Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Weekend Review: The New Longest Flight + Overtourism Top of Mind

August 26, 2017

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We don't want to put a damper on the weekend, but now that we've reached late August we must deal with the reality that summer travel season in the northern hemisphere is rapidly drawing to a close. So instead of spending your time reading another excellent letter from the editor, I suggest you get out there and enjoy it if you're fortunate enough to be able to do so. When you come back, though, don't miss the stories below from this week in travel.

— Jason Clampet, Editor-in-Chief

Skift Global Forum Opening Event Venue Revealed

This week, we announced where our Skift Global Forum Pre-Evening Opening Event venue will be! Find out all the details here and don't forget to register. Our Opening Event is for Skift Global Forum registrants only.

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There have been so many advances in aviation in the past couple of decades that there are almost no routes between major world cities a modern airliner cannot fly. Sydney to New York and London are two of those routes. But perhaps not for long.

Trump Plan to Improve U.S. Infrastructure Is Going Nowhere for Now

A plan to invest in U.S. infrastructure was supposed to be a slam dunk for the Trump administration. Yet even with an experienced political operator such as the Secretary of Transportation, it's now unclear whether any robust plan will ever come to fruition.

New Skift Research Report: The State of Conferences and Events 2017

The rapidly evolving conference and events sector is facing increasing competition. While competition brings better technology solutions, organizers need to maintain value in their conferences to remain viable in the long-term.

Interview: WTTC's New CEO Knows Overtourism Will Top Her Agenda

It's not that the travel industry doesn't understand that overtourism is a problem. It's an issue that at times might conflict with their bottom lines, and there is a lack of thoughtful and effective plans on how to deal with it. Guevara is already working on the topic — and we'll be watching to see how creative she and the WTTC can be.

Costa Cruises Takes a Cue From Airlines With New Branded Fares

Cruises have always been complicated to book, so we're curious if customers will appreciate Costa's new approach.

Digital

4 Takeaways on the Future of Travel Distribution and the Accompanying Channel Shock

Airlines around the world are looking to revamp their distribution and merchandising efforts. Most of the innovation is happening in Europe right now, but U.S. airlines are starting to experiment, as well.

Interview: Ctrip CEO on Growth Strategies and Employee Empowerment

Ctrip dominates online travel in China and will benefit from the continued shift from offline to online bookings. Additionally, the company is pushing more into the lucrative outbound market. We discuss these trends and more with CEO Jane Jie Sun.

Travelport Signs MakeMyTrip Deal as the India Online Travel Agency Diversifies Its Distributors for Now

Travelport's distribution deal with India's largest online travel agency suggests that it can punch above its weight. But Travelport still faces a struggle against its much larger competitors.

Hospitality

8 Takeaways on Airbnb's Road to an IPO

Consider this your CliffsNotes on all things Airbnb as the company continues to mature.

Hostelworld Has Ambitions to Complement Bookings With a Sense of Community

Now that Hostelworld has largely finished integrating Hostelbookers, it can turn its attention to developing features that would make it more relevant to users during their travels. None of the initiatives are exactly game-changing, but what the company is hoping is that it will make travelers more likely to click on its app rather than that of a competitor.

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Business of Loyalty: Oneworld Alliance Has a New Hole in Its European Network

Air Berlin's potential absorption into Lufthansa may foreshadow fewer clean connections for American Airlines travelers heading to continental Europe, while United customers may see a benefit.

Meetings Innovation Report: Appealing to Gen Z and Everyone Else

While this week's Meetings Innovation Report takes a closer look at how to craft meetings for younger participants, from Generation Z to millennials, the truth is that all of these strategies make for more engaging, entertaining, and meaningful events.

Corporate Travel Innovation Report: Brexit Takes a Bite out of Business Travel

Is the decline in business travel to and from the UK so far this year just a blip or a post-Brexit trend? The uncertainty that still remains around Britain's departure from the EU isn't giving companies confidence, and that's bad for business travel.

Chefs+Tech: What Danny Meyer's Martina Means for Restaurants Everywhere

Any restaurant opening from Union Square Hospitality Group is one to watch. Operations at Martina, which its chef calls "fine-casual," are a look at current industry trends set to go big.

Tourism

5 Charts Showing the Rise of Independent Chinese Travelers

We're still many years away from seeing a tipping point when more Chinese travel independently than with tour groups. But this data should be a wake-up call to destinations and travel brands that a shift is already happening in some places and for some segments of the market.

Disney Doesn't Own Its Tokyo Parks But Still Finds Them Lucrative

While much is written about the U.S. and Shanghai parks, Disney's partnership in Japan contributes high margin licensing fees and promotes the Disney brand.

Why Virtuoso's New Must-Go Destinations Feel Similar

A new Virtuoso survey focusing on coveted luxury destinations for fall and the holidays doesn't cover new territory, but some trends are revealed by reading between the lines.

Airlines

KLM Becomes Among the First Non-Chinese Airlines to Accept WeChat Pay

KLM is a little less reliant on Chinese customers than other major airlines, but it's good to see the Dutch carrier taking the chance on a new way of accepting payments. We're betting it'll work out well for KLM. And we suspect other airlines will follow.

Alaska Airlines Will Finally Add Speedy Wi-Fi on All of Its Big Jets

We know it takes a long time to retrofit airplanes. And we know airlines hate to remove planes from service. But we wish Alaska could work faster to add speedy Wi-Fi. Three years is a long time to wait.

Delta Air Lines Will Take Some Customer Service Calls via Video Chat

Yes, Americans do make video calls in their everyday lives. But they make them using machines they own. Do airline passengers want to resolve issues by using one of five kiosks in an airport terminal? Perhaps some do, but we're betting many will find the phone just as useful. This seems like it would have a been a novel announcement in 2009.

Business Travel

UK Business Travel Is in a Post-Brexit Slump

Even with the drop in value of the pound making it much more attractive to travel to the UK, business travel seems to be suffering. This could be because of the perceived fragility of the country both economically and politically.

Gen Z Won't Tolerate Boring Meetings That Aren't Interactive

If you want to engage Generation Z, ditch the paper, be authentic, and keep those presentations moving.

Clear Strives to Become an Airport Security Alternative for Supertravelers

Clear's user experience has evolved significantly since its launch, and the service bears a look from supertravelers — and potentially beyond.

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