Vacaya Day of the Dead celebration. (Photo Credit: Vacaya)
25.08.2023 - 13:55 / skift.com / Rashaad Jorden
Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, March 27. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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Hotels have long said that they struggle to place women in executive roles, with women currently representing only 30 percent of leaders in the hospitality industry. So the hotel industry’s efforts to create paths for women to hold leadership positions is a long overdue step in reversing that gender imbalance, reports Contributor Carley Thornell.
Although women account for more than half of travel and tourism workers worldwide, Thornell notes that gains for women in high level hotel management have been minimal. She cites Choice Hotels’ HERtels by Choice development seminar as one program looking to create leadership opportunities for women. The seminar connects women with hotel industry veterans and Choice executives. One hospitality CEO said a lack of industry connections is a significant barrier to hotel ownership.
Thornell adds that women are typically carrying more of the burden for childcare coming out of the pandemic, another obstacle to landing executive roles. So Marriott International created part-time manager positions to help make the company appealing for mothers.
Next, travel brands marketing to LGBTQ+ community have historically focused on gay solo travelers and same-sex couples, largely in tune with their images of the segment. But Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy writes that LGBTQ+ family travel is growing, with safari tour operators poised to take advantage of its boom.
David Ryan, CEO of South African-based tour operator Out2Africa, said LGBTQ+ family travel as an emerging trend completely counter to long held stereotypes of travelers in the community. He added Out2Africa’s guests haven’t had any issues with any of the safari companies it’s worked with, describing them as LGBTQ+ friendly. Brophy writes the safari industry is well-prepared to take advantage of the booming LGBTQ+ family market. Ryan attributed the rise in LGBTQ+ family travel to the surge in same-sex couples having children.
Meanwhile, Ryan admitted that Uganda’s recent move to enact some of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws is complicating business for Out2Africa. Ryan said Uganda has been on his radar for a long time. While the president of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association said he would never tell travelers not to visit a particular destination, Ryan said members of the community are unlikely to support an unwelcoming destination.
Finally, the hotel industry has long considered revenue per available room — so-called RevPar — to be its most important performance metric. But some executives believe companies should use other
Vacaya Day of the Dead celebration. (Photo Credit: Vacaya)
As the days grow shorter and the evenings cooler, Labor Day Weekend in the United States marks a bittersweet moment: it serves as the unofficial conclusion to the summer travel season.
Centered on the pivotal theme “Transforming Demand Trends to Reshape the Future of Intra-Africa Travel,” the 2023 ATLF & Awards is poised to offer unparalleled networking corridors, growth-centric business prospects, and cutting-edge educational modules.
The luxury travel network Virtuoso® has revealed the winners for its 2023 Best of the Best awards announced at this year’s Virtuoso Travel Week held in Las Vegas at Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, and Vdara Hotel & Spa. The 35th annual gala spotlighted the network’s most esteemed travel agencies, advisors, and preferred partners.
Airbnb executives have talked a lot about how they have reduced their spending on performance marketing (think: buying ads in Google search results) to focus on brand marketing (think: subway posters advertising the company’s new “OMG” category of properties). So how much do they spend on brand and how much on performance?
The journey towards accessibility in travel starts with talking about non-access.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, December 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Yoga enthusiasts wanting an immersive cultural retreat, football fans looking to meet their sporting heroes or individuals with a penchant for the mixology of gin — these everyday interests and hobbies are shaping “passion-driven” itineraries for travelers looking for more meaningful travel experiences.
A venture studio shut down its remote working startup after discovering its business model wasn’t really meeting its goals.
U.S. startups have honed the process of failing fast and learning through minimal viable product adaption — a lesson the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) funding ecosystem should leverage.
No wiggle room exists anymore for superficial business as usual.
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.