EF Ultimate Break, a tour operator brand within student travel group EF Education First, is rolling out a new Responsible Travel initiative, starting with a partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
23.10.2024 - 11:25 / skift.com / Rashaad Jorden / Sean Oneill / Fred Dixon / Cathay Pacific / Aria Suite / Gordon Smith
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, October 23, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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NYC Tourism + Conventions, the city’s destination marketing organization, announced on Tuesday it named Julie Coker as its next president and CEO, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
Coker, who has held the same roles at the San Diego Tourism Authority since 2020, will assume her new position on December 9. She succeeds Fred Dixon, who served as NYC Tourism’s CEO for close to a decade before stepping down earlier this year to lead Brand USA
Coker will take the helm as New York City’s tourism chief as the region prepares to welcome several major events, including the FIFA World Cup final in 2026.
Next, InterContinental Hotels Group had a strong third quarter in terms of hotel openings. But the company also saw a slowdown in revenue growth, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.
IHG added 17,500 rooms across 98 hotels, more than doubling its growth pace from the same period in 2023. O’Neill notes that a lot of that growth came from a deal with the German hotel group Novum Hospitality, which added roughly 6,000 rooms to IHG’s portfolio.
However, IHG only saw a 1.5% growth in revenue per available room worldwide during the third quarter. O’Neill notes a weak economy in China and turmoil in the Middle East contributed to the slowdown in revenue growth.
Finally, Cathay Pacific recently unveiled the Aria Suite, the carrier’s new business class cabin. And the company has plans for a new first class cabin that its chairman called “mindblowing” in an exclusive interview with Airlines Editor Gordon Smith.
Cathay Chair Patrick Healy told Skift that having a world-class cabin is part of the carrier’s aspirations to be one of the best premium airlines in the world. CEO Ronald Lam said Cathay plans to reveal the new cabin in 2025 or 2026, with Smith noting the carrier is awaiting Boeing’s new 777X aircraft before launching a new first-class cabin.
EF Ultimate Break, a tour operator brand within student travel group EF Education First, is rolling out a new Responsible Travel initiative, starting with a partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Choice Hotels International is doubling down on higher-end and extended-stay hotels as it pursues growth beyond its traditional roadside motel roots.
Marriott International unveiled plans Monday for its biggest organizational overhaul in a decade, targeting up to $90 million in annual cost savings as the hotel giant repositions itself after doubling in size over the past decade.
Singapore Airlines is betting big on the continued popularity of premium travel. On Monday, the airline announced an SG$1.1 billion ($835 million) project to overhaul a huge chunk of its long-haul fleet.
Stratis Batayas, a first-time hotel owner in Greece, is better at inventing creative concepts for guests than knowing the latest techniques in global hotel marketing and distribution.
Hyatt Hotels is selective in where and how it adds hotels to meet the expectations of its loyalty program members, who largely have high incomes.
It seems everything is getting more expensive, and travelers are likely seeing it most when they’re booking trips to big cities. Are big cities becoming more expensive to visit? And why?
Get ready for an inspiring journey at the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas on November 12, 2024. This event gathers industry leaders and visionaries to illuminate the latest trends and transformative developments shaping the future of aviation.
Accor raised its profit outlook after luxury hotels and the Paris Olympics helped drive growth, even as the French hospitality giant grappled with weakness in China’s domestic market.
The New York City Council on Wednesday passed a hotel licensing bill that has sparked an intense debate between supporters who claim it will improve safety and working conditions and opponents who argue it will hobble the hotel industry.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, October 22, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
NYC Tourism + Conventions, the city’s official destination marketing organization, announced Tuesday that it had named Julie Coker its next president and CEO.