05 Mar
Travel

Coronavirus Tests Economic Reforms for Travel in Gulf Arab States

Shaihana AlMutairi / flickr.com

Saudi Arabia last week also shut down the two holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Madina (pictured here) to foreign travelers. Shaihana AlMutairi / flickr.com

Skift Take: Gulf Arab states are feeling the brunt of an economic slowdown as the spread of coronavirus tests years’ worth of reforms. Countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have relied on tourism and hospitality sectors to diversify away from oil, but recent travel cancellations and suspensions due to the illness are set to result in significant financial losses.

— Reem Abdellatif

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05 Mar
Travel

Millennial Parent Travelers Set Themselves Apart From Peers Without Kids: Skift Research

Pixaby / Pexels

Most millennials today are parents, and they’re changing family travel. A young dad plays with his son on the beach. Pixaby / Pexels

Skift Take: Millennial parents have a lot in common with their generational peers without kids, but they also have some unique travel preferences and values. Their impact on the family travel segment is just beginning.

— Meghan Carty

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05 Mar
Travel

Nearly 90 Percent of U.S. Travelers Have Yet to Cancel Plans Due to Virus: Skift Research

Nico El Nino / Adobe

In a straw poll of the U.S. online adult population conducted by Skift Research from Feb. 27–29, almost nine in 10 American travelers have not canceled trips due to coronavirus. Nico El Nino / Adobe

Skift Take: U.S. travelers are taking a wait-and-see approach to the evolving coronavirus situation, with few canceling just yet. But most American travel happens domestically, and as the virus spreads within the country, that may soon change.

— Seth Borko

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05 Feb
Travel

Cathay Pacific Calls on 27,000 Workers to Take Unpaid Leave As Airline Struggles From Virus Outbreak

Vincent Thian / Associated Press

Cathay Pacific Airways planes parked at the Hong Kong International Airport. The airline is asking its 27,000 employees to take three weeks of unpaid leave while the Hong Kong carrier struggles with plunging revenue due to China’s virus outbreak. Vincent Thian / Associated Press

Skift Take: This is an extraordinary move from Cathay Pacific, but it shows the kind of knife-edge conditions it was operating under.

— Patrick Whyte

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05 Feb
Travel

How South African Tourism Can Get Its Mojo Back

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection

Shown here is Kadoro, the restaurant at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat in the Cederberg Mountains in the Western Cape, South Africa. The Red Carnation Hotel Collection

Skift Take: South African tourism is on the decline. There are several factors at play, but given the diversity of experiences that can be had in this country of 58 million people, what’s needed is a new and sharper narrative.

— Colin Nagy

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05 Feb
Travel

Travel Agency Expansion Heats Up in the Face of Staffing Challenges

Avoya Travel

The living wall in Avoya Travel’s new innovation center in San Diego County, Calif. The agency said it added 500 travel advisors in 2019. Avoya Travel

Skift Take: Strong sales are giving travel agencies the means to expand, but they face challenges in finding experienced travel advisors. As a way around this, some are looking to acquire existing agencies or attract more independents to their host operations.

— Maria Lenhart

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