Episode NotesChoice Hotels is taking a bold step in its hostile takeover bid of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Choice is preparing to nominate directors to Wyndham’s board, according to Reuters, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Choice’s move is part of its plan to push its roughly $9.8 billion unsolicited merger between the two companies. Shareholders’ annual vote on board members would become a referendum on whether Choice and Wyndham must reopen deal talks. O’Neill notes Choice is taking those aggressive steps because Wyndham rebuffed Choice’s latest offer to restart merger talks last week. Next, Expedia Group, Airbnb, and Uber are among major travel brands that have stopped advertising on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Those moves come after X Executive Chairman Elon Musk endorsed another user’s post that was widely seen as antisemitic. Schaal writes critics have argued that antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate speech have increased on social media since Hamas’ attack against Israel last month. Expedia Group declined to explain its reasoning for pausing advertising on X while Airbnb and Uber didn’t respond to Skift requests for comments. The New York Times reported that X could lose $75 million from major brands discontinuing advertising on the platform. However, X said only $11 million was in jeopardy as other companies have increased their advertising. Finally, ahead of next month’s Skift Global Forum East in Dubai, Middle East Reporter Josh Corder lists five questions about the Middle East travel industry he’s eager to get answers to. Corder writes he’s excited to find out from Dubai Tourism CEO Issam Kazim if its visitor boom can continue. The city was attracting roughly 17 million visitors annually prior to the pandemic, a figure it hopes to surpass this year. Corder also notes he’s interested in learning about how Dubai’s major hotel brands plan to make inroads outside of the region.

Episode NotesU.S. airline pilots who believe they need treatment for depression often face difficult choices, such as whether to disclose their mental health issues. The new Federal Aviation Administration administrator is looking to establish a system to better help pilots dealing with mental health issues, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly. Under current policy, disclosure leads to a lengthy evaluation process during which pilots can’t fly. Joseph Emerson, the Alaska Airlines pilot who nearly crashed a plane in October, said he had experienced symptoms of depression and that many pilots don’t come forward. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said this week the agency needs a system and has already formed a new committee to evaluate mental health rules and recommend changes. Russell writes studies have found many pilots experience some form of mild depression.   Next, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts blasted Choice Hotels latest attempt at a hostile takeover, describing it as a “step backwards,” reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.Wyndham said it received a letter from Choice CEO Pat Pacious last week, which it stated was Choice’s first communication since going public with its bid. However, Wyndham Chair Stephen Holmes said Choice has failed to address critical issues Wyndham has raised, especially the timeline for Choice to obtain regulatory approval. Schaal writes the regulatory issue — and the possibility a deal could get blocked — is a major concern for Wyndham. Schaal adds that Wyndham believes the hostile bid would undervalue its growth potential. Finally, China’s travel rebound helped Trip.com Group’s third quarter revenue surpass 2019 levels, writes Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.Bhutia reports Trip.com Group posted a net revenue of nearly $2 billion in the third quarter. That’s a 99% increase from last year as well as a 31% jump from 2019 levels. CEO Jane Sun attributed the company’s strong third quarter to Chinese consumers increasingly prioritizing spending on travel. In addition, Bhutia notes Trip.com executives are optimistic about China’s travel demand remaining strong despite uncertainties in the global economy. 

Episode NotesThe U.S. aviation industry is prepping for a record number of flyers to take to the skies for Thanksgiving this year. They’re doing so amid ongoing labor and air traffic controller issues, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly.The TSA and U.S. airlines predict 30 million travelers will fly from November 17 to 28. Russell writes this year’s holiday forecast comes while the aviation industry is already straining at the seams. Airlines are still grappling with pilot and air traffic controller shortages, especially in the New York City area. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said the government is taking steps to limit flight disruptions as much as possible. But he acknowledged some delays and cancellations are outside of anyone’s control, with inclement weather forecast across the U.S. in the coming days. Next, a new report reveals that climate change and sustainability issues largely aren’t a priority for U.S. tourism boards, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Only 8% of U.S. tourism boards strongly prioritize tackling climate change and cutting greenhouse gas emissions to zero. That’s according to a survey of more than 300 destination marketers by travel marketing platform Sojern. Meanwhile, 62% of European tourism boards have made climate change a significant priority. However, U.S. — as well as Canadian — tourism boards placed much more emphasis on celebrating racial and ethnic diversity in their marketing efforts than their counterparts in Europe.Finally, Vietnam is poised to offer visa-free entry to Indian nationals, reports Contributor Ashvita Singh in the Skift India Newsletter. Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung indicated the country would provide visa-free entry to Indian citizens as well as Chinese nationals. Indian travelers are increasingly looking to visit destinations that don’t require visas. Vietnam would follow in the footsteps of Sri Lanka and Thailand, both of which currently offer visa-free entry to visitors from India. 

The U.S. is grappling with an air traffic controller shortage that could run into the next decade, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly.A new Federal Aviation Administration report found the agency is on pace to only have about 200 more controllers in 2032 than it does now. The report also said that planned hiring numbers would barely make up for retirements and others leaving the position. Russell notes the shortage has contributed to flight reductions and aviation safety concerns. The report also provided recommendations for boosting air traffic controller staffing, including expanding capacity at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Next, digital nomad startup Outsite has raised $325 million with the goal of purchasing 150 boutique hotels in Europe, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Dawes reports the company is focused on purchasing hotels in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Outside properties are meant for remote workers looking to book stays between one week and three months. Outside founder Emmanuel Guisset said there’s plenty of demand for its properties, but it needs more inventory. Outside currently has roughly 50 properties in its portfolio around the world. Finally, Tripadvisor has released a preview of its 2024 study on the Experience of Travel, which revealed the majority of travelers treasure experiences over material objects, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy. Roughly 67% of travelers surveyed said they place more value on experiences than things. In addition, 95% of travelers said they would reduce discretionary spending in areas such as food or entertainment to fund their travels. Tripadvisor surveyed more than 5,600 travelers from seven countries for the study. 

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel IndustryAsk Skift Your QuestionsEpisode NotesThe United Kingdom is seeing a gradual return of Chinese visitors, but a full recovery won’t take place until 2025, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates told Parliament on Tuesday that Chinese visitor numbers would slowly build back to pre-Covid levels. Flight bookings from China to the UK are down 50% from 2019. Yates attributed that massive drop to Beijing not approving the UK for outbound group travel until August. Chinese visitors were the second-highest spenders in the UK behind American tourists prior to the pandemic. Next, Etihad Airways has plans for significant growth. The company aims to double its fleet and triple its passenger number by 2030, writes Reporter Ajay Awtaney. Etihad Aviation Group CEO Antonoaldo Neves said the company plans to increase its fleet size to 150 aircraft. That’s a part of its growth plan named Project 2030, a year Etihad wants to fly 33 million passengers. Awtaney reports the company expects to increase its number of partnerships over the next six months.  Finally, Japan has seen a major tourism boom recently. But tours and activities operators say they’re experiencing a capacity crunch in the country, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy. The Japan National Tourism Organization said visitors to Japan topped pre-Covid levels for the first time in October. However, Wei-chun Liu, chief operating officer of experiences booking company KKday, said Japan has struggled to manage the surge in travel demand. Liu said KKday has seen constraints in areas such as bus and tour guide capacity. 

Episode NotesAirbnb is looking to further incorporate artificial intelligence into its business. And on Tuesday, it announced it has acquired GamePlanner.AI, a company founded by a creator of Siri, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said his company has been rebuilding its app with a focus on AI, and that the GamePlanner.AI team will focus on accelerating certain projects. Airbnb recently unveiled a new AI-powered photo tour tool for hosts. Airbnb didn’t reveal the acquisition price, but a CNBC report valued the deal at close to $200 million. Next, the chief operating officer of Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new airline, believes it can take advantage of the growing travel demand in the kingdom. But the company isn’t looking to compete with Emirates to be a global hub, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder.Riyadh Air Chief Operating Officer Peter Bellew told Skift the airline’s main goal is to make going from point-to-point easier for travelers. He added he doesn’t see Riyadh Air, which is scheduled to launch in the middle of 2025, becoming a super connector. Riyadh Air hopes to fly to more than 100 destinations by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, Corder reports Riyadh Air hasn’t announced any orders at the ongoing Dubai Airshow. Bellew said the company is primarily focused on recruiting staff at the moment.Finally, travelers haven’t been booking trips to Turkey in large numbers recently, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Several tour operator executives said they’ve seen bookings for Turkish trips dry up. Kelly Torrens, Kensington Tours’ vice president of product, said many travelers don’t feel comfortable traveling in the region despite Turkey not being near the Israel-Hamas conflict. Jacada Travel founder Alex Malcolm said he’s had to explain the situation to travelers to make them feel comfortable about traveling in Turkey. G Adventures Vice President Yves Marceau said if bookings continue to remain weak, tour operators will have to trim their inventory in Turkey. 

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel IndustryAsk Skift Your QuestionsEpisode NotesAmericans are gearing up to travel in large numbers for the Thanksgiving holiday next week. This Thanksgiving could be the busiest for the U.S. air travel for 18 years, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Travel organization AAA says that more than 4.7 million Americans will fly for Thanksgiving, the highest number since 2005. AAA also found flight bookings on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving appear higher than normal. That’s possibly because Americans working remotely can take advantage of cheaper airfares on off-peak days.Habtemariam notes both American Airlines and United forecast this Thanksgiving will be their busiest ever. United will fly nearly 4,000 flights daily on average during the holiday period. Next, Emirates Airlines has reached a deal with Boeing to order $52 billion of aircraft, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder. Emirates ordered 90 jets from Boeing as part of the megadeal, which was announced on day one of the Dubai Air Show. The deal brings Emirates’ total orders to 295 aircraft. In all, more than 200 new aircraft orders were placed on the first day of the airshow. Emirates is set to receive new Boeing 777 aircraft that take flights up to 18 hours, enabling the airline to establish direct connections between Dubai and cities on six continents. Finally, GetYourGuide has made waves in the tours and activities sector. And its Chief Financial Officer Nils Chrestin believes there’s an opportunity for somebody to build a hundred billion company in the sector, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy. Brophy reports that GetYourGuide is one of the dominant online travel marketplaces for experiences. Chrestin said in an interview with Skift that GetYourGuide has seen considerable growth over the last year and a half. However, he said the company has no immediate plans to go public. Meanwhile, in addition to being the clear market leader in Europe, Chrestin said GetYourGuide has seen business boom in the U.S. and North America in general.

Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel IndustryGo deeper into the business of travel with Skift’s new AI chatbot.Ask Skift Your QuestionsEpisode NotesBooking.com took a step to diversify its offerings on Thursday. The company launched cruises in the U.S. via a partnership with cruise agency World Holdings, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Schaal writes Booking.com offering cruises is part of its efforts to be a larger force in the U.S., the world’s largest cruise market. A company spokesperson said Booking.com’s cruises would offer customers access to exclusive offerings and deals on its platform. Schaal adds that Booking.com customers would be able to choose from more than 10,000 sailings on 30-plus lines. Next, Americans have gone overseas in large numbers this year. So what have been the most popular destinations for U.S. travelers? Flight booking data reveals Cancun and London are Americans’ top international destinations so far this year, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Roughly 17.5% of all flight bookings from U.S. cities to international destinations from January through August were for Cancun. U.S.-Cancun bookings hit 91% of 2019 levels. Meanwhile, London was the second-most popular destination from U.S. airports with 8.5% of bookings.Meanwhile, New York City was the top domestic destination for U.S. travelers with roughly 4% of flight bookings.Finally, Wizz Air has experienced enormous growth coming out of the pandemic. But that growth is set to come to a halt next year, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly.The Hungary-based airline has been boosted by an increase in seats in London and Italy as well as the arrival of dozens of new Airbus jets. However, Russell notes that Wizz has been hit hard by engine issues affecting a large number of its jets. Wizz expects that at least 45 of its roughly 200 planes will be grounded in January. The airline has also suspended flights to Israel. Meanwhile, Wizz recorded a $560 million operating profit and 17.1% operating margin in the six months ending in September.

Episode NotesAirbnb released its latest set of product enhancements on Wednesday — including Guest Favorites, new badges that identify customers’ favorite homes, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.Schaal writes that Airbnb will place a Guest Favorites badge on 2 million of its properties. Those badges will help travelers pick stays based on homes’ ratings. Schaal notes that hosts will benefit from several other features as well. Airbnb said hosts will be able to create AI-powered photo tours of their homes in seconds. In addition, Airbnb said it’s overhauling ratings and reviews to make them more guest-friendly. Guests will be able to sort reviews by when they were written and their rating scores.  Next, Las Vegas’ Sphere arena opened to much fanfare in September, headlined by a U2 concert. But will it be a profitable venue? Newly released data highlighted the risks and rewards of the $2.3 billion structure, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy.  While Sphere Entertainment CEO James Dolan expressed optimism about the Sphere’s potential, Brophy notes analysts are uncertain if it will generate enough revenue to offset the enormous initial investments. Revenue from the Sphere’s opening didn’t cover its first quarter direct operating expenses.However, one media executive said the Sphere was on its way to becoming a global landmark due to the publicity it’s already received. Brophy adds its owners are hopeful upcoming major events in Las Vegas will help expose visitors to the venue. Finally, Singapore Airlines is coming off a strong September quarter. But the company is not resting on its laurels as its rivals continue their recoveries, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly.Singapore Airlines posted a $589 million operating profit during the quarter. Company executives attributed the success to strong peak summer travel demand and lower fuel prices. And Russell writes the carrier is developing a multi-part strategy to maintain a competitive advantage, including extending its network of airline partnerships around the world. Russell adds that Singapore Airlines is working to increase connectivity over the city-state’s Changi Airport. Singapore Airlines and budget subsidiary Scoot plan to serve 23 destinations in China by December. 

Episode NotesSome analysts have argued that Choice Hotels International is too reliant on acquisitions to grow. But despite its ongoing push to acquire Wyndham, Choice believes the organic growth of its development pipeline is healthy, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Choice CEO Patrick Pacious said during its earnings call on Tuesday that he’s encouraged by the state of its pipeline. He noted that Choice averaged more than four openings per week through September. However, Joseph Greff, a J.P. Morgan analyst, said Choice Hotels’ legacy room count has registered, at best, only modest footprint growth. As for its third quarter performance, O’Neill writes Choice Hotels generated $92 million in net income.Next, Microsoft and travel technology company Amadeus are working together to develop artificial intelligence-related travel products. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes highlights three of those innovations. Cyril Tetaz, Amadeus’ executive vice president of airline solutions, outlined what Microsoft and his company have in store in an interview with Skift. Their initiatives include personalized airline homepages for customers, a system for airline crew rescheduling, and a platform to simplify the work of an airline analyst. Tetaz added that Amadeus has many other initiatives in the works with Microsoft. Finally, luxury hospitality brand Inspirato is continuing to see losses mount. But the company believes it can become profitable by cutting costs, writes Short-Term Rental Reporter Srividya Kalyanaraman.Kalyanaraman reports Inspirato is burning cash at $15 million per quarter. It’s also grappling with a decrease in revenue. But Chief Financial Officer Robert Kaiden said Inspirato will save $50 million by the end of first quarter next year by cutting costs. He noted that roughly $30 million of those savings are expected from pruning the portfolio and terminating leases. Inspirato posted a net loss of $25 million in the third quarter. Its revenue also decreased 11% from last year.