The Skift Travel Podcast

In early November Skift hosted its first Design the Future event, an afternoon of discussions with leaders in the design and creativity space. As part of this, we're posting extracts of these conversations.  Host: Robert Rosenthal, author, speaker, and journalist Guest: Aaron Walton, CEO of Walton Isaacson Diversity means harnessing the power of disruption. Differences are disruptive, and that’s the key to innovation — disrupting the status quo or predictable, said Walton Isaacson CEO Aaron Walton. The travel industry, like the entire world, has had a major wake-up call this year when it comes to diversity, but Walton said the industry needs to see diversity is more than just the look of a company: “The eye should be able to be see diversity, but what’s probably just as important is how it sounds,” he added. “The sound of diversity is the sound of the status quo smashing into a million pieces and someone rearranging those in ways nobody thought about before.”

What a difference a few days make for optimism in the beleaguered travel industry. With the clarity on U.S. presidential election results coming this past weekend and the encouraging news on vaccine development and effectiveness from Pfizer, the travel industry is riding high, at least on optimism for rapid recovery starting second half of 2021 and after. Travel stocks, particularly airlines, are reflecting that larger market optimism for travel. To decipher what this all means for the travel sector and what scenarios could play out in the coming months and in 2021, Skift Editors and Research Analysts met on Friday, November 13 to discuss both short- and long-term recovery prospects. To participate in more events like this live please visit https://forum.skift.com

In the closing interview for Skift Forum Asia, Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer argued that his company and its Viator brand are in the “pole position” because of the company’s vast content and international reach in tours and activities. Kaufer is interviewed here by Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Learn about and participate in future events by visiting Forum.skift.com

At Skift's recent Travel’s Path Forward: Online Travel event, Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal interviewed Kayak and OpenTable CEO Steve Hafner about the state of travel metasearch, restaurant bookings, and what digital discovery and booking looks like during and after a pandemic.    To participate in more events like this, visit https://forum.skift.com

At the Travel Loyalty Online Summit on July 16, 2020, Skift Aviation Business Editor Zoomed The Points Guy's Brian Kelly to talk about how consumer spending during the Covid-19 pandemic and (hopefully) afterwards will change how airlines, other travel brands, and travelers themselves think about loyalty.   Join us for more events like this at https://forum.skift.com

Your daily insight into the business of travel from the industry’s most trusted authority.  We are excited to share another update from the Skift Daily Briefing. Our daily podcast tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

Oyo has been in the eye of the storm for the last year, for many reasons Skift has covered over time. But with coronavirus shutting down a big part of its business in India, China, and other countries, the acceleration of its troubles have continued. Through it the charismatic founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal has been front and center in making sure the high-profile company survives this, through instituting various cuts and financing moves. The company now says it has enough money for next three to four years and has no plans to exit any of the 80 markets it is in. In the final episode of the inaugural season of the weekly The Long View livestream, Skift CEO Rafat Ali talks to Agarwal about Oyo’s long-term prospects, how he is thinking of reopening the company, reinvigorating the sales and growth of the company, becoming a long term player in the market now that its honeymoon period in the industry is over, and his views on future of hospitality. For more events like this, visit https://forum.skift.com

In this unprecedented downturn in travel as a result of Covid-19, the crisis is impacting every hotel company, from the top chains to small hotel operators. Major declines in occupancy and room rates are a global problem, which has forced many hotels to furlough employees and others to shutter, or convert to quarantine centers and host healthcare staff working round-the-clock. As this uncertainty continues, especially in Europe and North America, the likelihood of a strong rebound of occupancy within two or three months seems ever more distant. Listen as Skift editors and research analysts, along with leaders from across the hospitality sector, discuss how hotels might prepare now for the long recovery ahead. Learn about more events like this at Forum.skift.com Agenda Asia’s Uneven Normality: Business Travel, Weekend Leisure, and Adaptable Operations Guest: Stefan Leser, CEO LANGHAM HOSPITALITY GROUP Monderator: Matt Parsons, Skift Shifts in Luxury, Wellness, and Guest Experience Guest: Dino Michael, HILTON Monderator: Carolyn Kremins, Skift A Data-Driven Look at Hospitality’s Recovery Guest: Alex Alt, ORACLE HOSPITALITY Moderator: Jeremy Kressmann, Skift X Trust and Reputation in the Post-Coronavirus Age Guest: Adele Gutman Milne, LIBRARY HOTELS COLLECTION Moderator: Cameron Sperance, Skift Safeguarding Hospitality’s Future: From Safety to Operations to Brand Messaging Guests: William “Chip” Rogers, AHLA; Lisa Borromeo Checchio, WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS Moderator: Cameron Sperance, Skift  

We are excited to share another update from the Skift Daily Briefing. Our daily podcast tells listeners what they need to know about the top travel stories in just under four minutes. It’s available every weekday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET on podcast apps from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Stitcher, and more, as well as smart speakers powered by Google and Amazon. Thank you for listening — and reading — and stay tuned as we continue to grow and deliver the news you need on more platforms. Subscribe through your favorite podcast app or at https://skift.com/skift-daily-briefing/.

As the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a sharp decline for both the rapidly expanding urban short-term rental market and the prospects of a busy summer vacation rental season, how can players both large and small across alternative-accommodations best balance find resilience in this time? How can platforms best balance the needs of both guests and hosts, following more consistent policy enforcement? Join Skift editors and research analysts, along with leaders in short-term rental ecosystem to discuss how the crisis has impacted the business landscape and how to prepare for the key challenges ahead. Participate in events like this by registering at https://forum.skift.com Agenda: How is the Leisure Rental Market Preparing for Recovery? Guests: John Banczak, TURNKEY VACATION RENTALS; Michelle Hodges, MEYER VACATION RENTALS; Kelly Barton, EXPEDIA GROUP Moderator: Amy Hinote, VRM INTEL Post-Crisis Tech, Pricing, and Marketing Strategies for Property Managers Guests: Vered Schwarz, GUESTY; Andrew McConnell, RENTED.COM Moderator: Wouter Geerts, SKIFT RESEARCH Built for Adaptability: A Look Into Urban Market Shifts Guests: Francis Davidson, SONDER Moderator: Dennis Schaal Accelerating Tech’s Service Role Around Cleaning and Safety Guests: Alex Nigg, PROPERLY; Jeremy Gall, BREEZEWAY Moderator: Sean O’Neill, SKIFT Does the Luxury Market Have a Competitive Advantage in Recovery? Guests: Will Lucas, MINT HOUSE; Amanda Dyjecinski, ONEFINESTAY Moderator: Seth Borko, SKIFT RESEARCH