Latest news with #travelindustry
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Travel disruptions fueled by Trump policies may culminate at peak summer season
The Trump administration invited travel industry executives to the White House in May for a meeting on federal plans for the 2026 World Cup, a landmark event that under normal circumstances would draw massive international tourism to the United States. It was a welcome gathering by President Trump and his team for an industry eager to capitalize on a rare opportunity and capture tourism dollars. Welcome, at least, until Vice President JD Vance cracked a joke. 'We'll have visitors from close to 100 countries — we want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the games. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem,' Vance said, referring to the Homeland Security secretary and head of border enforcement. Vance's remarks, while taken in jest, fell flat in a room filled with experts more keenly aware than most of the challenges facing travel in the Trump era. "It's one of those moments where you're almost, like, stop helping us," one participant in the meeting told The Times, granted anonymity to speak candidly. Stories are flooding media overseas of capricious denials and detentions at U.S. border crossings, raising concern among international tourists over spending top dollar on vacations to America that may end up disrupted, or never materialize. Erratic tariff policies out of the White House have shaken consumer confidence that experts say reliably tracks with discretionary spending on travel. And a series of scares in U.S. aviation, coupled with cuts to the National Park Service and the National Weather Service, have made planning trips to some of the country's top destinations less reliable. In California, the nation's No. 1 tourist destination, international visits are expected to drop by 9.2% through the year, with international spending anticipated to drop 4.2%, according to a forecast published last month by Visit California and Tourism Economics. Read more: Yosemite National Park won't be opening its coveted High Sierra Camps this year. Here's why Around Yosemite National Park, one of the nation's most popular attractions, reported bookings were down 'as much as 50% going into Memorial Day weekend,' Caroline Beteta, president and chief executive of Visit California, told The Times. Narratives of travel disruptions under the Trump administration have given pause to U.S. officials and industry experts concerned not only with the immediate economic consequences of a slower summer season, but with the prospects of anemic attendance at World Cup games next year and, beyond, for the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. 'Consumer confidence certainly matters,' said Geoff Freeman, president and chief executive of the U.S. Travel Assn. 'It creates a degree of uncertainty.' Unlike much of the rest of the country, California is particularly susceptible to shifting trends among tourists from Asia, where tourism has yet to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic as robustly as it has in the Americas and Europe. Commercial flight restrictions over Russian airspace and the strength of the U.S. dollar haven't helped, Freeman said. On the other hand, California benefits from a tourism industry that relies more heavily on domestic travelers, the source of 80% of tourism dollars spent in the state, Beteta noted. 'There's no question that there are widespread misperceptions about impacts to the travel experience, from reports about staff cuts to detentions at the border,' Beteta said. 'Cuts at the National Park Service, for example, don't affect the park concessionaires — and those companies run most of the visitor-facing services, such as lodging, dining, shuttle services and much more. The misperception of chaos at the parks is a PR issue that can have real consequences.' But Cassidy Jones, senior visitation program manager at the National Parks Conservation Assn., said that cuts to the parks are tangible and will directly affect visitors' experience over the coming months, despite efforts by leadership at the Department of the Interior to paper over the cracks. 'There may be fewer entrance gates open,' Jones said. 'People should plan ahead and remember to be helpful park visitors. Take the optional shuttle. Come with supplies with you, as some facilities may be closed at hours you're not expecting, because they don't have the staff to keep them open. Toilets may not be unwinterized yet if they're in cold places.' In April, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued an order directing that national parks be "open and accessible" through the summer season, as fears grew that staffing cuts implemented by the administration could become apparent. Still, the White House cuts and hiring freezes severely disrupted a seasonal hiring and training cadence for park rangers that usually begins around Christmas, Jones said. "Some parks may not feel like a lot of changes are evident, but there's a lot of work that is not being done in the background," Jones added. "The order basically demanded that even though parks have experienced devastating staffing cuts, they are to put on a sort of public appearance that everything is business as usual. That means pulling superintendents to work in visitor centers, science and research management staff to make sure facilities are clean — biologists cleaning toilets, that sort of thing." Twenty years ago, roughly half of flight delays were caused by uncertainty over the weather — a number that has dropped to 33% in recent years thanks to improved forecast quality. That progress is starting to reverse due to widespread cuts in talent, and will be felt by travelers sooner rather than later, said Rick Spinrad, who served as administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under President Biden. Trump's government efficiency program, known as DOGE, has eliminated hundreds of positions at NOAA, including at the National Weather Service, and is proposing a 25% cut in the agency's budget. "In the short term, this summer, when people are doing longer traveling, we may see a degradation of services. You may see more delayed flights, more weather-impacted flights," Spinrad said. Read more: Massive cuts at National Weather Service spark fears about forecast quality, public safety But Spinrad's concern is that the cuts to NOAA will soon be felt much more deeply, at the local level, among the emergency managers, local transportation departments and public health centers that count on reliable forecasts to map out their work. "What we're going to start to see, I think, is the erosion of the capability of NOAA to provide services to the degree that people had become accustomed to," he said. Spinrad visited Southern California in late May and was taken aback by the number of people raising concern over the agency's ability to continue predicting atmospheric river events, with all of their implications on public safety, reservoir operations and hydro power. Those forecasts rely heavily on the work of a satellite operations facility that was gutted by the Trump administration. And the capabilities of the National Weather Service to predict phenomena like Santa Ana winds, which fueled devastating fires in Los Angeles in January, are at risk, with 30 of the agency's 122 weather forecast offices operating without meteorologists and with technicians cut throughout, he said. "I know it will degrade, just by definition. Everything's going to degrade," Spinrad added. "All of NOAA's predictive capabilities will degrade as a result of these cuts." Mark Spalding, president of the Ocean Foundation, warned the aviation industry would soon face disruptions as NOAA's capabilities continue to diminish. "We will see effects this summer, because they've fired so many people and shut down so much activity," Spalding said. "There are a lot of services that a lot of people rely on that NOAA provides — weather prediction, ocean observing, tsunami early warning, hurricane center monitoring," he added. "There's a lot this summer that could be affected in ways that are akin to what we're seeing in air traffic control due to the sudden loss of personnel there." Still, Freeman, of the U.S. Travel Assn., expressed optimism for the U.S. tourism sector going forward, noting he and his counterparts are in "regular communication" with the Trump administration over headwinds facing the multitrillion-dollar industry. "We have no shortage of challenges in the travel industry," he said. "I think the picture right now for travel is uncertain, at worst." "For every challenge you see, there is an opportunity on the other side," he added. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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
TTG
3 days ago
- Business
- TTG
The Travel Network Group's rebrand and new chapter In The Spotlight
Video transcript With Gary Lewis, chief executive at The Travel Network Group and TTG Media's Charlotte Cullinan. Charlotte: Welcome to our In The Spotlight video with The Travel Network Group. Gary, you are making an announcement about your managed services proposition. Talk us through that and what you offer members. Gary: Hi, Charlotte. Yeah, very simply, we have two managed service propositions, the Global Travel Group and Worldchoice+. And what we find is we need simplicity and clarity when people are looking to join The Travel Network Group organisation, and by calling it The Travel Network Group Managed Services, allows us to say, this is enabling you as a business to have the benefits of a managed service – which is the finance function – all controlled, ran by us, to allow you to focus on sales and marketing. And we just happen to have two options. And there's some subtleties why you would choose one or the other, but we don't want to get into that at the first part. So clarity and simplification is why we're doing the rebrand. Charlotte: Perfect, thank you. And what do you think sets your managed services apart from other options in the market? And tell us how you're fostering a sense of community among your members as well. Gary: It's the largest – Global and Worldchoice+ put together – making the largest managed service, so therefore we've got the best back office technology to enable us to do that. But the key that sets us apart, is by being a member of our managed service proposition, means that you're a member automatically of The Travel Network Group, and by being a member of The Travel Network group, you get access to everything. That's the commercials, that's all the free marketing that goes on with that. That's the technology, that's the support. And specifically, it's the people. Access to the people focusing on your needs as an individual member. Regarding community, we have a vision. And that vision simply states it. Our vision is to create a community of inspirational leaders that open the world up to life changing experiences, and to create a community and understanding. It comes into our vision of customer service. It is about building emotional relationships and being there and being able to support them on every step of that journey that our individual members are on. So the behaviours required across our organisation to support that community, build that emotional intelligence and emotional relationship, is the focus we have completely as our number one objective. Charlotte: Thank you. And I know customer service is very important to The Travel Network Group. Could you explain your approach there? Gary: It is the number one focus we have as an organisation. We recruit, we train every single person in our business to understand what customer service actually is, and customer service is actually building an emotional relationship in those moments of truth. Whether you're talking to them through email, how you are meeting, greeting is obvious, but speed of response, professionalisation, easy to do business with – the key measures that we train, recruit, and, of course measure our people against. Charlotte: Brilliant. Thank you. And how are you helping your members stay competitive in an ever-growing market? Gary: Understanding that members grow one customer at a time and decline one customer at a time, and getting that message across to our membership is the priority. But obviously being able to give them stuff to enable that growth, whether that's a business development action plan, whether that's a focus on a strategy, whether that's a decision on a part of the market, whether it is training or developing an individual around sales, around custom service or around product. It is really understanding what that member needs for their specific next step of their growth journey. Charlotte: Wonderful. Thank you. And finally, what kind of support do agents receive? Gary: I think I've listed some already, commercials, marketing, training academy – all the plumbing of your business whether that's your merchant inquiry, your banking, your insurance products, your disruption covers. But the key is the expertise and support from us as people and individuals. It's the people that make a difference. It's saying and doing what we say we're going to do, to deliver against that for that individual member.
Travel Weekly
3 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
ASTA launches branded Swag Shop
Travel advisors who want to represent the industry wherever they go need look no further than the ASTA Swag Shop, a newly launched shop featuring apparel and other items. The online shop features a variety of apparel, like shirts and pullovers, as well as hats, bags and water bottles. Many items feature ASTA's logo as well as the message "Travel you can trust." Those words echo the message on the Society's consumer-facing website linking travelers with advisors, VeriVacation: "Travel advisors you can trust." "You don't need a cape to be a hero in the travel industry -- your ASTA swag is all you need to amplify your message and showcase your travel advisor superpowers," ASTA said in its Travel Advisor Daily newsletter. "Whether you're meeting clients, attending events or just repping your ASTA pride day to day, the ASTA Swag Shop has the perfect gear to help you stand out with confidence and professionalism."
Hospitality Net
4 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Why is Airbnb losing the war of STR dominance to Booking..com?
Last year, delivered 400.4 million nights booked at short-term rentals (STRs), which was 80% of Airbnb's total nights. At the same time, generates almost twice as many nights per listing on its platform as Airbnb. Growth rates for a number of STR listings on the platform were 17% vs only 4% for Airbnb. Is overtaking the leadership of Airbnb in the STR sector? As the short-term rental (STR) market is maturing, Airbnb's first-mover advantage is disappearing fast. Airbnb, with all of its pretenses for innovation, uniqueness and market leadership, is falling behind and the the OTAs as a whole in adopting proven best practices in online travel and in its core business - the STRs. One of these best practices in online travel is having a loyalty program. What do all major OTAs, local activities OTAs like Viator and GetYourGuide, all airlines, car rental companies, cruise lines, hotel chains, etc. have in common? All of them have loyalty programs. A loyalty program reaffirms the perceived value proposition of your brand and nourishes the travel consumer's emotional attachment to your brand. Loyalty program means repeat business. Repeat business means cheap direct business. The loyalty programs have become the main assets of all major travel and retail players. They provide not only huge benefits like repeat business and invaluable first-party data insights to these companies. In return their shower loyalty members with perks, benefits and discounts thus bringing them back again and again. I think it's pure arrogance on behalf of Airbnb not to have a loyalty program. Airbnb has to extract more revenue from its existing customer base, has to deliver more roomnights to its existing hosts, and can no longer rely on new inventory, post-pandemic revenge travel and established name in the marketplace. We have all heard the company's talking points: Airbnb is so mainstream that it's 'a noun and a verb.' Well, so were the claims of another company called Xerox. I believe the lack of a loyalty program is Airbnb's Achilles heel. Instead of failed initiatives and meandering corporate strategies, like poorly-executed experiences, 'back to the basics' shared rooms, etc. Airbnb needs a Loyalty Program similar to Expedia One Key and Booking's Genius to have a fighting chance against these OTAs. Both Expedia's Vrbo and programs now boast 220 million members each and offer rewards, discounts, and perks for booking many of the same STR properties you can find on Airbnb or other STR platforms. Just imagine if you are an Airbnb customer: You are rewarded with points, discounts or perks when booking the same STR property on or vrbo, but get nothing on Airbnb. In the same time, travelers who stay at short-term rentals do not come from Mars. PhocusWright reported that 45% of STR users compare rentals with hotels. These same travelers would stay at a hotel for business travel or shorter leisure stays, and would rent an Airbnb for a family reunion or extended stay. There is a real 'booking war' going on between hotels and Airbnb. So, Airbnb's main competitors are not only and Expedia's vrbo but also all major hotel chains, boutiques, and luxury hotel brands, all of which have loyalty or reward programs. For example, Marriott's loyalty program Bonvoy grew 16% in 2024, reaching 228 million, generating 73% of US room nights booked and 66% of roomnights globally. Marriott's Homes & Villas program offers over 140,000 curated homes and villas globally and is direct competitors to Airbnb's core business. Hilton also reported that their guest loyalty program Hilton Honors has reached 211 million members in 2024, a 17% increase from the previous year. Here is another example of another one of Airbnb's strategic misses: Sponsored Listings: Currently Airbnb does not offer sponsored listings where hosts can pay to have their properties appear higher in search results. Instead, Airbnb's ranking system relies on factors like guest reviews, host history, and perceived value of the listing. With hundreds of listings in the main STR markets, how can your STR property differentiate itself from the rest? Sponsored listings, of course! The Yellow Pages invented sponsored listings nearly 150 years ago. Yahoo introduced sponsored listings in the online world 30 years ago. Google did it 24 years ago. Expedia's Travel Ads were established 17 years ago. did this more recently. It's a no-brainer! Why doesn't Airbnb offer sponsored listings? The answer is, once again, pure arrogance and lack of recognition of online travel's best practices. Unlike Airbnb, has a robust loyalty program and flourishing Sponsored Listings product. No wonder is catching up fast with Airbnb in the STR sector. See related LinkedIn post by Miroslav Gospodinov
