Traveling Blog: Weekend Review: Lonely Planet Shakeup + Hotel Brand Bubble

May 12, 2018

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From the Editor

Lonely Planet was going to reinvent the guidebook through digital storytelling and video, but the journey hasn't gone so well. Travelers no longer need one company's guidebook when destination information, apps, user reviews and in-the-moment social media are ubiquitous. These trends undoubtedly played a role, as we reported exclusively, in the Lonely Planet CEO's departure and the company putting itself up for sale.

Hotel companies are trying to reinvent themselves on a variety of fronts, including by adding more brands, as our story points out. Can there be too many hotel brands? It depends on the chain and the circumstance, but a brand bubble could be coming.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

New Research: Best Practices for Attracting Chinese Outbound Tourists

Chinese outbound tourists have unmatched tourism expenditure. In our latest report, Skift Research analyzes consumer behavior and technology adoption trends of Chinese outbound travelers to give travel brands and destinations 3 best practices for attracting this growing segment.

Learn More

Lonely Planet has weathered the death of the guidebook better than any of its peers, and its new leader will need to figure out a way to flourish rather than just survive as it builds on the pieces of its empire.

U.S. and United Arab Emirates Reach Deal to Solve Open Skies Spat

The big three Gulf carriers are still very important, but because of a variety of reasons, they're no longer as scary as they were a few years ago. Still, this is good news for U.S. airlines.

Hawaii Tourism Officials Seek to Calm Travelers After Volcano Eruption

Poor geography knowledge is a bane of nearly every destination's existence. Natural disasters are an unfortunate opportunity for tourism officials to educate travelers, even if many will always struggle to read a map.

Can Hotel Companies Have Too Many Brands?

We'd pay good money just to see hospitality executives try to guess which hotel brands belong to which companies.

Announcing Skift Restaurants Forum on September 24 in New York City

The Skift Restaurants Forum is a one-day event devoted to the key trends and disruptions shaping the business of dining out. It will feature the nation's top restaurateurs, key executives, and essential thought-leaders who both shape and understand the consumer behaviors at the forefront of change in the modern restaurant industry.

Disney Is Exploring Where to Put Its Next New Worlds

Disney is pouring money into expanding its existing theme parks, so it should come as no surprise that the company would consider building in new countries altogether. While the CEO called such a move an "inevitability," no one should hold their breath for an announcement anytime soon.

Agoda Names New CEO as It Aims to Go Global

Agoda's new CEO John Brown will be leading the company to increasingly push into Europe and the Americas, beyond its traditional online travel agency turf of Asia Pacific. The early numbers show that parent company Booking Holdings is putting its money where its mouth is.

Editor's Picks

Skift Podcast: Why Accor Had No Choice But To Change

Tune in for a candid conversation about the strategy behind AccorHotels' many acquisitions, why the company wants to be part of consumers' everyday lives, and what the CEO has learned from spending hundreds of millions of dollars on startups.

Not Just for Hotels — Booking Holdings Has a Direct Strategy of Its Own

With less fanfare than hotels, but with a ton of TV spend, Booking Holdings is intent on increasing its share of direct bookings. Anything that gets in its way, including metasearch sites that go out of favor, will be collateral damage.

Research Shows Strict Corporate Travel Policies Don't Really Work

Nobody wants to deal with a restrictive travel policy, and new research shows business travelers will make the choices they want regardless of what they're told to do. Strict policies, though, can create a great awareness, but that doesn't mean they work.

Planners Work to Fix the Event Industry's Sexual Harassment Problem

Meetings represent a perfect storm for the kinds of incidents that sparked the #MeToo movement: Attendees gather in hotels and resorts and socialize at networking sessions fueled by alcohol. The industry is just now reacting with codes of conduct but that may not be nearly enough.

Marriott CEO Fires a Salvo: 'We Can Deliver a Better Homesharing Product'

Marriott — and well, any company wanting to get into private accommodations — should heed the advice of AccorHotels CEO and pay close attention to how they manage those rentals and how they can leverage their existing hospitality labor force to do it.

How Cruise Lines Innovate When They Keep Building the Same Type of Ship

Cruise lines are constantly trying to come out with more impressive bells and whistles, even when the type of ship has been around for years. Consumers appear to be responding, so don't expect the game to change.

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