Marriott soon to launch midscale brand focused on conversions

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, May 21. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Marriott and Hilton appear to be neck-and-neck in the race to expand their footprints and loyalty programs. But if you look at the more important metric of fees earned for services they provided hotel owners, you’ll see Marriott far ahead.

Cruise prices are about to get more transparent thanks to a new law in California that requires cruise lines to include extra expenses like taxes and port fees in the advertised fare.

As Chinese travel into the Middle East continues to increase, one of the country’s largest hotel operators sees an opportunity. While it’s not as commonly known in the West, H World is a giant in the hotel industry, with around 9,300 hotels and close to one million rooms across the world.

Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry is now the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in recognition of a $125 million gift from the billionaire and former wealthiest resident of Illinois.

At U.S. Travel’s IPW – the largest generator of international inbound travel to the United States – Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman shared a vision to make travel a national priority, solve barriers to visitation growth, and become the most-visited nation in the world.

Amid the fanfare of a press conference about the growth of inbound United States tourism, Brand USA Today officially introduced its new president and CEO and bid goodbye to its longtime leader after a dozen years of service.Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, welcomed Fred Dixon into the DMO’s top role. Dixon is the current president and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions.He will take over in July for Chris Thompson, who announced his retirement from the role last year. Thompson held the role of Brand USA president and CEO from 2012 until 2024.

The less-visited North Rim of the Grand Canyon will reopen for the summer season next week, allowing travelers to explore even more of the breathtaking park.

Building on efforts in 2022 to increase the minimum stay length to 90 days at non-resort-area short-term rentals in Honolulu, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed a bill into law clarifying the countiesʻ authority to regulate transient accommodations.

Forty-five years after it was first floated as an idea, a tunnel linking Spain and Morocco could finally be on the horizon.

 MGM Resorts executives enthused Wednesday about the likely impact of their newly minted licensing deal with the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.

Marriott raised its forecast for 2024 profitability on Wednesday after predicting continued travel demand worldwide. But analysts spent the earnings call focused on travel booking behavior in the U.S., where post-pandemic domestic demand may be cooling.