Booking.com Beyond Hotels + Trump Travel Ban Uncertainty + Hotel CEOs' Brand Desires

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

June 27, 2017 View in browser

Note From the Editor Skift is in Montreal for the next couple of days for our annual company retreat, although as we talk about future plans, I think of the whole thing as a step forward rather than having anything to do with a retreat. But there were some regressive developments. We were listening to Montreal tourism officials Monday morning talk about how the U.S. is a robust tourism market despite all of the negative rhetoric coming out of Washington. And then news broke that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld part of President Trump's travel ban. As it stands, the order bars travelers and refugees from certain Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. solely on the basis of their having no family, business or educational links to the U.S. For those who have those ties, the already rigorous application process becomes even more bureaucratic. I call that a retreat. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor Free Insights Deck: Demystifying Airbnb For Corporate Travel Managers [SPONSORED] Sponsored by Airbnb It's no question that many modern business travelers are seeking alternative accommodations to customize their travel experience. In this overarching examination of the overall state of the corporate travel market, we're breaking down what Airbnb for Work can add to a managed travel plan for travelers and travel managers alike. Download Top Stories Booking.com Is Expanding Beyond Hotels and Into Flights, Cars, and Restaurants The Priceline Group has been looking at adding flights to its largest site, Booking.com, for years, but has hesitated for fear of detracting from its core hotels product. But in this case, taking a "stronger together" approach and leveraging the group's other in-house brands could ultimately pay off. Don't Expect Hotel Companies to Stop Launching New Soft Brands Anytime Soon Why? They make money. And they're easier to roll out than a "hard brand." (Thus, why those are "hard.") Trump Travel Ban Partially Upheld by Supreme Court in Temporary Ruling The stage has been set for a showdown in October that will have serious ramifications for the U.S. travel industry. German Online Booking Giant HRS Tilts Further From Consumer to Corporate Travel Germany's largest online travel company is in an experimental mode. For consumers, it is making its search listings more Trivago-like. For corporate travel customers, it is testing beacon-based sensors at hundreds of hotels to help business travelers check in and check out of hotels more quickly. The Business of Loyalty: Carnival Cruise Line Wants to Win Over Customers Earlier Cruise loyalty programs are different from airline and hotel offerings, but Carnival Cruise Line's approach can still be instructive — especially as it evolves. Chefs+Tech: Food Leads the Way as Unused Spaces Morph into New Destinations Restaurants and new restaurant concepts have a real opportunity as our usage of commercial space changes in both cities and suburbs. Amtrak's New CEO Is Delta Air Lines' Old CEO Before Richard Anderson took over Delta, the airline was a mess. Now, it's considered by many as the best-run airline in the United States. We'd love to think Anderson can do something similar here, but fixing Amtrak will be a much more challenging task. Still Trending Hotel CEOs Love Direct Booking But They Have Varied Views About Strategy Whether you choose to view it as a war or not, it's fairly unanimous that nearly every hotelier wishes he or she would have more direct bookings versus bookings made through an online travel agency. SeaWorld Is Under Federal Investigation for Post-Blackfish Commentary SeaWorld has been trying hard to assure shareholders that it is moving beyond the controversy and financial woes that followed the Blackfish documentary. This investigation — whatever it entails and however it turns out — is a major setback. Interview: SAS CEO Explains Why the Airline Embedded a Microchip in Employee's Hand It's a tough time to be a small, full-service airline in Europe. But SAS CEO Rickard Gustafson is trying to ensure his airline can compete both with low cost airlines, like Norwegian, and massive legacy airlines like Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM. For Gmail users: If you are using the tabbed inbox, Skift emails may be pushed to the 'Promotions' tab. To get updates from Skift direct to your primary inbox, drag and drop this email to that tab. You received this email because you are subscribed to Skift Daily Newsletter from Skift.

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