Rafat Ali travel tips

This week the Skift team is in Iceland for our annual retreat. In 2023, 11 years into our existence, this is coming a full circle in so many ways for this company, which has now become amongst the most influential forces in global travel industry.

Airbnb has been out there a lot these last couple of weeks talking about its new product updates and launches, and CEO and Co-Founder Brian Chesky has been surprisingly open about what went wrong from the original vision, how he runs the company and what’s coming in the company’s AI-driven future, even beyond its core.

Today, we are very excited to announce Ask Skift, the AI chatbot answers engine specializing in the travel industry, here to be of service on your daily work queries. 

The aviation industry has always been at the forefront of innovation, driving global connectivity and opening up new horizons for travelers worldwide. As we enter a new era of air travel, filled with technological advancements and sustainability concerns, it is crucial for leaders, experts, and enthusiasts to come together and shape the future of aviation. 

When we said Skift is committed to our coverage of short-term rentals, we meant it. Ahead of the sold-out Short-Term Rental Summit in New York City, we’re launching the Skift Short-Term Rental Report, a premium newsletter that will hit your inbox three times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) starting June 13.

For the first time in his 25 years as an investor, WestCap Founder Laurence Tosi says that the short-term rental market and overall economy possess the most extreme economic health indicators he has ever seen. With strong positives and negatives, it is hard to gauge what will happen next.

Despite the wide-ranging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on various sectors, the travel industry emerged as one of the hardest hit. 

The story of Culture Trip is sordid, and in the scheme of things, an inconsequential blip on the face of heavily funded travel startups.

We are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated second annual Skift Global Forum East 2023 is set to take place in the vibrant city of Dubai from December 12-14 presented by Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. Building on the resounding success of last year’s event, the forum will assemble top CEOs and creative leaders in the travel industry from all over the world.

You may have heard the term “junk fees” a lot these days. They are these hidden fees across many industries: cable, finance, banking and particularly, the travel industry – airlines and hotels. Since last year, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has done many press conferences about the issue. President Biden brought it up in his State of Union speech.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, August 2. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.