Traveling Blog: Travel Industry's Tax Bill Love + Lastminute Buys Booking Biz + MSC Cruises Expands Globally

December 22, 2017

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Note From the Editor

Big travel companies, from major hotel chains to online travel agencies and airlines, are already calculating their tax savings from the new U.S. tax bill, and where to invest the cash, as one of our stories today details. So many questions loom: Will the travel industry add jobs and invest in new products and services or will the largesse merely benefit management and other shareholders? And importantly, will the tax-code rewrite propel business- and leisure-travel demand?

Our tax story, written by seven Skift staffers, is also worth a read for some of the nuggets you'll find. For example, we report that in 2016 the Priceline Group recorded a loss in its U.S. business, and paid no corporate tax stateside. All of that Booking.com advertising on U.S. TV, after all, doesn't come cheap.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

Colombia's New Tourism Campaign Is a Soundtrack For Travelers' Inner Journeys

Is the revamped tax code a "gift for hard-working Americans" as President Trump declared, or just a gift for corporations already reaping record profits? For now, travel executives seem way more excited than the general public.

MSC Cruises Takes Next Step in Major Global Expansion

As MSC Cruises embarks on a rapid global expansion, it makes sense for the privately owned operator to focus on the popular Caribbean cruise market. The key will be figuring out the best way to make its products stand out in a field crowded with names that are far more familiar to North American consumers.

Lastminute.com Group Speeds Pivot With Purchase of Germany's Weg.de

Lastminute.com Group's attempt to ween itself off low margin flight-ticket sales gets accelerated with this deal. The relatively low purchase price makes it a relatively risk-free acquisition.

Corporate Travel Got Even More Complicated in 2017

Business travelers coped with a range of surprises, including disruptive natural disasters and sudden shifts in government policy. Expect more uncertainty.

Airwallex Closes $15 Million Round for Payments Tech: Travel Startup Funding This Week

This week, startups raised funding to help simplify cross-border transactions, lend consumers money to book travel, map interior spaces, automate back-office processes for vacation rental property managers, and split the book of multiple-night hotel stays. They'll have a happy New Year for sure.

Executives Mull Another Complex Year — Corporate Travel Innovation Report

Yet again, events around the world caused upheaval for business travelers in 2017. Uncertainty has become the norm, and corporate travel executives would be wise to plan for more of the unexpected.

Most high-value customers choose airlines based on two factors — price and schedule. But on the margins, airlines like to use marketing strategies to attract customers. Maybe Virgin Atlantic's outdoor igloo at London Heathrow will help it win some new fans.

Luxury Travel's Next Phase Could Be in Vacation Rental Consolidation

Luxury travelers are increasingly looking to vacation rentals for a different type of experience. This presents opportunities for both established players and newcomers.

Marriott and AccorHotels Mega Merger Activity Created Luxury Powerhouses

Perhaps being bigger isn't always better, at least when it comes to luxury hotels. When you're bigger, the challenges can be, too.

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