Skift Daily Travel Briefing Skift Travel News

Presented by Brand USA
Episode Notes
Travelers heading to New York City for the Fourth of July weekend aren’t booking as many short-term rentals as they did last year. Bookings are instead surging at destinations along the Atlantic coast, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. 
AirDNA revealed that New York City is no longer a top 10 market for the holiday and has been replaced by coastal destinations in Delaware and Maryland. Short-term rental bookings at coastal destinations for this Fourth of July weekend are up more than 7% from last year. Bookings for urban destinations saw a 10% drop from last year’s holiday weekend, which AirDNA attributes to a decrease in supply.
Next, Jeff Miller, the longtime CEO and president of Travel Portland, will retire in December, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. 
Miller, who has led the organization for 19 years, has been an outspoken advocate for the city against what he’s seen as negative news coverage of Portland. He said widespread reports about civil unrest in the city has damaged Portland’s reputation among suburban residents. 
Miller added Portland has made progress in rebooking conventions that had pulled out after the unrest, but still has a long way to go. 
Finally, the post-pandemic tourism surge has helped make some services more expensive across the world. Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden turns to Ask Skift, our artificial intelligence chatbot, for more information about the link between the tourism boom and inflation. 
Jordan cites Iceland and Greece as two nations where inflation has been tied to an increase in visitor numbers. A 10% jump in visitors to Greece this year could cause the country’s property prices to increase close to 4%. In addition, inflation has been linked to tourism bumps from recent large concert tours, especially those of Taylor Swift and Beyonce. 
Get more travel news at https://skift.com
Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos

Presented by Brand USA
Episode Notes
Venture capital investment in the travel industry hit its lowest level in a decade in 2023, one finding from a new Skift Research report examining the state of venture capital investment in travel. 
The travel industry had only $2.9 billion of venture capital investment in 2023, compared to nearly $9 billion in 2019. Senior Research Analyst Pravani Agarwal also notes the number of deals last year in the travel industry dropped more than 20% from the previous year. That’s the second steepest since the start of the pandemic.
But while the trend is for fewer deals, they are on pace to be of a larger average size than 2023. This should lead to an overall increase in travel VC funding in 2024, Agarwal writes. The growth areas are in tours and experiences, AI & automation and hospitality employment.
Next, starting July 1, Airbnb will display the total price before taxes of a stay in California to comply with the state’s new law banning junk fees, writes Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. 
Those junk fees would include host cleaning fees and Airbnb’s service fee, for example. Schaal notes that a guest outside of California booking an Airbnb in the state won’t automatically see the total price unless they choose to view it. The short-term rental giant rolled out a total price toggle button across the U.S. in May 2023. 
Finally, a growing number of corporate travel decision-makers are investing in artificial intelligence. Reporter Christina Sciaudone delves into how AI can solve problems in business travel. 
A Mastercard survey found that 90% of travel decision-makers plan to invest in AI and machine learning to improve operations and personalize employee travel. Suzanne Neufang, the CEO of the Global Business Travel Association, said AI can help overcome the complexities of corporate travel. 
FCM Travel, in particular, sees AI reshaping how it operates, including providing the company the opportunity to offer clients more personalized offerings. 
Get more travel news at https://skift.com
Producer/Presenter: Jane Alexander

Presented by Brand USA
Episode Notes
Destinations across Europe are grappling with extreme heat, with soaring temperatures contributing to the deaths of five tourists in Greece. Authorities on the continent are struggling to develop strategies to combat the heat, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz. 
Chase-Lubitz notes policy experts in the European Union believe governments are unprepared for the heat despite having access to information about possible heatwaves. European Climate Pact Ambassador Cinzia de Marzo said countries are responding to emergencies instead of putting plans in place to deal with extreme heat. 
The World Meteorological Organization released data recently showing that five of the most severe heat waves since 1950 took place in just the past three years.
Next, a large number of Asian sports fans have traveled to Europe for the Euro 2024, the continent’s soccer championships, reports Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.
Online travel company Trip.com Group reported a 125% increase in bookings to Germany from Asian tourists. Bookings from Chinese tourists have registered the largest jump — 132%. A Trip.com executive cited a growing Asian middle class with disposable income as one reason Asian fans are interested in traveling to Germany for the tournament. 
In addition, flying to Germany has gotten easier for Chinese travelers, in particular. The number of direct flights from China to Germany has increased by 70% compared to last year. 
Finally, JetBlue is making a big change to its baggage policy. From September, the airline will allow all passengers — even those on its most restrictive ‘Blue Basic’ fare — to bring a carry-on bag for no extra charge. Airlines editor Gordon Smith gets into the impact. 
The policy change brings JetBlue in line with most of its peers. American, Delta, Southwest, and Alaska all allow ‘free’ carry-on bags, plus a smaller underseat personal item, across all fare categories. 
The move leaves United Airlines as the only major U.S. network carrier to charge its Basic Economy passengers for a carry-on.
Come September, United will find itself squeezed on two fronts. Along with all of its more upscale counterparts offering complimentary carry-ons as standard, even ‘ultra-low-cost airlines’ are making big customer service improvements. 
Get more travel news at https://skift.com.
Producer/Presenter: Jane Alexander

Presented by Brand USA
Episode Notes
New York City has cracked down on short-term rentals by requiring hosts to register since last September. Since then, the city has only approved a little less than 2,300 applications, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.
Schaal writes the figure is a sign of the lack of short-term rentals in New York City. Christian Klossner, the Office of Special Enforcement’s executive director, said Local 18, which also requires hosts to be present during the stay, has helped reduce illegal short-term rental listings in the city. The office has only approved roughly 36% of applications submitted since September. 
Next, the Federal Aviation Administration is looking to tighten safety requirements on public charter airlines such as JSX. That could be a blow for companies like JSX, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 
Maharishi notes that if the changes are approved, public charter airlines would fly under the same rules as commercial airlines. The FAA has said some public charter flights operate like commercial airlines. Major carriers such as American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have lobbied the U.S. government to consider more stringent rules on JSX, arguing that JSX was benefitting from a regulatory loophole. 
Maharishi writes that tougher safety rules would be a problem for carriers like JSX since part of their appeal is a private jet-like experience. JSX, for example, operates out of small private terminals, and passengers don’t go through a typical TSA security screening. . 
Finally, China is continuing to expand its visa waiver program, adding Australia and New Zealand to the list recently, reports Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia. 
Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced on Monday that China would include Australia in its visa waiver program. While Beijing hasn’t revealed the details of the new visa arrangement, Bhutia notes Chinese officials announced a similar decision concerning New Zealand passport holders last week. 
China’s moves to provide travelers from more countries visa-free access are part of its strategy to rejuvenate its tourism industry. The country only welcomed about 36% of its 2019 foreign visitor total last year. 
Get more travel news at https://skift.com
Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos

Presented by Brand USA
Episode Notes
The use of artificial intelligence in the travel industry has grown significantly in recent years. However, the industry still has a lot of work to do to get the most out of AI. Vivek Bhogaraju, advisory partner of data and AI at Skift, provides travel companies with ideas on how to develop AI strategies.
Bhogaraju writes that this is just the beginning of the AI era. He urges companies to be flexible when using the technology, noting that new regulations will eventually be introduced. Bhogaraju also emphasized the importance of hiring the right chief data officers, who he said need extensive technical knowledge and a background in the travel industry. 
Although Bhogaraju writes that successful data and AI execution requires urgency and efficiency, he notes that projects that succeed take time and persistence. 
Next, LVMH said on Thursday it reached a deal with Accor to speed up the revival of the hotel company’s Orient Express brand, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  
LVMH said it would make an unspecified strategic investment in the Orient Express brand. O’Neill notes the joint venture will include ships in addition to trains and hotels. Meanwhile, LVMH downplayed rumors it would open a Louis Vuitton-branded hotel in Paris.
Finally, Thailand has decided to scrap a proposed $8 fee on international tourists arriving by plane, writes Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin recently said his administration would abandon the previous government’s plan, which was approved in February 2023. Thai officials intended to use the revenue from the tourism fee to fund the management of insurance for international visitors. 
However, Bhutia notes the tourism fee faced significant opposition from private stakeholders. Plus, Thavisin said eliminating the tourist fee could produce greater economic benefits. 
Get more travel news at https://skift.com
Producer/Presenter: Jane Alexander

Presented by Brand USA
Episode Notes
Activist fund Elliott Investment Management has called for a major shakeup at the top of Southwest Airlines after recently taking a $2 billion stake in the carrier. However, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan has no plans to resign, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  
Jordan said at a Politico event on Wednesday that he would consider Elliott’s feedback, adding that Southwest is ready to adapt its business model. Maharishi reports Elliott has been calling for Jordan and Chairman Gary Kelly to step down due to Southwest’s recent struggles. The carrier has yet to turn a profit this year. 
Next, hotel companies’ investments in wellness have grown enormously in recent years. Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill takes a look at emerging trends in hotel wellness.
A report from consulting firm RLA Global revealed hotels with wellness offerings saw healthy growth in 2023. So-called upper upscale hotels performed best in wellness last year compared to luxury and upscale segments. In addition, a report from investment bank Truist found that spa treatment revenue per occupied room was up at least 30% relative to 2019 levels. 
Finally, cruise lines are expected to disclose all mandatory fees and taxes to U.S. consumers starting July 1 to comply with California’s junk fee law, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill last October banning junk fees. The law applies to all businesses with offices or customers in the Golden State. Consumers can sue companies allegedly breaking the law for at least $1,000 in damages. 
Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line all plan to meet the requirements of the new law. Habtemariam reports total prices won’t change — only the advertised prices shown upfront on cruise company channels will. 
Get more travel news at https://skift.com
Producer/Presenter: Jane Alexander