Rental Supply Slows, Saudis' Chinese Push and Sustainable Travel Woes

It's that time of year when white-sand beaches, palm-studded resorts, and cruise ships that gleam against turquoise waters start to sound pretty damn fine. We've got all that for you here, plus a few surprises, to inspire your next vacation to the world's best place for soaking up the winter sun.

As China moves ahead with its visa waiver program, it has now extended the facility to citizens of seven more countries — six of which are in Europe.

Thousands of travel representatives have arrived in London's ExCeL exhibition centre for the World Travel Market trade event, as new data shows global tourism is now breaking pre-pandemic records.

There's an old saying that goes, one person's loss is another's gain — and the same can be said for industries.

We are all set for the third Skift Global Forum East in Dubai on November 19 and 20. Our focus: The future of global travel through the lens of technology, market dynamics, and transformative experiences. 

Thailand is looking to streamline its air travel experience. Beginning Friday, domestic travelers would be able to breeze through airport checkpoints through Thailand’s new biometric facial recognition system. By December 1, this technology is expected to be extended to international travelers, helping them bypass traditional ID checks throughout their journey.

As the temperatures fall, so are airfare prices. Frontier Airlines is running its «Full Size Sale», which provides fares as low as $19 to destinations around the United States. Best of all, the flights can be booked five days of the week, whereas previous promotions from Frontier have been more limited in date availability.  The sale ends on October 31, 2024 at 11:59pm EST, however tickets can be purchased for travel through February 26, 2025. This makes the sale a great option for travelers and families looking to take a winter getaway, or fly to a destination with warmer temperatures. Travel + Leisure spotted a variety of one-way flight deals including: 

Malaysia may have moved from being Thailand’s top source market in 2023 to the number two position this year, but Malaysian arrivals to the country are set to surpass 2023’s tourism high of 4.4 million arrivals.

A getaway to warmer weather just got easier and cheaper.Avelo Airlines recently announced four new routes from the Orlando, FL area, and is celebrating with $46 fares. With the expansion of new routes, Avelo will be opening a new crew base at Lakeland International Airport, which is one hour and 15 minutes south of Orlando Airport, and one hour east of Tampa Airport, making it an alternative option for passengers visiting each of the two major Florida cities.  From Lakeland, Avelo will launch service to Rochester, NY, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Concord, NC (which is near Charlotte, NC) and Manchester, NH (which is near Boston, MA).  The low-cost carrier operates its flights from regional airports that are adjacent to major cities, which explains the Manchester and Concord airport options.   Each new route will operate twice weekly, and Avelo states they are the only airline to operate direct service between each of the markets.

Several prominent airlines have recently made significant investments in premium cabins and products. Airlines Editor Gordon Smith discussed that trend and his recent in-depth look at airlines that are quiet quitting China in this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast with Head of Research Seth Borko.

The rebound of global travel in 2024 has been accompanied by the demand for seamless, cashless transactions. Alipay+, Ant International’s cross-border mobile payment and digitalization service, has seen its transaction volumes triple this year.

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.