Skift's annual Megatrends highlight key shifts in the travel industry. The rise of “quiet luxury” reflects affluent travelers' preference for personal and understated experiences, prompting owner-operated hotels to cater to this demand with curated stays. Meanwhile, hotels are enhancing their direct booking platforms with AI, predictive analytics, and immersive tools to compete with online travel agencies. Lastly, cool destinations like Norway and Greenland are gaining popularity, driven by social media and climate-conscious travelers, though sustainable infrastructure remains crucial.Story links: Hotels are playing catch-up Cool destinations in hot demand The rise of “quiet luxury” Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skiftSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Cruise lines are investing in private destinations to reduce overcrowding, ensure tailored port experiences, and mitigate regional instabilities, with major players like Royal Caribbean and Carnival planning expansions through 2027. In tourism, Skift CEO Rafat Ali highlights the oversimplification of local cuisines for travelers, suggesting farm-to-table initiatives and promoting authentic food experiences as solutions. Meanwhile, Hilton has reached 1,000 hotels in Asia Pacific, driven by booming domestic tourism in China and India and the rise of the middle class, with Southeast Asia showing significant growth potential.Story Links Cruise lines aren’t just looking for revenue sources on board What tourism means for food culture Hilton reached 1,000 hotels in Asia Pacific Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skiftSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Skift highlights the rise of "Live Tourism," where major events like concerts and sports championships drive economic growth for destinations, benefiting local businesses and boosting travel demand. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines raises its revenue guidance for Q4, citing strong travel demand and efficiency measures. Lastly, a federal judge rejected Boeing's plea deal regarding the 737 Max crashes over diversity concerns, giving the company and the Justice Department 30 days to revise their agreement. Southwest is getting back on track A federal judge struck down Boeing’s plea deal Major events and experiences are driving tourism Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skiftSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Booking Holdings has laid off around 60 employees at Rocket Travel by Agoda to streamline operations, while reaffirming its overall business-to-business strategy. Meanwhile, U.S. Senators criticized airline executives over excessive fees, with executives defending practices like unbundling fares to make travel more accessible. Lastly, Hyatt is expanding its luxury and lifestyle portfolio by courting independent hotel owners, offering operational support while allowing them to maintain their unique identities. Booking Holdings has laid off around 60 employees Airline executives faced a grilling from U.S. Senators Hyatt is courting independent owners Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skiftSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Marriott is expanding its luxury property portfolio, with over 260 developments in the pipeline, to appeal to affluent millennials and Gen Z travelers who prioritize experiences over traditional luxury. Airbnb is growing its Airbnb-friendly Apartments program to the UK, despite modest participation in the U.S., aiming to unlock income opportunities for renters. Meanwhile, Amtrak reported record ridership in 2024 and plans significant network expansions, including a new Gulf Coast route, as it aims to double passenger numbers by 2040.Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skiftSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Travel tech leaders are optimistic about the incoming Trump administration, expecting reduced AI regulation, potential federal privacy standards, and extended tax cuts to benefit startups, while the TSA reported record-breaking passenger screenings during Thanksgiving. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is leveraging cricket's popularity to attract Indian tourists as part of its broader strategy to increase international visitors.Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/X: https://twitter.com/skiftFacebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.Podcast written by Rashaad Jorden and produced by Skift.

Episode NotesWyndham Hotels says it’s still seeing strong demand for leisure and business travel despite economic uncertainty, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.CEO Geoff Ballotti said on Thursday that the company believes it won’t see a decline in leisure travel demand during the fourth quarter and throughout 2025. Ballotti added a continued drop in interest rates would help boost leisure travel. Next, Southwest Airlines reported it’s seeing strong bookings for the holiday travel season and healthy demand, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Southwest also announced a truce with Elliott Investment Management, which had been pushing for changes at the airline. As part of the deal, it seems as though CEO Bob Jordan will remain in place. Maharishi reports that executives are upbeat on its new plan, which includes premium and assigned seating, red-eye flights, airline partnerships, and cutting capacity in underperforming areas. Finally, tourists will no longer be allowed to book short-term rentals in large parts of Malaga, Spain, starting in early November, writes Global Travel Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.Malaga’s city council introduced new rules on Thursday prohibiting short-term rental registrations in 43 neighborhoods. The ban, which will last for up to five years, targets areas where more than 8% of homes are short-term rentals. Malaga joins Barcelona on the list of destinations worldwide to enact restrictions on short-term rentals in recent months. For more travel stories and deep dives into the latest trends, head to skift.com. Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/X: https://twitter.com/skiftFacebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Episode NotesAnthropic, a generative AI startup, has unveiled new tech that indicates how an AI-powered travel agent would look, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.Anthropic recently released three demonstrations of the tech, one of which was for making travel plans. A more advanced version of the tech could eliminate the friction of manually navigating options, comparing prices and making reservations. In addition, Dawes notes users might bypass online travel agencies like Booking.com to rely on AI to find the best deals on their behalf. Hilton reported a record for room growth during the third quarter. But the company trimmed its annual room revenue forecast amid signs of softening domestic travel demand, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Hilton said on Wednesday it added 6,000 rooms to its portfolio in the third quarter — the highest quarterly room addition in its history. The company also opened 531 hotels during the same timeframe. However, Hilton also said it now expects its revenue per available room to grow between 2% and 2.5% this year, a slight decrease from its projections in both April and August. Finally, Boeing has had a rough year thus far, and its struggles include a reported $6 billion third-quarter loss, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg acknowledged the planemaker is at a crossroads, adding that trust in the company has eroded. Ortberg said he believes the company’s issues, including lapses in its performance, have disappointed many of its customers. He told staff earlier this month that Boeing would delay the first deliveries of the 777X to 2026.  For more travel stories and deep dives into the latest trends, head to skift.com. Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/X: https://twitter.com/skiftFacebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Episode NotesNYC Tourism + Conventions, the city’s destination marketing organization, announced on Tuesday it named Julie Coker as its next president and CEO, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Coker, who has held the same roles at the San Diego Tourism Authority since 2020, will assume her new position on December 9. She succeeds Fred Dixon, who served as NYC Tourism’s CEO for close to a decade before stepping down earlier this year to lead Brand USACoker will take the helm as New York City’s tourism chief as the region prepares to welcome several major events, including the FIFA World Cup final in 2026. Next, InterContinental Hotels Group had a strong third quarter in terms of hotel openings. But the company also saw a slowdown in revenue growth, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. IHG added 17,500 rooms across 98 hotels, more than doubling its growth pace from the same period in 2023. O’Neill notes that a lot of that growth came from a deal with the German hotel group Novum Hospitality, which added roughly 6,000 rooms to IHG’s portfolio.However, IHG only saw a 1.5% growth in revenue per available room worldwide during the third quarter. O’Neill notes a weak economy in China and turmoil in the Middle East contributed to the slowdown in revenue growth. Finally, Cathay Pacific recently unveiled the Aria Suite, the carrier’s new business class cabin. And the company has plans for a new first class cabin that its chairman called “mindblowing” in an exclusive interview with Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. Cathay Chair Patrick Healy told Skift that having a world-class cabin is part of the carrier’s aspirations to be one of the best premium airlines in the world. CEO Ronald Lam said Cathay plans to reveal the new cabin in 2025 or 2026, with Smith noting the carrier is awaiting Boeing’s new 777X aircraft before launching a new first-class cabin.Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/X: https://twitter.com/skiftFacebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Episode NotesThe growth of U.S. vacation rental and short-term rental supply has been slowing down, a trend that will likely continue next year, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Vacation rental and short-term rental supply in the U.S. has grown 10% in 2024 from last year, according to analytics firm Key Data. However, that’s down from 20% two years ago. Key Data said one factor for the supply deceleration is a shortage of housing. Analysts at Truist Securities said that supply growth may continue to slow as some units become long-term rentals and migrant-focused corporate housing. Next, Saudi Arabia is targeting Chinese travelers as part of its strategy to attract 150 million tourists by 2030, writes Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit.Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb said in an interview with Skift that the kingdom believes it can attract 20-25% of the Chinese tourists who take mid-to-long-haul flights, often to Europe and the Middle East. It’s a “huge market,” he said, with an interest in traveling for culture and heritage.Al Khateeb added Saudi Arabia has been actively promoting itself in China, including organizing a Saudi Travel Festival in Beijing recently. Finally, travelers are largely aware of the importance of sustainability. But there’s a gap between awareness and action, according to a new survey, writes Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.  Trip.com’s Sustainable Travel Consumer Report found that 92% of travelers acknowledge the importance of sustainable travel. However, a little less than 57% of respondents said they practice sustainable travel. A major reason for the relative lack of action is general uncertainty about the concept, according to the survey. The divide is more apparent when it comes to paying extra for sustainable travel options, especially when it comes at a time of economic challenge and soaring living costsConnect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/X: https://twitter.com/skiftFacebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.