CEOs Get Trump Time + HotelTonight Adds Desktop + Indian Tourists Spend Big

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

September 5, 2018

Editor's Note It took awhile, but travel CEOs on Tuesday finally got some face time with the president. Thankfully, nobody took the 20-month delay personally by Donald Trump, who built his brand in hospitality and gaming. Despite yet another insane day in the White House, Trump gave the executives a solid half hour of his time and by all accounts listened to their concerns, particularly on the U.S.'s shrinking share of international visitors. The volatile issue of Trump's travel ban was talked about, too, but no specific details on that conversation were disclosed. It's hard to argue the meeting won't be useful for the industry, but now it's incumbent on travel leaders to make sure the next meeting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue doesn't take another 20 months. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor Windstar Cruises Makes Experiential Luxury Travel a Core Focus Sponsored by Windstar Cruises Luxury travelers today want experiences that are high-touch, authentic, and meaningful. Windstar Cruises, which offers guests the chance to immerse themselves in the Alaskan wilderness, is making experiences such as these a priority. Read More Top Stories Travel CEOs Lay Out Concerns to Trump During First White House Meeting The White House's Roosevelt Room was filled with some of the U.S. travel industry's most powerful leaders on Tuesday. We'll be watching to see if that meeting actually produces any powerful results, and whether it helps get President Trump on the travel industry's side. India's Outbound Tourism Spending Is Expected to Grow Rapidly The India outbound market is already huge and doesn't show any signs of slowing its growth. It's about time the global travel industry started paying attention if companies hope to capture a share of the market. Mobile-First Booking Startup HotelTonight Expands to Desktop HotelTonight is no longer a mobile-only company. It's no longer just for same-day stays, as its name once implied. Investors seem to want no potential income left on the table, even if the brand must lose some of its original distinctiveness. Getaroom Sold to Private Equity Firm Court Square Capital Partners Did Hotels.com co-founders Bob Diener and Dave Litman do it again with Getaroom? Certainly not on the same scale, but Court Square's acquisition of Getaroom looks like a winner for the duo, who self-funded their latest venture in travel. A Rise in Peak Occupancy Nights This Year Is Helping Hotels More high-demand nights mean more business, but can the trend continue? Original Disruptor Southwest Airlines Survives on Ruthless Business Savvy Southwest has survived by being different. That gets harder, but the lessons of its past success may help define its legacy. The Texas-based airline 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. Decades-Old Travel Media Company Andrew Harper Goes Back to Basics Truth in consumer travel coverage is a rare commodity in this day and age of influencers, paid content, and the pursuit of profit. But one bespoke media company thinks it can succeed solely by sending writers around the world, paying the travel bills along the way. Popular Now Why Do National Airlines Still Exist? Many politicians fear their nations will be irrelevant if they abandon their money-losing flag airlines. That's probably a stretch. In most places, the market likely would fill the gap — provided the government got out of the way. But national pride is powerful, and few people want to see storied brands disappear. Google Is Rigged. Just Not the Way Trump Thinks It Is. Google clearly places its own travel businesses front and center in its search results to the detriment of competitors. Google argues that this benefits consumers. If you buy that argument, then you also probably believe that Google always knows best. Why Airlines Should Be More Creative as They Weigh Fee Increases Airlines need to increase revenue. We get that. But can't they be smarter about how they assess fees? 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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