Origin of Overtourism + Booking's $140 Million Deal + Overstuffed Carry-Ons

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

August 14, 2018

Editor's Note As I was putting together today's newsletter and contemplating the editor's note about our founder's missive on overtourism, I received a public relations email from a company in Chicago aiming to stop overtourism. An agency called Divertomento promises to book travelers in less crowded destinations in Italy as a way to promote a "stop overtourism movement." The email was a coincidence, but it was also a real-time affirmation as to the importance of the overcrowding issues, and why the coining of the phrase overtourism two years ago by our founder and CEO Rafat Ali helped shine a crucial light on this growing problem. Reading his piece and understanding how overtourism came together at Skift will give you a much clearer grasp of the global problem while cutting through the myths. And you will know where the overtourism story is heading, and how we plan to cover it to stay far out in front on these issues. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor Speaker Interviews From Backstage at Skift Tech Forum 2018 Sponsored by Amadeus Backstage at Skift Tech Forum 2018, Skift interviewed the travel industry's top leaders about challenges and trends in personalization, distribution, and innovation. Watch Videos Top Stories The Genesis of Overtourism: Why We Came Up With the Term and What's Happened Since We came up with "Overtourism," a simple portmanteau to appeal to people's baser instincts with an element of alarm and fear in it. That is the biggest reason why the term and its exploration by everyone has caught on. Booking Holdings Bought HotelsCombined for Only $140 Million Don't you just love those proverbial tuck-in acquisitions? Booking Holdings didn't break the bank for either HotelsCombined ($140 million) or FareHarbor ($250 million). Sometimes making smaller bets is a much smarter strategy than gargantuan deals, but only time will tell. Customers Cram Carry-Ons as U.S. Airlines Look the Other Way Don't look for airlines to impose weight limits on carry-on bags anytime soon, even though jet fuel prices are climbing and heavier loads eat up fuel. Skift Table: London's Top Vegetarian Restaurant Is Spreading Its Plant-Based Hype Abroad In a market not exactly known for its vegan fare, Camilla Fayed's Farmacy works to create pleasing dishes with only plant-based ingredients, hopefully inspiring other businesses to make small but meaningful changes, too. Megatrends Video: The Hotel of the Future Is Here Today This doesn't mean every hotel has to be the same, or attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It's about individual hotels taking control of their unique identities but reconfiguring them so they appeal to the many needs all guests have today. Marriott and Starwood Clean House Ahead of Combining Loyalty Programs Marriott and Starwood are ready to pull the trigger on integrating their loyalty programs — but will their hotel and loyalty members ever be ready for the change? 5 Reasons You Should Join Skift Council Today When you join Skift Council, you'll keep a finger on the pulse of what's happening in travel, connect with those who share your interests and expertise, and enjoy many more perks! Membership in Skift Council is open to all, so sign up today. Popular Now The 21 Uncomfortable Truths That I Have Learned About the Travel Industry Never accused of holding back on what we think, what we have learned and unlearned. My lessons from six years of Skift and eight years exploring the travel industry. Amadeus Buys Hotel Tech Firm TravelClick for $1.5 Billion With this deal, Amadeus Hospitality finally has a chance to start selling its enterprise software after years of perfecting its platform-based offering. Japan's Gleaming Rail Giant JR East Endures on White-Glove Service Average train delays of 36 seconds every year? Who could complain about that kind of service? The Japanese icon JR East is one of the subjects in Skift's recent sixth anniversary book, For the Long Haul, Lessons on Business Longevity, whose chapters we are excerpting for you here in the coming weeks. 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.

Follow us Our address: 145 W 30th Street 5th Floor New York,  NY  10001  USA  Copyright © 2018 Skift, All rights reserved.

If you'd like to unsubscribe from this email, click here If you'd like to receive fewer emails, click here If someone shared this email with you and you would like to subscribe, visit our newsletters page on Skift