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Chinese tourists aren’t rushing to get a U.S. visitor visa like they did before the pandemic, according to a State Department official speaking Saturday at IPW, a travel trade conference focused on international inbound travel.

UPDATED WITH ACQUISITION PRICE AND OTHER M&A DETAILS:

In a world of hyper-scale and global flag-planting for luxury brands, Belmond is taking a contrarian approach. The brand, known for its collection of hotels, trains, river cruises, and safari camps, is leaning into a style of luxury that is more deliberate and connected with its history. 

If you’ve ever heard yourself utter the phrase, you’re a bit out of step with the latest trends. Getting a good 8 to 10 hours is a priority for Gen Z and other generations too.

Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt joined other hotel companies in releasing earnings or giving financial updates this week. Here are the highlights. Note: All numbers are for the first quarter.

After an active couple of weeks for travel tech funding, it’s been a bit quieter lately. Only a handful of travel startups over the past two weeks have announced new fundraises, and they have all been relatively small. 

Expedition travel leader Lindblad Expeditions announced this week the acquisition of Wineland-Thomson Adventures, an award-winning adventure travel group, through its subsidiary Natural Habitat Adventures.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, May 3. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Skift Research’s latest reading on the Skift Travel Health Index reveals a softening trend in global travel. This is due to the seasonality of demand: Our index dropped 4 percentage points to 105 in March 2024, which mirrors a slowdown we saw this time last year.

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) announced the signing of a fourth hotel in Varanasi, a 101-key Ginger hotel. It currently has two Taj Hotels and a SeleQtions hotel (as part of the Tree of Life conversion) in Varanasi, a city with deep cultural and religious significance.

As someone who has been running award programs for the last decade, it’s safe to say I have seen my fair share of award submissions – the good, the bad and the ugly. So today, I am going to share some of my insider tips to make sure that your Skift IDEA Awards submission stands out in the crowd.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) predicted Friday that a recent deal would effectively double its presence in Germany and provide a foothold for stronger growth.

Soaring temperatures are poised to make traveling around the world more challenging. But is climate change already impacting travel? And how is the industry responding?

Expedia Group trimmed its 2024 outlook for growth on Thursday mainly because of a slower-than-anticipated recovery at Vrbo, its vacation-rental booking brand.

Booking Holdings has been engaged in building a “connected trip” — where travelers might book a flight accommodation and attraction on Booking.com — over the past few years.

A group of U.S. Senators on Thursday pushed to restrict the use of facial recognition at airports – an effort that comes as more than 80 U.S. airports use the biometric technology with plans for expansion to more than 400.

Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said he believed the U.S. airline industry doesn’t have the technology to comply with the latest Department of Transportation rules.  

Air India’s new flagship has made its debut on the international stage. On Wednesday night, Flight AI995 departed Delhi for Dubai, operated by an Airbus A350-900 for the first time. 

Tel Aviv-based Guesty, which provides property-management system tools for the vacation-rental industry, announced the acquisition of a partner and sometime competitor Rentals United.

Thailand-based hotel company, Minor Hotels, has set ambitious targets for its India expansion, aiming to open 50 properties over the next decade.

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