Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Weekend Review: Top Tourism Videos + Vegas and Safety + United’s Lament

October 7, 2017

We began the week with another mass shooting in the U.S., this time one that originated in a hotel and was aimed at large event in Las Vegas. The industry has a reponsibility to do what it can to ensure its guests are safe, while political leaders have a responsibility to not enable environments where violence like this flourishes so freely.

We all know that the business of travel doesn't happen in a bubble, but we should all do what we can to make sure that the reality in which we travel, book rooms, and explore represents our ideal world, not just a temporary escape from a challenged one.

— Jason Clampet, Editor-in-Chief

Travel in an Age of Permanxiety: Download the New Magazine

In an age of global turmoil, what can travel brands can do to alleviate travelers' anxieties and deliver authentic experiences? Skift explores in this new downloadable magazine.

Learn More

These winning tourism videos don't use radical production elements to tell the stories of their countries. Instead, they let the landscapes and handshakes speak for themselves, and show why travel is such a beautiful and enlightening thing.

8 Questions About Hotel Safety and Security Raised by the Las Vegas Shooting

Short story: Hotels are just as fine as other businesses. It's guns in the U.S. that are the problem.

Google's New Earbuds With Real-Time Translation Have Huge Implications for Travel

The first iteration of this technology could be glitchy, but the ability to translate your speech into 40 languages could turn out to be something of a true killer app for the travel industry.

United Complains Airbus Won't Give It Competitive Prices

We like United President Scott Kirby because he says what's on his mind. But something doesn't add up here. Is this the real reason United hasn't placed a new order for the A320 family of jets?

Airbnb Was Most-Installed Travel App in September

It looks like Airbnb is experiencing a huge upswing in mobile adoption. But traditional search engines and social networks are still driving consumers to travel sites on desktop, too.

Digital

Travel Startup Money Is Flowing But the Road to an Exit Is More Distant

Blockchain and China are both areas that investors find interesting, but blockchain requires a long-term view and China is really tough, especially domestically. Meanwhile, investors are pouring money into artificial intelligence and virtual reality, and are trying to sort out which travel startups working in these fields will make it to the finish line.

Hotelbeds Eyes a Viable Wholesaler Path in the Shadows of Priceline and Expedia

Since 2016, the quiet wholesaler marketplaces for hotel supply have become noisy as private equity firms invested $2.9 billion to make Hotelbeds Group a market leader. Expect more consolidation.

Secret Escapes Raises $111 Million in a Flash Sales Revival

Groupon may have its struggles and many similar sites have gone out of business, but travel flash sales have a stubborn persistence — even if they would probably get additional traction in more perilous economic times.

Beds

Wyndham Rewards Loyalty Program Provides the Most Payback on Guest Spending

While it's fairly straightforward to quantify the value of a loyalty program in terms of "payback," that doesn't account for all the other special perks and experiences that travelers may value.

U.S. Hotel Fees Forecast to Reach $2.7 Billion in 2017

We all understand why hotels are collecting more fees but the types of fees and surcharges they're collecting seem to be changing in interesting ways. More stringent cancellation fees are a trend while totals for Internet-access fees declined.

Airbnb CMO Jonathan Mildenhall to Leave Company

As much of the talk around Airbnb right now relates to a possible IPO, it's odd to see a C-level exec depart at this stage in the company's lifespan.

Tourism

Skift Research Survey Preview: Travelers Value Activities More Than a Luxe Room

The upcoming 2017 Experiential Traveler Report will present a deep dive into the mind of the modern traveler. Here's a sneak peek of our survey results.

Tiny Cruise Lines Azamara and Cunard Are Finally Growing

One new ship for most cruise lines wouldn't make a world of difference, but for these niche brands, the expansion will be significant.

Transportation Spending Grabs Smaller Share of Household Income in Sharing Economy Era

The democratization of travel in the U.S. has led to a smaller share of spending on cars and transportation over the last 30 years. It's disheartening, though, that transportation costs still account for the second largest spending bucket for U.S. residents.

Airlines

JetBlue-Backed Zunum Plans to Produce a Small Hybrid-Electric Plane by 2022

Don't let recent news fool you. This is a promising development, but we're still far from a world in which a substantial number of passengers fly on a hybrid-electric plane.

Amadeus Wins Air Canada Contract as It Digs In Deeper in North America

With this deal, the Madrid-based technology giant has scored another win in North America, after having finished moving Southwest Airlines to Amadeus' reservations platform earlier this year.

What Monarch Air's Bankruptcy Means for European Aviation

While there might be too many European airlines, Monarch's demise shouldn't necessarily be seen as being symptomatic of wider industry problems. Like Alitalia and Air Berlin before it, the UK-based airline and tour operator had plenty of self-inflicted wounds that were exacerbated by external issues.

Business Travel

Meeting Planners Will Face Challenge of Rising Attendance Costs in 2018

When it comes to attending a meeting or event in the year ahead, it really is a seller's market. Meanwhile, travel costs for attendees and planners are on the rise. Buckle up for increased spending.

American Express Centurion Lounges Are a Differentiator in Credit Card Competition

An airport lounge needs a lot of logistical heavy-lifting and finesse to get it right. But Amex has had some success executing on this mission, and is expanding internationally to Hong Kong.

The Unshakeable Value of Live Events — Meetings Innovation Report

The importance of face-to-face meetings and live events is more invaluable than ever.

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.