Must-Have Hotel Tech + Transforming a Disney Theme Park + Accor's Loyalty Winners and Losers

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

July 5, 2018

Editor's Note Summer is here and it's easy to associate the season with theme parks. But the business of theme parks is really a year-round juggernaut, especially for two companies, Disney and Comcast. The two entertainment giants are pitted against one another in a particularly capital-intensive battle, or should we call it a war, down in Orlando where movie characters are the ammunition. News Editor Hannah Sampson looks today at the evolution of Disney's Hollywood Studios park in Florida to help illustrate this heightened competition. But in this war, at least so far, there doesn't seem to be a loser. In the most recent quarter for each of the companies, Disney and Comcast's Universal parks reported operating income growth in the high 20 percent range versus the 2017 quarter. And it's not like anybody is clamoring to scale the steep barriers of entry to compete against the two. So for now, this duopoly rules where the summers seem endless. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor Rethinking Travel Marketing for an Era of Infinite Customer Touchpoints Sponsored by Adobe The travel industry has officially entered the era of "omnichannel" marketing, a time when every screen, every device, and every customer interaction is an opportunity to connect with travelers. In order to take advantage, travel organizations will need to rethink how they design, execute, and measure marketing campaigns. Read More Top Stories Star Wars Is Disney's New Hope to Transform Its Movie-Themed Park Disney's Hollywood Studios has been a work in progress for the last two decades. With Toy Story Land and Star Wars taking center stage, executives believe the park is finally coming into its own. Technologies Every Hotelier Needs to Understand: Latest From Skift Research The hotel industry needs to catch up with the times when it comes to technology, and we're not just talking about cloud offerings and software-as-a-service technologies. The smart hotelier of today is investing in next-generation tech capabilities such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, voice capabilities, virtual reality, robotics, and more, but all with the guest experience in mind. Skift Call July 10: The Amazon Factor Nothing quite gets the attention of travel executives these days like the mere mention of Amazon. Will it get in? Will it stay on the sidelines? We'll explore all the implications on Tuesday, July 10 at 1 p.m. EST on a Skift Call. Please join us for this all-important discussion. Video: Naspers Group Investment Exec Sees Consumer Focus Shifting From Price to Convenience Are consumers discarding price-consciousness for convenience? Uber is convenient, but it's also cheap. These dueling preferences aren't clear-cut, and the trends will remain complex. Cathay Pacific's Long View on Investing Outside of Its Jets The so-called soft product is often the first to get the knife as airlines undergo turnarounds. Thanks to patient, long-term investors and the desire to be customer-centric, Cathay is investing in its lounges and end-to-end experiences even in the middle of a business turnaround. The Winners and Losers in Accor's Loyalty Revamp Hotel loyalty programs are evolving especially with new forms of accommodation coming online. Change is inevitable but that doesn't mean everyone is going to be happy. Popular Now JetBlue Eyes Europe and Airbus' New Jet With Longer Range U.S. airlines can reach some Western European airports profitably with narrow-body aircraft. But even the best narrow-body aircraft have some range issues. If it wants to fly to Europe, JetBlue will need to decide whether it can do so with the A321LR, or whether it should wait for a longer-range aircraft. AccorHotels Using Biometrics as Marketing Ploy for Loyalty Members It'd be so much more interesting to see if and how this kind of biometrics data can truly inform our travel experiences. JetBlue Girds for New Competition as Its Founder Prepares to Start a New U.S. Airline JetBlue's president and its CEO say they're not worried about competing with JetBlue's founder, David Neeleman, who may be starting a new U.S. airline as soon as 2020. Behind the scenes, we bet it's not their favorite idea. But we do believe they're not surprised Neeleman wants back in. Even since Neeleman was pushed out of JetBlue, insiders expected he would return someday. For Gmail users: If you are using the tabbed inbox, Skift emails may be pushed to the 'Promotions' tab. To get updates from Skift direct to your primary inbox, drag and drop this email to that tab. You received this email because you are subscribed to Skift Daily Newsletter from Skift.

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