Airbnb Valuation Soars + Cultural Appropriation in Travel + Booking’s Travel Pain Remedies

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

July 18, 2018

Editor's Note Everyone from Kim Kardashian West to American Studies scholar George Lipsitz has weighed in on cultural appropriation in recent years. Tapping from a culture that is not yours without proper acknowledgement and respect, whether in music, entertainment or fashion, has always had its profit motives, which has spurred the larger debate. Skift contributor Samantha Shankman's piece below asks the uncomfortable questions about the travel sector, especially as businesses offer more experience-related services. She cites some examples of tour operators that are trying to do it right with the use of local guides. Still, it could be seen as terribly exploitive, or a good first step toward understanding different cultures. It's a messy topic within travel, but one that needs to be confronted head-on no matter how uncomfortable the discussion. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor New Skift Report: The Rise of Design Thinking in Meetings and Events Sponsored by The Venetian When someone says "event design," a lot of meeting planners still think about table centerpieces and drapery. But event design is actually about how we structure events at every step of the creative process to achieve specific objectives. We take a look at how meeting planners can leverage the creative process more effectively in our latest report. Download Now Top Stories Airbnb Could Be Worth More Than Any Hotel Company But Faces IPO Hurdles The battle between Airbnb and Booking (and everyone else in online travel) is just beginning. Is Luxury Hospitality Guilty of Cultural Appropriation? Education delivered directly from local communities, and informed by tradition, is what distinguishes immersion from appropriation. It's the job of luxury professionals to facilitate the experience without adding the influence of their own lens. JetBlue's Founder Confirms He'll Start a U.S. Airline With New Airbus Jets So much can happen between now and 2021. David Neeleman's new airline may never get off the ground. But let's hope for the best. The U.S. airline industry could use its first new entrant since 2007 to stir up competition. How Booking Is Trying to Solve Travel's Pain Points Travel is full of discovery — sometimes not for the better. The CMO of Booking.com explains how the company is trying to ease some of those unhappy surprises. New Cultural and Business Hub Will Reshape Zurich's Tourism Image As we have seen in recent years, new multi-use developments can have transformative effects on under-utilized sections of major cities. Zurich is banking on The Circle to create a new reason for tourists to visit the city. Popular Now Newly Named Air Italy Is Ready to Take On Troubled Alitalia We're not sure Europe needs another airline with global ambitions. But more capacity almost always means cheaper fares, so passengers should enjoy watching these competitive dynamics play out. Perhaps Air Italy will become Italy's national carrier if Alitalia stops flying. Or maybe they'll both go bust. Norwegian Air CEO Is Wait and See on Possible Sale as Competitors Show Interest Norwegian Air reported earnings Thursday, and a lot of analysts expected it to feel like a funeral. But something funny happened. The airline reported a profit. Does this mean it's in good shape? Probably not, but at least it's better than a loss. Meet the Hospitality CEO Who Embraces Airbnb In addition to dreaming up new hotel brands, we're surprised more hotel companies aren't thinking of launching more of their own serviced residence brands — or buying up others. 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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