Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, September 6. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
25.08.2023 - 13:50 / skift.com / Rashaad Jorden / Sean Oneill
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, April 11. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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New York City’s tourism industry has made a monster recovery from the pandemic. But local officials still have concerns about its long-term future, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
Habtemariam reports New York City hit 85 percent of its pre-Covid tourism volume last year. The city is expected to make a complete tourism recovery in 2024, according to New York City + Conventions. In addition, one New York-based tour guide said traditional attractions like the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty are very close to hitting 2019 visitor numbers.
However, Habtemariam writes the city faces some underlying problems despite its tourism boom. A recent poll found that about 70 percent of New Yorkers are unhappy about the city’s direction. Habtemariam notes that widespread discontent could make tourism promotion tougher. Furthermore, the popularity of hybrid and remote work is costing New York City roughly $12 billion. Habtemariam adds the loss of tax revenue can cause cities like New York City to cut back on infrastructure improvements, which could hurt tourism.
We turn next to another look at how artificial intelligence could significantly alter the travel industry. Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali argues that an AI-powered Google Maps will make the app even more powerful than it already is.
Ali said that AI would make searching for suitable hotels and restaurants more relevant based on a user’s history on Google Maps. In addition to becoming a game-changing app, he said in a video posted to his Twitter account that Google could emerge as a superapp. Superapps enable users to perform a myriad of tasks on one platform instead of having to resort to dozens of apps. Ali said that an AI-powered Google Maps might also provide a visual representation of search results.
Finally, Spain-based travel agency Pangea recently revealed it doubled its revenue from the first quarter of last year. How did it accomplish the feat? The company attributes the revenue boom in part to new stores, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.
O’Neill notes an $11 million fundraising round in 2019 not only helped Pangea survive the pandemic, but also enabled the company to open four stores around Spain. Pangea CEO David Hernández said the physical stores have attracted a new generation of travelers. He added the company is developing new technology that aims to further digitize the travel agency sector.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, September 6. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, September 1. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Airbnb and New York City have often had a tough relationship, one marked by lawsuits and other disputes. Airbnb has argued that New York City’s regulations have hurt its ability to do business, which the company believes will become more challenging when the city starts enforcing its host registration law regarding short-term rentals on September 5.
In addition to booming tourism numbers worldwide, travelers this summer have experienced scorching temperatures. That blistering heat has made travel difficult and could potentially create chronic health problems.
Accor, the Paris-based hotel giant, said on Tuesday that Omer Acar will head its brands Raffles & Orient Express as of March 1. Acar will join Accor’s other brand CEOs in its luxury and lifestyle group (Fairmont, Sofitel & MGallery, and Ennismore) — all of whom report directly to group CEO Sébastian Bazin.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, November 14. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Not all hotels should pursue remote workers, a hotel group CEO has suggested, because they mostly served their purpose during the pandemic.
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.
Although travel is poised to continue making progress in its ongoing recovery in 2023, the industry still faces challenges in its quest to surpass pre-pandemic tourism levels.