29 Jan
Travel

‘Wave Season’ 2020 Brings More Questions From Cruisers on Environment

Dietmar Denger / Hurtigruten Cruises

Hurtigruten Cruises’ MS Fram in Cozumel Harbor, Mexico. Cruisers are choosing off-the-beaten-path destinations. Dietmar Denger / Hurtigruten Cruises

Skift Take: This year’s wave season isn’t business as usual for travel advisors. Cruisers are showing a preference for remote destinations, and they are tracking cruise lines’ sustainability records like never before.

— Maria Lenhart

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29 Jan
Travel

Pakistan Gets Serious About Its Tourism Pitch

Alex Reynolds / Lost With Purpose

Pakistan sees tourism as a way for economic growth. Alex Reynolds / Lost With Purpose

Skift Take: Once thought of as one of the world’s most dangerous countries, Pakistan is back in the spotlight, but this time as one of 2020’s hottest travel destinations. The government — led by former cricket star Imran Khan — has an amazing opportunity to leverage this interest into economic development, but in a country prized for its natural beauty, sustainable growth must be a priority.

— Danielle Hyams

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29 Jan
Travel

United Airlines Halts Some U.S.-China Flights as Coronavirus Spreads

United Airlines

United Airlines is temporarily dropping some U.S.-China flights due to a decrease in demand. Pictured is on of the carrier’s Boeing 777-300ERs. United Airlines

Skift Take: Coronavirus is crushing demand to China. But let’s remember the first week in February already stinks for U.S-China flights. The Lunar New Year festivals last until Feb. 8, and during this period, lucrative business traffic dissipates. If this suspension continues past Feb. 8, we’ll how bad the health crisis is hurting business.

— Brian Sumers

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28 Jan
Travel

How the Cloud Is Shaking Up Hotel Property Management Tech: New Skift Research

Antonio Diaz / Adobe

Front desk hotel clerks serve a guest. Antonio Diaz / Adobe

Skift Take: Technological advancements have allowed for new entrants into the property management systems space to offer a viable alternative to incumbent legacy systems. Those systems might be scrambling for now, but they’ll catch up. All this can only be a good thing for the PMS and hotel tech space in the long run.

— Wouter Geerts

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28 Jan
Travel

Travel Advisors See Changing Cruiser Preferences for Peak Booking ‘Wave Season’

David Avila / Hurtigruten Cruises

Expedition cruises such as this one on Hurtigruten Cruises’ MS Road Amundsen in the Antarctic are popular among travelers during this year’s wave season. David Avila / Hurtigruten Cruises

Skift Take: Travel advisors say this year’s “wave season” is showing strong preferences for less-visited ports and immersive land experiences. There are also indicators that passengers are more likely to hold the cruise industry accountable on sustainability.

— Maria Lenhart

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28 Jan
Travel

Hotels Are Confused by Rise of Legal Marijuana: Opportunity or Liability?

luckyguy123 / Adobe

Many hotels in states where marijuana is legal are grappling with how to handle it under confusing laws. luckyguy123 / Adobe

Skift Take: The legalization of marijuana by states is getting murkier in the eyes of the federal government, which has still not legalized pot. Thirty-three states have, meaning that hotels have to deal with it whether they like it or not. Some hotels are embracing certain forms of cannabis. Others don’t want the potential liability. How do they figure out what to do?

— Nancy Trejos

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28 Jan
Travel

Chile’s Latam Airlines Improves Premium Product Ahead of Delta Tie-Up

Latam Airlines

Latam Airlines is installing a new premium economy section on short-haul aircraft. Latam Airlines

Skift Take: After changing its fare structure to compete with low-cost carriers and earmarking $400 million to improve its cabins, Latam’s rollout of premium economy on domestic and regional routes makes sense. It puts the carrier in a position to offer higher-end services without the added complexity of a major business cabin reconfiguration.

— Kristin Majcher

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