Skift Daily Travel Briefing Skift Travel News

Episode Notes
Travelers could have easy access to a robotic voice translator thanks to updates to ChatGPT. An OpenAI presentation explained how ChatGPT could serve as a human speech translator, the most significant travel-related feature in several updates unveiled on Monday, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. 
Dawes reports the upgraded translation capabilities are part of the new flagship GPT-4o model for ChatGPT. OpenAI said the new model is better at interacting with voice, photo and video than the previous model. The company said that a user, for example, could take a photo of a menu and ask ChatGPT to translate it. 
Next, several major airlines are suing the Biden administration over its new rule requiring carriers to disclose all fees associated with buying a ticket, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 
Several carriers, including American, Delta, and United joined the suit along with Airlines for America, the trade group representing prominent U.S. airlines. The group said the new rule would create more confusion for consumers. Airlines for America added that it believed carriers already disclosed all fees to customers before ticket purchases. 
The Department of Transportation unveiled a rule in April requiring airlines disclose the prices of checked baggage, carry-ons and changing a reservation. 
Finally, European authorities have designated Booking.com’s parent company, Booking Holdings, as a “gatekeeper.” That means Booking.com will be subject to tighter regulation on the continent, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill 
O’Neill notes the European Commission’s move will impose stricter rules on Booking.com regarding content moderation and make it easier for consumers to switch to other providers. Booking Holdings now has six months to submit a report outlining how it will comply with certain obligations. 
Non-compliance could result in fines of up to 10% of Booking Holdings’ total worldwide revenue.
Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos

Episode Notes
The U.S. government is investigating whether airlines have devalued frequent flyer miles, which would make booking reward tickets more difficult for customers, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Rohit Chopra said at a hearing his agency has found some evidence of airlines and credit card companies devaluing points and miles. Chopra added the bureau found that airlines have sold inflated points to consumers while credit card issuers receive those same points at a lower price. 
The Department of Transportation announced last December it would investigate.  
Another issue is whether loyalty programs of the biggest U.S. airlines have grown so big that smaller carriers can’t compete. Buttigieg acknowledged that would represent a competition concern. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the agency had not reached any conclusions.
Next, Hyatt received a boost from a surge in business travel as well as its loyalty program and all-inclusive resorts, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. 
Hyatt executives said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call that they saw revenue from transient business travelers increase from last year. The company also registered a 22% increase in loyalty program members. In addition, O’Neill notes Hyatt’s 2021 move to buy Apple Leisure Group seems to be paying off as Hyatt saw bookings surge at its all-inclusive resorts. 
Finally, the CEO of vacation rental operator Vacasa has told employees the company would suffer another round of layoffs, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. 
CEO Rob Greyber sent a letter to staff stating Vacasa would experience a “significant restructuring” amid another difficult year for the vacation rental market. The letter didn’t say how many employees would be laid off. Schaal notes this is Vacasa’s fourth round of layoffs since Greyber took over as CEO in September 2022. 

Episode Notes
Airbnb is ramping up its plans for international expansion. The short-term rental giant is looking to grow significantly beyond its five biggest markets, writes Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. 
CEO Brian Chesky said during its first-quarter earnings call that Airbnb is ready to step on the gas regarding international expansion. He cited Mexico, Brazil, China and Japan, among other countries, as markets the company is focusing on. Chesky said Airbnb recently updated its app in China, and the company is making similar improvements in Japan and South Korea.  
Next, Tripadvisor executives said the company doesn’t have any plans for a sale at the moment despite having previously explored the possibility, writes Executive Editor Schaal. 
Tripadvisor made the announcement during its recent first-quarter earnings call. The company had formed a special committee to review potential deals after controlling shareholder Liberty Tripadvisor revealed in February it was exploring a potential sale. Skift reported earlier that private equity firm Apollo Global Management was looking into the deal. 
Meanwhile, the company offered a weaker outlook for its major businesses, which it attributed to changes in Google’s travel search results pages. 
Finally, Saudi Arabia is set to unveil a new cruise brand Aroya this December that aims to serve a domestic market, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder. 
Aroya ships will include cigar lounges, jacuzzis, wellness facilities among other features. However, Corder reports the company has no plans to add features that would appeal to overseas travelers - including alcohol. Aroya spokesperson Turky Kari said the company is targeting Arabian markets, adding wherever its ships travel, Aroya would follow Saudi law. 

Episode Notes
The 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is shaping up to be a very corporate event. Several travel executives believe a lot of visitors for the tournament will be business travelers, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
Lena Ross, chairwoman of the International Inbound Travel Association, said at the IPW travel trade show that big corporations would buy up ticket blocks and give them to clients. In addition, Oswaldo Freitas, CEO of tour operator Easy Time Travel, expressed concern that hospitality packages would be too expensive for fans looking to attend the World Cup. That’s okay for tour operators specialized in serving corporate groups. But some tour operators may experience financial pressure during the World Cup as their costs increase and profits drop for non-sports tours and packages.
Next, Disney executives say they’re seeing strong attendance at the company’s theme parks but visitor numbers are slowing down after recent highs, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz. 
CEO Bob Iger said that theme park attendance is normalizing following records set late last year. He did express optimism that the company would see healthy growth in terms of bookings. Meanwhile, Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston, who also acknowledged a cooling off, said Disney would place greater emphasis on cruises, which he believes could be lucrative for the company. 
Finally, travel authorities in the Middle East are preparing to roll out a unified visa that will enable travelers to visit six Gulf countries. A unified visa could help the region attract big events, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder.
Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin said at the Dubai Travel Market the kingdom could land events like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour if the wider region promotes itself as a unified destination. Other officials at the conference said they would leverage the visa to develop travel packages and extend the length of stays in the region.
Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos

Episode Notes
Skift has unveiled its list of the U.S.’s highest-paid tourism marketing CEOs. Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta took the top spot, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. 
Beteta collected more than $1.5 million in compensation during the 2022 fiscal year. Former San Francisco Travel Association CEO Joseph D’ Alessandro came in second at just under $965,000. Skift used the 2022 fiscal year because it contains the most recent comprehensive up-to-date records.  
Habtemariam notes Skift focused on CEOs from the top 20 cities and major tourism states with large, non-profit destination marketing organizations. Pay packages of CEOs of Brand USA and Destinations International were also included in Skift’s list. 
Next, Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie blasted the current state of the airline industry, describing it as a “rigged game,” writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 
Christie said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call that smaller non-legacy carriers like Spirit are struggling to return to profitability. He added that profits in the airline industry are concentrated around two companies. Maharishi notes the “Big 4” carriers — American, Delta, United and Southwest — have recorded record revenues since the pandemic. 
Spirit reported a $142 million first-quarter loss. 
Finally, Expedia Group has given a more complete explanation of the cause of a tech outage that took down several of its websites on Sunday, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.
Expedia Group had first blamed maintenance issues for the widespread outage. But Schaal writes that Monday Expedia acknowledged it was a “backend software issue.” 
Schaal also confirmed that the affected Expedia sites had a common backend technology stack, and the problem went beyond just the consumer-facing websites and included some internal operations.
Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos

Episode Notes
Expedia Group has trimmed its 2024 outlook for growth due to its vacation rental brand Vrbo’s slower-than-expected recovery, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. 
O’Neill reports Expedia Group’s first-quarter profit margins were mostly in line with last year. But the company acknowledged that the struggles of Vrbo and Hotels.com drove it to lower its full-year guidance. A tech migration that brought together all of Expedia Group’s major brands hasn’t yet paid off. 
In addition, incoming CEO Ariane Gorin said changes to Hotels.com’s loyalty program contributed to the brand’s sluggish performance. 
Next, one of Booking Holdings’ big goals is selling “connected trips,” where travelers book, for example, a flight, accommodation and attraction. Booking Holdings executives say they’ve seen modest growth in these “connected transactions,” reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. 
CEO Glenn Fogel said during its first-quarter earnings call that those connected transactions rose over 50% from last year, albeit off a low base Fogel added that the company has seen strong growth in the sales of attractions and rental cars as part of connected transactions. 
However, Schaal writes Booking Holdings’ goal of a connected trip won’t become reality in the next few years — if it ever does. More than 90% of travelers use Booking Holdings platforms solely to book a flight, car rental, attraction or accommodation. 
Finally, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is calling for the restriction of facial recognition at U.S. airports, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. 
A letter to the Senate leadership said that the biometric technology commonly used at airports poses a significant threat to civil liberties. More than 80 U.S. airports use the technology with plans to expand to more than 400. The senators want to add restrictions on biometric technology to the bill that would authorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. 
However, the U.S. Travel Association has come out in favor of expanded facial recognition.