Scattered across the US are pockets of dark skies that offer some of the best stargazing experiences in the world. Within these often protected and designated areas luxury hotels are catering to the astro-tourism market with expert lead stargazing experiences. Situated in areas with low levels of light pollution and excellent air clarity, the night sky over these properties is so pristine you can enjoy it from the comfort of your hotel room or balcony. But these stargazing hotels have stepped it up by offering a range of astrological events, in-room telescopes and binoculars, outdoor skybeds, and even an on-site observatory. With a focus on the outdoors, these are not only some of the best resorts in the US, they run some of the top dark sky experiences in the nation.
Luxury Travel Companies' Push for Extreme Experiences
25.08.2023 - 13:21 / skift.com / Rashaad Jorden / Peden Doma Bhutia
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, June 23. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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A growing number of affluent travelers are seeking extreme adventures, but are they pushing the boundaries for those popular excursions too far? Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy seeks answers from executives responsible for organizing those trips.
Carl Shephard, co-founder of travel company Insider Expeditions, said safety is always the priority, but added that the industry is providing valuable experiences. He said companies like his should push the boundaries. Virgin Galactic, a long-time Insider Expeditions client, recently took a group of 30 future astronauts on a trip to a remote island centered around a one-minute solar eclipse.
Brophy notes she scheduled interviews for the story before the OceanGate submersible, the Titan, went missing while taking passengers to explore the Titanic wreck. The five passengers on board are believed to have died.
Next, much of the discussion around artificial intelligence in travel has centered around how the technology can help increase bookings. But Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes reports in his Travel Tech Briefing that hotel tech startups are using AI to combat an ongoing labor shortage.
Dawes cites HiJiffy as one tech company that’s gotten a boost from hotels struggling with staffing issues. Founder Tiago Araújo said the startup grew 150 percent during the pandemic due the industry-wide labor shortage, a challenge many hotels still face. The company said its so-called “pre-stay” product is able to quickly answer roughly 80 percent of guest questions about the hotel.
Araújo added most of HiJiffy’s clients are doing well in terms of revenue. But he acknowledged many are having difficulties regarding staffing, which is driving them to automate as many processes as possible.
We end today in Bhutan. The country is lowering its sustainable development fee — used to offset the carbon footprint of tourists — to encourage longer stays, reports Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.
Bhutia writes Bhutanese authorities relied on feedback from the country’s travel executives to develop options for longer stays. Garab Dorji, CEO of travel company Truly Bhutan, said the reduced fee will give tourists an opportunity to explore more of the country. Bhutan’s tourism department estimates the South Asian nation attracted roughly 52,000 tourists between late September 2022 and mid-May. Bhutia adds the country aims to hit pre-pandemic tourism figures by the end of 2024.
Luxury Travel And Value: Why Your Best Europe Trip Might Be A Cruise
In the face of record hotel rates that continue to grow, coupled with sustained high airline fares, some travelers feel they can no longer take a luxury European vacation. They are wrong.
Big travel company layoffs could potentially address some wider industry skills shortage issues
What have American Airlines, Sabre, Amex GBT, Tripadvisor, Expedia and many other big travel companies all got in common this year? Well, based on media reports, they’re all among major travel industry players that have made redundancy rounds of varying sizes this year, following in the footsteps of major tech firms last year. Meanwhile though the wider travel tech industry has suffered a skills shortage since the pandemic caused a mass exit of workers to other professions. Could the redundancies in the big travel companies be good news for the travel tech industry looking to hire? We asked a range of travel experts whether they thought the tables might now turn, or if we’re still going to face challenges in the longer term.
Forget Customer Experience: Lawsuit Challenges JetBlue-Spirit Merger
In a private lawsuit challenging JetBlue’s proposed merger with Spirit Airlines, the plaintiffs have filed documentation with the court suggesting that the combined airline would increase fares could by 24 to 40%. This revelation came from documents that were improperly redacted before being published.
Qantas Offloads Stake in Australian Travel Agency Helloworld for $22 Million
Qantas has sold its remaining 12.4 percent shareholding in Australian travel agency Helloworld Travel Limited for $22 million.
TUI Sees Luxury Travel Demand Boost Sales
Travel giant TUI (TUIGn.DE) reported on Friday a boost in demand for luxury holidays, driving sales for the winter 2022/23 period higher than they had been in the corresponding 2018/19 period, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit international travel.
Multi-Day Luxury Tours Bubble Set for China Boost
Travelers are hungry for high-end experiences, and there appears to be no sign of the luxury bubble bursting anytime soon, with China still expected to add weight to the post-pandemic revenge travel surge.
Travel Companies Rebuked for Exploiting Wildlife for Entertainment
Sustainable travel has developed a sense of urgency post-pandemic. However, while carbon emissions, environmental degradation, and cultural sensitivity are picked apart at length, animal exploitation through the sale of captive wildlife entertainment has received less pushback.
Travel Stays Strong for Google and Facebook
As other sectors deal with post-epidemic corrections, travel brands continue to grow as they make up for lost ground over the last three years. Earnings season continued this week and both Meta’s and Google’s results showed the strength of travel brands during the last quarter. Read on.
Online Travel Companies Make a Bundle Investing Customer Cash
The longtime business models of online travel companies ranging from Airbnb to Expedia and Booking.com are getting increased scrutiny from the media and short-term rental hosts because these companies hold onto customer funds, and invest them for profits before disbursing them, sometimes months later.
Viator Outperforms Tripadvisor Experiences in Bookings Growth
It’s been eight years since Tripadvisor took over Viator. And while Tripadvisor at one point downplayed Viator as an acquired brand, Tripadvisor could now be changing tack with its current two-brand experiences strategy.
Expedia Joins Companies Pushing Back on ChatGPT Hype
Despite all the hype around what generative AI could mean for the travel industry, the online travel agencies seem to be in agreement — there is potential, but there’s a lot of work to be done first.