Weekend Review: TripAdvisor Faker's Jail Sentence + 25 Travel Inspirations

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

September 15, 2018

Editor's Note Bad actors take note: If you write fake hotel reviews for a living, you'd better move on to a different scam because otherwise you might end up in jail. That's what happened to a fraudster who was writing fake reviews on TripAdvisor: He got sentenced by an Italian court to nine months behind bars. This development would be a good thing for the hotel industry, TripAdvisor, and consumers if it serves to deter hotels that are trying to game the system by enlisting reviewers to trash competitor hotels. The vast majority of TripAdvisor's user reviews are legitimate, and reading them is a lot more reliable than relying on hotel marketing materials. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor How San Antonio's Smart Urban Vision Connects Locals and Convention Groups Sponsored by Visit San Antonio The City of San Antonio is investing heavily in the downtown core and adjacent neighborhoods to provide more opportunities for residents and convention attendees to explore the area and engage with each other's communities. Read More Top Stories Skift Global Forum Networking App Now Available for Attendees When you register for Skift Global Forum, you'll gain access to our new and improved mobile app. You can schedule meetings, stay up-to-date on our complete event schedule, and ask questions live through our Q&A tool! Only 26 seats remain, so claim one today. Why Emirates Waited So Long to Add Premium Economy No matter what Emirates President Tim Clark says, the airline probably wishes it had moved faster to add premium economy. Most airlines say it has been selling well, as customers are flush with more disposable income. Of course, if and when a recession hits, passengers will stop spending on these perks. A Peddler of Fake Reviews on TripAdvisor Gets Jail Time TripAdvisor hopes that jail time will scare off the dishonest folks creating fake reviews. We hope so, too. Travel Managers Aren't Buying Basic Economy Fares: Here's Why Travel managers are avoiding basic economy fares, and rightfully so. The consensus is that travelers end up paying more over the course of a trip if they go basic economy and have a worse flight experience to boot. American CEO on Gulf Carrier Pact: 'Someone Is Cheating Already' Remember when the Trump administration suggested in May it had solved the ongoing dispute between U.S. and Gulf carriers? Hah. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker is already complaining one competitor is ignoring the spirit of the agreement. 25 Things That Inspire Me About the Travel Industry I wrote out all the things that inspire me and the team at Skift about the daily and larger promise of travel and the global industry that drives it. World Travel Is Southeast Asia's Leading Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Magazine Sponsored by World Travel Magazine Our Singapore-based partner World Travel Magazine provides readers with recommendations from dream destinations all over the world, covering tastemakers, trendsetters, and the latest in luxury and lifestyle. Editor's PIcks Budget Carrier AirAsia Is Trying to Become a Lifestyle Booking Site Can a budget carrier like AirAsia also be an aspirational brand, and a hotel and activities booking site? The dual operations — running an airline and an online-travel-agency-like operation — seem like a big stretch. That's especially so when the airline is facing intense pressure from rising fuel costs. Hotelbeds Consolidates Travel Agency Business Under One Brand After two blockbuster deals, change was to be expected. If travel agents end up getting more choice and better technology, they won't have much to get upset about. Myanmar Tourism Is No Pariah at Asia-Pacific Travel Mart It was mostly business as usual for Myanmar tourism at the Pacific Asia Travel Association's 2018 travel mart. With visitations to Myanmar declining from Europe, the Americas and Africa, Myanmar is going after Chinese, Japanese and Korean tourists. But so is almost everyone else. Travel Could Gain From Apple's Augmented Reality Push Of all travel companies, TripAdvisor has the most to gain by taking advantage of the expanding augmented reality functionality of iPhones and other devices. Overlaying rich hotel and restaurant reviews on real-world scenes could be widely popular. Will it act? BridgeStreet Adds Hostels and Vacation Rentals to Biz Travel Platform BridgeStreet is bringing homeshares and hostels to its platform in order to offer more variety to business travelers. The key will be finding success among travel managers by making it easier for them to book stays outside traditional extended stay hotels. 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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