Traveling Blog: Tripping Wrenched by Turmoil + Hotels' Panic Button Push + U.S. Travel Goes Domestic

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September 7, 2018

Editor's Note

Score another victory for #MeToo. The collective consciousness raised by the movement against sexual harassment and assault clearly was a driving force for the hotel industry to come together on safety to offer panic buttons to its workers. CEOs from five major hotel chains made the announcement Thursday. Safety efforts, as you will read in Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting's story below, have been piecemeal by cities and various hotels until this latest effort. It's a great start for the industry to work together on security, which should always be a reason to put aside rivalries.

In other news Thursday, Skift was named a top startup by LinkedIn for 2018 as one of the most aspirational places to work. We knew that already, of course, but are grateful to LinkedIn for letting the world know it, too. P.S., we're hiring!

— Tom Lowry, Managing Editor

Blockchain and Travel: Distributed Ledger Technology Is Changing the Business of Airlines and Travel Agencies

To be recognized as one of the most aspirational places to work, not just in travel, not just in media, but across all sectors, is a recognition that is a reflection of all the hard work all of us Skifters have put into building what we have created today. And so much more to come in 2019!

Tripping Sheds Most Staff After 'Ugly' Conflict Between Founders and Board

Vacation rental metasearch isn't necessarily ahead of its time, although it certainly isn't easy given the complexity of the inventory and the required backend technology. Still, any company needs to execute to make a go of it, and that appears to have been a quality in short supply at Tripping.

U.S. Hotel Industry Commits to Giving Panic Buttons to Workers

Implementation of panic buttons, or employee safety devices, for hotel employees is a good start, but it should just be the beginning of the much broader measures the entire global hospitality industry should take to ensure the safety of every single person who walks through its doors.

U.S. Travel Shifts Focus to Domestic Tourism Amid Prolonged International Slowdown

Any membership-based organization that wants to survive has to take membership feedback to heart. U.S. Travel is doing that in its move to double down on domestic travel promotion. With domestic tourism more than 60 percent of the U.S. travel industry, we wonder why this took so long.

Ctrip's Lowered Pace of Revenue Growth Reflects a New Normal

Ctrip sacrificed some revenue growth to defend its market share in hotel bookings from rivals like Meituan. The competition shows no sign of abating.

No DNA Required: Hotel Genealogy Butler Helps Visitors Discover Irish Roots

Hotel companies love to brag about providing local experiences for their guests, but few actually live up to their billing. One of Ireland's top hotels created a job to literally help visitors find their place in the destination's history: a genealogy butler.

How Homesharing Hit the Corporate Travel Mainstream

Now that Airbnb has integrated its own Experiences product into its business travel platform, it seems like only a matter of time until more options and add-ons are included in the stable.

HYP3R Raises $17 Million for Social Media Monitoring: Travel Startup Funding This Week

This week, location-based marketing platform HYP3R, itinerary tool TripCreator, luggage maker Paravel, and travel distribution software maker Duffel all announced funding rounds.

Who Will Be on Stage at Skift Global Forum?

Muna Haddad is the founder and managing director of BARAKA, a company that specializes in sustainable tourism development. Hear from Haddad in just three weeks at Skift Global Forum!

Southwest has survived by being different. That gets harder, but the lessons of its past success may help define its legacy. The Texas-based airline is one of the subjects in Skift's recent sixth anniversary book, For the Long Haul, Lessons on Business Longevity, whose chapters we are excerpting for you here.

TripAdvisor Hints at Its Growing Interest in Vacation Package Search

TripAdvisor offers a tiny number of flight-and-hotel deals bundled together. There are signs it wants to display more travel packages. But the product won't be the next big thing for the company.

Airbnb for Work Brings Meeting Spaces and Experiences to Business Travelers

Airbnb is going to integrate Airbnb Experiences and curated lists of meeting-appropriate homes into its booking tool. Initial feedback has been strong, so it's probably only a matter of time until Airbnb builds partnerships in other areas.

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