oneill / Carley Thornell
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, March 22. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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Hotels are paying close attention to an increasingly influential set of travelers — Gen Z, or those born after 1996. This young generation is prompting hotels to rethink, and adopt, strategies that may even become permanent for guests across all their segments. So what steps have hotels been taking? Skift examines their marketing approaches in a deep dive by Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill and Contributors Sherry Sun and Carley Thornell.
As members of Gen Z have reported greater loneliness than people in earlier generations, hotels could create spaces where travelers can connect with others, including locals. Johnny Quach, chief marketing officer at online travel agency Hostelworld, said it puts prospective guests in an online chat with other travelers staying in their hostel. In addition, one expert believes that many hotels will likely turn to year-round programming to attract members of specific subgroups, citing a local pickleball tournament as one possible activity.
And with Gen Z travelers placing greater emphasis on enjoying experiences such as food tours during their trips, hotels could also devise creative ways to make stays more affordable. Yoshiharu Hoshino, CEO of Japan’s Hoshino Resorts, said his company has added installment payments that enable travelers to pay for a trip over six months. He noted that option has been popular with members of Gen Z.
Next, New York’s LaGuardia Airport has long been derided by many travelers and locals. But its perception has drastically changed after what Contributor Ted Reed describes as a miraculous resurrection.
Reed reports that LaGuardia’s transformation included rebuilding Terminals B and C as well as five miles of roadway. Terminal B was recently recognized by one transport rating firm as the world’s best new airport terminal. It’s also the first terminal in North America to receive a five-star airport terminal rating. An executive who oversaw LaGuardia’s reconstruction said it was the airport’s mission to make it a place travelers would love after having been heavily criticized by then-Vice President Joe Biden in 2014.
Finally, prominent TV shows can teach viewers valuable lessons. So Contributor Louise Felsher delves into what event planners can learn from the HBO smash hit The White Lotus, especially with more professionals resuming in-person gatherings.
Felsher lists five lessons the show centered on the same-named fictional hotel chain can provide industry executives. She writes that event planners can avoid the menu fatigue that characters have experienced by
Skift has looked into the hurdles that several major U.S. cities face in trying to boost tourism — San Francisco and Portland are just two examples.
New York City’s short-term rental regulations could slash up to 70% of Airbnb’s 23,000 active listings in the city after September 5. Experts are divided on how the move might affect hotels, and their forecasts are foggy. Yet the analyses reveal interesting details about this critical lodging market regardless.
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Can hotels exert more influence in policy-making? Where will future development growth come from? Is generative AI relevant to the hotel sector? These and other subjects will be top of mind for us as we interview top bosses at Hilton, Hyatt, Accor, and other hotel leaders on-stage at the Skift Global Forum in New York on September 26-28.
Here are the top stories from Daily Lodging Report in the past week. Get news on hotel deals, development, stocks, and career moves. Sign up here, now.
Hyatt Hotel Corp. said on Tuesday it would acquire Dream Hotel Group’s lifestyle hotel brands, including Dream Hotels, The Chatwal Hotels, and Unscripted Hotels.
Not all hotels should pursue remote workers, a hotel group CEO has suggested, because they mostly served their purpose during the pandemic.
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Hotel company Sonesta said on Tuesday it would launch a new brand, Sonesta Essential, and offer a just-added brand, The James, to developers.
Entrepreneur Richard Branson and Virgin Group announced a reorganization of their hotel brands on Thursday. Virgin Group, which owns a half-dozen luxury Virgin Hotels, will take control of Branson’s private collection of hotels, retreats, and islands (including Branson’s own much-hyped Necker Island), marketed as Virgin Limited Edition.
The Ace Hotel Group, the boutique hotel chain considered to be a pioneer in the sector, announced Tuesday that it will be acquired by hospitality firm Sortis Holdings for $85 million, marking yet another chapter in the history of this small but influential player in hospitality.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, January 24. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.