The Skift Travel Podcast

This episode of the Skift podcast drills down on the economic outlook for travel in 2019: the good signs, the risks, and the reasons you shouldn’t panic. Our guests are Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal and Senior Research Analysts Seth Borko and Rebecca Stone.

On this episode of the Skift podcast, we explore the biggest trends that will define travel in 2019, with audio from one of our annual Megatrends events. Skift experts discuss topics including consumer demand for more control; the appeal of undertourism; the way lines are being blurred in hospitality; the rise of wellness marketing in travel; and Google's domination of local discovery.

This episode of the Skift podcast explores a major hurdle for low-cost airlines: how to make long-haul flights make money. Our experts are Skift Senior Aviation Business Editor Brian Sumers and Seth Kaplan, editor of Airline Weekly, a 14-year-old newsletter that Skift recently bought.

This episode of the Skift podcast explores uncomfortable truths about travel, as well as the things that inspire us about the industry. The conversation was sparked by two pieces of writing from Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali, who is one of our guests. He's joined by Skift Co-Founder Jason Clampet, who is also general manager of Skift Table, and Skift News Editor Hannah Sampson.

This episode of the Skift podcast dives into Amazon's history in travel and the retail giant's potential future in the sector. Our experts are Skift Executive Editor Dennis Schaal and Senior Research Analyst Seth Borko.

On today's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're hearing from Tina Edmundson, global brand officer for Marriott International. At Skift Forum Europe in Berlin, Edmundson spoke to Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting about why the company decided not to kill any brands after acquiring Starwood. They also explored how the role of luxury is changing, Marriott’s approach to millennials, and its experiment in homesharing. This is one of several conversations we're featuring from Skift Forum Europe.

On today's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're talking about why your European summer vacation might seem extra crowded. The number of international arrivals in Europe grew 8 percent in 2017, with more growth expected this year, and some destinations are struggling to cope with the flood of tourists. Skift Europe Editor Patrick Whyte spoke about the topic with the European Travel Commission's Jennifer Iduh and Visit Iceland's Inga Palsdottir at Skift Forum Europe in Berlin. This is one of several conversations we're featuring from Skift Forum Europe.

On today's episode of the Skift Podcast, we're hearing from AccorHotels CEO Sébastien Bazin. You may recognize his name from dozens of stories about acquisitions the company has made in recent years. At Skift Forum Europe in Berlin, Bazin spoke to Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting about why the company could no longer be a "sleeping giant" and what it plans to do with all its investments. This is the first of several conversations we're featuring from Skift Forum Europe.

On this sponsored episode of the Skift podcast, we're diving into the Skift Megatrend: Travel Brands Want To Become Experience Platforms. We’re taking a look at how travel brands are expanding beyond what they’re known for doing in travel into new segments of travelers’ experiences. Leading the discussion is Jeremy Kressman, SkiftX research editor and Deanna Ting, Skift hospitality editor. Our guest is John Greenleaf, global head of Hilton Garden Inn.

There is a tech arms race underway in the vacation rental market. As this space enters a new phase of growth and scale, the need for tech solutions is real, but not every company will succeed. Understand the vacation rental tech stack, its major players, and our outlook on where it’s all headed in this Analyst Session. This Analyst Session discusses the state of technology in the vacation rental market and provides useful insights for property managers and owners, technologists and investors alike. It serves as a supplement to our Skift Research Report, Decoding the Modern Vacation Rental Technology Landscape. We review the current state of the market, take a deep dive into the tech stack and segment the different types of end-customers. Lastly, we discuss our outlook for consolidation, professionalization, and convergence with hotel tech. What You'll Learn From This Podcast Why technology is so important to the vacation rental space How software can help vacation rental operators drive sales Which tech solutions are creating operational efficiencies Who the three major types of vacation rental managers are and why their needs differ Why some tech solutions could consolidate while others will to remain independent Why we believe there could be a convergence between vacation rental and hotel technology Get more travel insights with Skift Research. Subscription information at research.skift.com