Latest news with #Skift
Skift
3 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Submit Now: Win Big at Skift Global Forum with the IDEA Awards
Enter the 2025 Skift IDEA Awards for your chance to win a physical trophy, complimentary ticket, on-stage photo with Skift's founder, plus recognition on Travel's biggest stage at Skift Global Forum in New York City. If you've launched a standout campaign, product, experience, or platform in the travel industry, now is your chance to be recognized where it counts. The Skift IDEA Awards celebrate the most forward-thinking work in travel, and winners will be honored live at Skift Global Forum, held this September in New York City. This is more than an award. It's a platform for visibility, credibility, and connection at the industry's most influential gathering. Why the Skift IDEA Awards Matter The Skift IDEA Awards recognize projects that push boundaries and move the travel industry forward. And for winners, the recognition is anything but symbolic. Each award winner receives: ✅ Complimentary tickets to Skift Global Forum in NYC ✅ Recognition live on stage, including an on-stage photo with Skift founder Rafat Ali ✅ Inclusion in experiential showcases and editorial coverage ✅ Visibility in front of 1,000+ industry leaders, including executives from travel, hospitality, tech, and investment ✅ Industry validation from an expert judging panel, comprised of global travel leaders and innovators ✅ A moment to celebrate your team's hard work, creativity, and collective achievement on travel's biggest stage "Skift IDEA Awards accelerate innovation by recognizing ideas that move the industry forward... These awards encourage faster adoption of new ideas, spark collaboration, and help scale innovations that might otherwise go unnoticed." - Peter Durama, Senior Executive Director of Technology and Digital Transformation, Destination Canada 'Skift IDEA Awards are key to showcasing the best of the industry's innovations. During unprecedented challenges, it's crucial we continue to learn from each other and innovate together.' - Stuart Blake, VP of North America, TravelPerk Past winners have landed media coverage, new partnerships, and global exposure directly tied to their IDEA Award win and Forum presence. What Kind of Work Are We Looking For? The IDEA Awards span 31 categories, designed to capture the full spectrum of creativity and progress in travel. Not sure where your project fits? Take our Find Your Category Quiz — it's quick, simple, and helps guide your submission. How to Submit Your Entry It's easy to enter. All you need is: A short written summary of your work and its impact Supporting materials: images, videos, data, or case studies A few minutes to complete the entry form Here's our complete guide - How to enter the Skift IDEA Awards. Deadline: Two weeks remaining. Be Part of the Industry's Defining Moment Skift Global Forum is where leaders come to see what's next. It's where the biggest ideas in travel are unveiled, debated, and celebrated. Winning an IDEA Award means more than being listed in a press release. It means being part of the story and celebrating with your team, your peers, and the global travel community in one of the industry's most prestigious moments. It means standing on stage in New York City, alongside the brightest minds in the industry, and getting the recognition your work deserves. 'For those of you who are considering entering the 2025 Skift IDEA Awards, we highly encourage you to share your work with the world... Take the leap, showcase your achievements and contribute to shaping the future of hospitality.' - Mandy Stum, Senior Director of Business Solutions, Radisson Hotel Group 'I want to learn from the many different solutions that are out there. And I think that's absolutely the role that the Skift IDEA Awards play—shining a light on the projects that are new, unique, and deeply relevant.' - Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Travel Corporation Don't want to miss out on the industry's premier thought leadership conference? Buy your ticket to Skift Global Forum now and join travel and hospitality leaders shaping the future of the industry this September in NYC. Get Your Tickets Early Bird price of $2,695 (Solo) and $2,495 (Group) for a limited time only. Full-price tickets are $3,695 (Solo) and $3,245 (Group). 1 Person Solo Ticket $2,695 Buy Now 2-6 People Group Ticket From $2,495 Buy Now
Skift
4 days ago
- Business
- Skift
AI That Plans, Not Just Chats: What to Expect from KAYAK at the Skift Data + AI Summit
KAYAK's Matthias Keller explores how AI is transforming travel from search-driven clicks to intuitive, intelligent journeys, and what's next in truly personalized, agentic travel planning. As Chief Product Officer at KAYAK, Matthias Keller is at the forefront of reshaping how millions of travelers plan their trips. With over a decade of leadership at one of the world's most innovative travel search engines, Keller has helped pioneer the integration of artificial intelligence into travel. His work on is leading the shift from reactive, form-based search to proactive, personalized travel experiences. At the Skift Data + AI Summit, Matthias Keller will unpack the emerging technologies and real-world strategies that are turning AI into a true co-pilot for travelers, not just another interface. Ahead of his session, Keller offers a glimpse into how smarter AI is reshaping travel and what lies ahead for the industry. How is your company thinking about AI as a tool to drive smarter, more personalized travel experiences? 'At KAYAK, we see AI as a way to move beyond the traditional constraints of predefined search forms and toward truly intelligent, personalized travel planning.' 'With prompts help us better understand what a traveler wants — not just what they click — enabling more relevant responses. As agent capabilities evolve, reasoning and planning open the door to smarter, more contextual recommendations that make trip planning faster, easier, and more tailored to the individual.' What do you think the travel industry still gets wrong when it comes to applying AI? 'It's still early days, and everyone is experimenting — but one thing is becoming clear: simply adding AI for the sake of it doesn't create real value.' 'Too often, the industry treats AI as a surface feature, like adding a chatbot. But meaningful impact comes when AI powers useful capabilities across the full journey. At KAYAK, we believe AI should do more than respond — it should reason, plan, and simplify complexity. That's where it becomes truly valuable to users.' What emerging trends in AI or data are you watching most closely right now? 'We're closely watching the evolution of Agentic AI — systems that don't just provide information, but take action on a traveler's behalf. The ability to delegate planning, booking, and even post-booking management to a trusted AI agent has the potential to transform the travel experience.' 'There's also an interesting space emerging around 'computer-use' agents, like OpenAI's Operator, which can interact with third-party tools or websites on a user's behalf. While still early and relatively slow, this technology could become a powerful way to gather information and complete transactions in real time.' If you had to place a big bet on one AI breakthrough that could reshape travel, what would it be? 'If we had to place a big bet, it would be on AI's evolving ability to perform complex reasoning — moving beyond recommendations to taking action on behalf of the user. The potential to plan and book multi-destination trips through a single intelligent interface has huge potential.' 'One area we're also excited about is how improved reasoning capabilities are being applied to geospatial challenges. For example, we've already seen promising progress in reverse-geocoding from images. Applying that capability to travel — such as identifying optimally located hotels based on user preferences or dynamically mapping multi-stop itineraries — could significantly enhance how people plan their trips.' Unlock Smarter Travel at Skift Data + AI Summit Don't miss Matthias Keller's session, where he'll reveal how AI-powered smarter search and agentic travel planning are redefining the future of travel journeys. This is your chance to hear firsthand from the industry's leading innovators about the technologies shaping tomorrow's travel experiences. Secure your spot now and be part of the pivotal conversation transforming the travel industry. Get Your Tickets 1 Person Solo Ticket $895 Buy Now 2-6 PeOPLE Group Tickets From $815 each Buy Now Who Is Already Joining The Skift Data + AI Summit This June Skift Data + AI Summit in New York City is fast approaching - take a look at who is planning to attend and add your company's name to the list. You won't want to miss this exciting global travel industry event. Read More
Skift
5 days ago
- Business
- Skift
'Put Away Your iPhone' and Other Travel Lessons From a Leading Hotel Designer
Bill Bensley isn't your typical hotel designer: "Everything I do has one purpose: to learn something new," he told us. Designer Bill Bensley took the stage at the Skift Asia Forum in Bangkok, a city he's lived in since 1984. He discussed his career in hotel design, his creative philosophy, and inspirations, among other topics, with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali. Bensley, who has been described as the 'Willy Wonka of Design,' founded his studio in 1990 and has designed more than 200 properties worldwide, including Shinta Mani Wild – an award-winning jungle camp in Cambodia. "Respect Mother Nature has always been a guiding principle," Bensley told Skift prior to the Forum. "(Shinta Mani Wild) has set the Asian standard for conservation and hospitality working hand in hand successfully." Watch a full video of the discussion below: Highlights From Our Conversation with Designer Bill Bensley Why Working in Southeast Asia Is Attractive to Him: "My few experiences in the States ... have been there's are too many cooks in the kitchen ... In this part of the world and certainly Africa, when you draw something, that's the way it is. And you can build it." India's Advantages: "I love India because it's still a place where everybody can use their hands ... There's so many people in India that can sew, that can lay stones, that can carve craftsmanship ... and that's very important for my work." Travel Advice: "I teach a lot in the universities around here. And one of the main things that I do is that I ask them to travel. But most importantly, to travel and put away their iPhones ... and do what I do. No matter where I go, I always have a portfolio with me and I'm always sketching ... If I'm sketching something, that enters my head. If I take my 3,000th photo of the day, I'll probably never look at it again." About Innovation: "Even in my paintings ... I try many styles as opposed to doing the traditional artist way of sticking to one. Everything I do has one purpose: to learn something new." On Dealing With Budget Constraints: "One of our best hotels ever was a Novotel… and it was the only Novotel which ever made the cover of Architectural Digest. You know what my budget for landscape was? $50,000. The entire thing." When Asked About the Desert and Greenery in Asia: "Conservation doesn't only have to happen in the greenest parts of the world ... The desert is just as fragile as everywhere else. There's some really good conservation projects happening in Saudi ... So it would be wonderful to be part of that."
Skift
5 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Hawaii Adds 'Green Fee' to Hotel Stays to Combat Climate Change
The new climate tax model shifts part of the climate change burden onto the travel sector, particularly hotels, vacation rentals, and cruise operators. Hawaii has enacted a new 'green fee' aimed at addressing the growing impacts of climate change. Signed into law on Tuesday, the measure adds a 0.75% surcharge to the state's existing accommodations tax, raising it from 10.25% to 11% on hotel room rates. Starting in January, the fee will also apply to cruise ship cabins when vessels dock in Hawaii for the first time. State officials say the added revenue will support disaster preparedness and environmental protection efforts across the islands. The state estimates it could raise around $100 million annually. The funds will go toward projects such as shoreline protection, wildfire prevention, and maintaining the natural ecosystems that draw millions of tourists each year. 'Once again, Hawaii is at the forefront of protecting our natural resources,' said Governor Josh Green at the signing ceremony. 'As an island chain, we cannot wait for the next disaster to hit. We must build resiliency now.' Lawmakers from both tourism-heavy and climate-vulnerable areas backed the bill. Senator Lynn DeCoite called it a matter of 'kuleana,' a Hawaiian concept referring to responsibility. 'Climate change is here,' she said. 'The bill shares the responsibility of caring for our home with those who come to visit.' Representative Adrian Tam, whose district includes Waikīkī, said the fee is a 'win-win' that balances tourism and environmental protection. Skift's in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift's editorial team.
Skift
6 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Inside Booking.com: The Story of Ousted CEOs, Internal Tensions
These journalists pierced the prevailing narratives about what was actually going on behind the scenes at Beyond the press releases and public appearances by Booking Holdings executives, what was really going on at Amsterdam headquarters behind closed doors – including during monthly Freaky Fridays booze-fests? Three Dutch investigative journalists with the newspaper NRC tell the story in the 2021 book, "The Machine." Originally published in Dutch, it has received little mention in English-language press and the authors say it is set to be adapted into a fictional TV show on a Dutch public broadcasting channel. 'Booking is one of the few European tech companies that turned into a global success," one of the journalists, Stijn Bronzwaer, told Skift recently. "Everyone is familiar with the website, but no one knows the people and the stories behind this company. We felt it was time to reconstruct this piece of internet history.' The other authors were Merijn Rengers and Joris Kooiman. The book makes several references to Skift's oral history of published in 2016, but goes much deeper in its reporting. It details history from its founding in the Amsterdam in 1996; the tensions between the American and Dutch employees, and then between the Dutch and the Brits; takes you behind closed doors where one CEO gets fired and another is forced to resign; documents local backlash and strategic decisions. Booking Holdings, which learned that the book was being written before publication, fact-checked it, Bronzwaer said. Booking Holdings did not comment on the book as a whole, but has not disputed key findings. Following are highlights from "The Machine:" Gillian Tans Got Fired as CEO of on June 20, 2019 Gillian Tans, who was CEO of and among the highest-profile female executives in online travel, was a member of what the book calls the "Dutch Mafia," an informal name for the group o
