Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, October 3, 2024 and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
02.10.2024 - 13:59 / skift.com / Rashaad Jorden / Sean Oneill
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, October 2, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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Moxy Hotels, Marriott’s first brand aimed at travelers in their 20s, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill takes a look at how Moxy has looked to stay relevant in the marketplace throughout the years.
O’Neill notes that Moxy doesn’t subscribe to the commonly held premise in the hotel industry that the room is everything. Moxy’s compact rooms have appealed to some Millennials used to cramped urban residences or minimalist lifestyles. In addition, hotel investors and owners have seen the cost advantages of fitting more rooms into smaller footprints.
Moxy was the first Marriott brand without a formal front desk and guests check in at bars. O’Neill writes hotel operators like how Moxy creates bustling social spaces that attract both guests and locals, and that the lively lobbies and bars drive high-profit food and beverage revenue.
Next, Amtrak launched its first major marketing campaign in three years on Tuesday. It’s part of the company’s effort to convince travelers that trains are a better alternative to planes and cars, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
The campaign, called “Retrain Travel,” showcases advantages Amtrak now offers: No middle seats. Plenty of legroom. Freedom to walk around.
An Amtrak executive said “Retrain Travel” — which will appear on social media, the radio and other platforms — is part of its efforts to distinguish itself from its competitors, mainly airlines and cars.
Finally, Dubrovnik will launch a “special traffic regime zone” in its UNESCO-listed Old Town starting in 2025. The zone will use a custom mobile app to regulate tour buses and decrease the number of authorized taxis significantly. Tour buses will need to pre-book slots on the city’s app to pass through the zone.
Dubrovnik has seen a tourism boom thanks to the popularity of Game of Thrones. Tours based on the hit show have generated more than $24 million in revenue for the city.
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Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, October 3, 2024 and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
After a four year hiatus, the DJ Awards returned to Ibiza. The “Oscars of dance music” took place at Club Chinois, a first for the awards after spending the last two decades at Pacha. Fisher, Camelphat, Chase & Status took home genre awards, while local legends like Luciano won from a selection of new industry awards.
This story ran as part of the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. To find out all the winning cruises, read here.
Amtrak is celebrating the start of fall with a Northeast flash sale that has big savings on popular routes.
Amtrak launched a national marketing campaign on Tuesday to convince travelers that trains are a smarter alternative to planes and cars.
Norwegian Cruise Line is launching a new brand positioning and upgrading its popular inclusive package.
The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, is turning to technology to manage its burgeoning tourism industry. Traffic has become unmanageable since the city starred as a backdrop in HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
Amtrak is launching a new route between Chicago and Miami this fall that will whisk passengers from the Midwest to the Sunshine State in 47 hours.
For me, September is a hard one to see go. With it, those last little moments of summer slip away, the temperature starts to change and it's time to start pulling out your warm coats. My September was especially great, though. It started with cruising around the Mediterranean and checking out a few dreamy hotels in Italy, followed by a quick trip to Mexico to check out Hyatt's new all-inclusive brand.
For more than 50 years, open seating has been almost synonymous with Southwest Airlines. But that's all set to change in the coming years.
Will Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Gate be finished on schedule by 2030? Does it have the right mix of luxury and affordable hotels? Will tourists come year-round?
Skift is advancing its commitment to shaping the future of the travel industry with the launch of Skift Elevate, an initiative dedicated to empowering underrepresented voices within the sector.