
Skift Daily Travel Briefing
Everything you need to know about the business of travel today. Each episode covers new travel stories from Skift's editorial team. Listen to the latest developments at hotels, airlines, destinations, online booking sites, and more.Published Tuesday through Friday by 5am ET.For ongoing coverage, please visit Skift.com/news.
Latest episodes

Apr 25, 2025 • 4min
Online Travel CEO Pay, Trump Tourism Decline and Accor's Solid Quarter
Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel topped online travel executive compensation in 2024 with a $126.4 million pay package, while Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin received $37.3 million, boosted by Expedia’s stock surge. Former President Donald Trump addressed the U.S. tourism decline, attributing it partly to nationalism abroad and suggesting a weaker dollar might reverse the trend, though Skift Research found political climate to be the top deterrent for travelers. Despite global economic concerns, Accor reported a strong first quarter and optimistic booking trends for April and May, even as European travel to the U.S. dipped in March.
Online Travel Pay Roundup: Booking CEO Leads With $126 Million
Accor Says April Bookings Have Rebounded: No ‘Cracks in Demand’
Trump Comments on U.S. Tourism Decline – Travelers Cite Trump's Policies
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Apr 24, 2025 • 4min
Expedia's Loyalty Changes, Adventure Travelers’ U.S. Switch and Booking's Sustainability Findings
Expedia Group is making it harder for entry-level One Key loyalty members to earn rewards on Vrbo bookings, a change aimed at reducing costs for the company. Meanwhile, international adventure travelers are increasingly avoiding the U.S. due to perceptions of unwelcoming entry policies and lingering concerns about tariffs. Lastly, although Booking Holdings reported a drop in greenhouse gas emissions for 2024, it is abandoning a key sustainability goal.
Expedia Makes It Harder for One Key Members to Earn Vrbo Rewards
Why Adventure Travelers Are Saying ‘No’ to the U.S.
Green Label Target Scrapped, Extreme Weather Risks – Takeaways from Booking Holdings’ Climate Report
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Apr 23, 2025 • 3min
The Travel Lobby's Spending, Thailand's Shrinking Goals and Airbus' Green Delay
Travel companies have ramped up their lobbying efforts significantly in early 2025, with spending surpassing amounts seen in previous presidential terms, and the U.S. Travel Association alone investing over $1 million. In Thailand, tourism revenue goals for 2025 are being lowered due to a steep decline in Chinese tourists, influenced by regional safety concerns. Meanwhile, Airbus has postponed its electric commercial aircraft plans, citing supply challenges with green hydrogen, though it remains committed to the long-term project.
U.S. Lobbying Roundup: Which Travel Companies Spent the Most
Airbus Delays Hydrogen Electric Plane by up to 10 Years
With Chinese Arrivals Lagging, Thailand Rethinks 2025 Tourism Ambition
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Apr 18, 2025 • 4min
Google’s Loss, Recession’s Impact and Biz Travel’s Concerns
A federal judge ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by using its ad tech tools to maintain a monopoly, a decision that could benefit travel advertisers like Expedia and Trivago, who have long criticized Google's dominance. Skift Research warns of potential recession impacts on the travel industry, with luxury hotels like Hyatt already seeing share-price declines, though this segment may prove more resilient than in past downturns. Meanwhile, a Global Business Travel Association poll shows that nearly a third of travel managers expect reduced business travel this year, largely due to rising costs and visa-related concerns.
Google Exerted Monopoly Power in Online Advertising Tools, Judge Rules
Business Travel Sentiment Sours Over Trump Policies — GBTA Poll
Forecasts for Hotels and Online Travel Agencies Are Coming Down – Who’s Most at Risk?
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Apr 17, 2025 • 4min
Hotel CEO Pay, China and Boeing, and Europe's Heat Strategies
Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta was the highest-paid hotel executive in 2024 with $58.7 million in compensation, followed by Marriott’s Anthony Capuano and Wyndham’s Geoffrey Ballotti. Meanwhile, Beijing has instructed Chinese airlines not to place new orders with Boeing amid rising U.S.-China trade tensions, a move that could impact both the aircraft manufacturer and China’s carriers. Lastly, travel brands in Southern Europe are adjusting to extreme heat, with companies like Intrepid Travel shifting tours northward and Melia Hotels planning a 2025 climate resilience strategy.
What 10 Hotel and Resorts CEOs Were Paid in 2024
Chinese Airlines Told to Halt Boeing Orders: What It Means for Both Sides
Warnings of Soaring Heat in Europe - Travel Businesses Begin to Adapt
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Apr 15, 2025 • 4min
U.S. Hotels’ Slow Growth, Ryanair’s New Partner and Cruiselines’ Emissions Fees
U.S. hotel growth is slowing due to weak travel demand and economic uncertainty, with Goldman Sachs projecting minimal revenue increases and a 45% chance of recession. Expedia has begun selling Ryanair flights in the U.S. and Europe after resolving a legal dispute, marking a shift in how airlines distribute inventory online. Meanwhile, new maritime regulations will require cruise lines to pay for carbon emissions, pushing the industry toward cleaner operations by 2035.
U.S. Hotels Face Slowing Growth, with Weak Demand and Policy Uncertainty: Goldman Sachs
New Global Rules to Force Cruise Ships to Pay for Carbon Emissions
Ryanair Flights Now Available on Expedia Sites in Latest Milestone
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Apr 11, 2025 • 3min
Travel Tech's Concerns, Frontier’s Forecast Cut and Marriott's New Campaign
Travel executives are seeing early signs of weakening U.S. travel demand amid economic uncertainty, with hotel prices dropping and travelers opting for cheaper domestic trips. Frontier Airlines plans to cut capacity and anticipates a first-quarter net loss due to softening demand and necessary fare promotions. Meanwhile, Marriott has launched a new emotionally driven ad campaign, “Travel Shapes Us,” focusing on personal experiences rather than traditional hotel amenities.
These Travel Tech Execs See Early Signs of Weakening Demand
Marriott Unveils New Ad Campaign: 'Travel Shapes Us'
Frontier Airlines Cuts Forecast, Cites Weak Demand and Fare Cuts
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Apr 10, 2025 • 3min
Delta's Stalled Growth, Mandarin Oriental's Refresh and Short-Term Rental Emissions
Delta Air Lines has paused its 2025 outlook due to economic uncertainty and stalled growth, despite gains in international and premium revenue, while also noting a drop in Canadian bookings. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is launching its first major brand refresh since 1985, including a new app, updated branding, and an expanded global portfolio plan. Meanwhile, the short-term rental industry struggles to track its carbon footprint, with major platforms not requiring hosts to report emissions despite their sustainability goals.
‘Growth Has Largely Stalled’: Delta CEO Sounds Alarm on Tariffs
Behind Mandarin Oriental's First Brand Update in 4 Decades — Exclusive
The Problem With Tracking Short-Term Rental Emissions: ‘How on Earth Do You Count Them?’
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Apr 9, 2025 • 3min
U.S. Arrivals Fall, Online Travel's Reduced Growth and Airlines’ 'Troubled Times'
International arrivals to the U.S. dropped over 11% in March compared to last year, with significant declines from Western Europe, especially Germany, according to new government data. Morningstar has downgraded its 2025 revenue growth forecasts for major online travel companies due to economic concerns and tariffs introduced by President Trump. Meanwhile, Emirates’ president warned of a potential global economic reset, pointing to current financial market instability and challenges faced by major U.S. airlines.
U.S. Tourism Data Warning: Visits From Europe Dropped in March
Emirates President Warns: 'We Are in Troubled Times,' as Global Reset Looms
Growth Outlook for Online Travel Firms Cut in Half: Morningstar
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Apr 8, 2025 • 4min
Hotels' Tariff Strategy, Spirit’s CEO Exit and European Hotels' Challenges
The U.S. hotel industry is under pressure due to trade disruptions from Trump's tariff policies, with HotelAVE CEO Michelle Russo warning of a 5% drop in revenue per available room and advising hotels to prepare for supply chain issues and reduced traveler demand. Spirit Airlines is undergoing a major leadership shake-up as CEO Ted Christie and CCO Matt Klein step down, following the airline’s recent emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Europe’s upscale and luxury hotel sector, which saw $12 billion in transactions last year, is now grappling with new tariffs and market instability, causing many deals to be put on hold.
A Tariff War Playbook for Hotels: What a Major Asset Manager Is Thinking
Spirit Airlines CEO Steps Down as Part of Leadership Overhaul
European Hotel Transactions Were Improving. That's Now in Jeopardy
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