Skift tips

Airbnb hosts in India collectively made over $12 million from bookings with families last year. Indian family travel on the short-term rental site grew by over 90 percent in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic in 2019, according to a new report released by the company. Most families booked Airbnb listings because of the value and space compared to hotel rooms — with the top-booked categories being near a national park, a pool, near a beach and lake house. Goa, Bengaluru, Karnataka, Pune, Hyderabad, Dehradun, Jaipur, Raigarh, Ernakulam, New Delhi and Nainital were the most preferred family travel destinations in India. Globally, Indians have been traveling to London, Toronto and Dubai for a family getaway. “Families are spending more on domestic as well as international travel and are more willing to support local communities and small businesses. We are glad to see the multiplier effect Airbnb delivers on the local communities as it creates meaningful earning opportunities for those considering hosting on the platform,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, general manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan for Airbnb. The company recently partnered with Sheroes — a New Delhi-based women’s networking and enabling platform — to grow its community of women hosts in India. Under the partnership, Airbnb will launch a digital content and training program for six months, which will be accessible on relevant Sheroes community channels. This collaboration will provide training to support members of the social platform who are interested in hosting on Airbnb to harness their passion for hospitality, as well as enable more women in India to travel the world independently. 

Over the past decades, the booking pendulum has swung back and forth between online travel agents’ (OTAs) growing booking share, and hotels clawing back some direct bookings. Hoteliers have been complaining about high commissions paid to third-party travel websites, and increasingly invest in driving more direct bookings. The evolving hotel tech stack has website builders, booking engines, and direct-booking tools offering to aid this cause.

The global score of the Skift Travel Health Index remained stable at 97, as per our latest March 2023 update. This is unchanged from the previous month.

As 2023 began, Skift declared it the most creative era in global travel. With the pandemic behind us, the industry continues to thrive, leaving the pent-up demand phase and embracing new traveler habits developed over the last three years, while adapting old ones.

Get ready to meet the incredible team of industry experts that will be joining the judging panel. We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome these brilliant minds who will bring their unique perspectives and experiences to assess the submissions for this year’s awards.

In today’s competitive business landscape, setting yourself apart can be challenging. This is precisely why entering business awards can be an effective strategy to achieve recognition, highlight your accomplishments, honor the contributions of your team, and exhibit your proficiency. 

Despite rising prices and economic uncertainty, many U.S. travelers seem to be ring-fencing their travel budgets from spending cuts, according to the latest survey by Skift Research.

As we continue to accept applications for the fifth edition of the Skift IDEA Awards, we are looking forward to recognizing the most forward-thinking brands and businesses in the travel industry, with the boldest and brightest innovators who are shaping the future of travel set to be celebrated.

Hear from our CEO, Rafat Ali, on why you should attend Skift’s Short-Term Rental Summit next month in New York City on June 7:

As we continue to accept applications for the fifth edition of the Skift IDEA Awards – which since its inception in 2019 has celebrated over 60 winners across a range of categories – our mission to recognize and celebrate the most forward-thinking brands and businesses across the travel industry has never been more important.

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.

Always looking to offer our subscribers with more value, today we are launching our first airline research report which is available to both Skift Research and Airline Weekly subscribers.

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. 

Skift Short-Term Rental Summit is one of the most highly anticipated vacation rental industry events, bringing together executives, investors, and veterans to discuss the future of the short-term rental market. This year, the summit promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a lineup of speakers that includes some of the most influential people in the industry.

April 2023 marked an important milestone: The full recovery of travel since the pandemic – as measured by the Skift Travel Health Index. And it’s a record, with our index passing the level last reached in 2019.

To better understand how people working in the travel industry feel about new AI tools, like ChatGPT and its many extensions, and the impact it will have on their job and company, Skift Research recently launched a short survey. 

Skift Research has gained unprecedented access to one of the fastest growing online travel agencies (OTAs) in North America – Hopper. We interviewed senior executives across each of Hopper’s verticals, in addition to their co-founder and their CFO, to produce a deep dive analysis of Hopper’s rise in travel. Since being founded in 2007, Hopper has become a formidable disruptor of the OTA market, which for so long has been dominated by the duopoly of the legacy players. It has leveraged big data, machine learning algorithms and predictive analysis to launch an array of unique fintech products that have been fundamental in helping it become the third largest OTA in North America.

Short-term rentals sit at an inflection point after several years of hypergrowth. The sector was the best performing during the pandemic, but is this pace of growth sustainable?

Skift Research has launched the Skift Short-Term Rental 250, a free-to-download map of 250 of the most prominent short-term rental companies operating today.

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. 

Join Skift editors and research analysts as we speak with short-term rental gamechangers alongside an audience of 250+ leaders, investors, and strategists at our upcoming Short-Term Rental Summit. Be a part of the insightful discussions driven by editorial expertise that are bound to shape the future of the industry.