05 Oct
Travel

Hilton, Hyatt and Others Pull Back the Curtain on Making Hygiene More Than Theater

NeferJanah Meistrup / Wikimedia

Critics argue safety measures like temperature checks are more theatrical than effective against the spread of coronavirus. Hotel brands say they help build guest confidence. NeferJanah Meistrup / Wikimedia

Skift Take: Strong communication and decision-making power at the local level are key to making heightened hotel cleaning measures succeed in an ever-changing pandemic information environment.

— Cameron Sperance

Read the Complete Story On Skift

05 Oct
Travel

JetBlue Founder Delays Launch of His New Airline to 2021 Starting in Southeastern U.S.

Breeze Airways

A Breeze Airways Embraer E195. The airline expects to start flying in 2021. Breeze Airways

Skift Take: At some point, the U.S. airline industry will have a robust recovery. But given the depth of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is unlikely this will happen next year. Breeze Airways may have a rough go at first.

— Brian Sumers

Read the Complete Story On Skift

05 Oct
Travel

Venice Marks Historic Day as Flood Barrier ‘Stopped the Sea’

Roberto Trombetta / Flickr.com

A flooded scene in Venice on October 28, 2012. The city built a flood barrier that is stopping high tides from overrunning the city. Roberto Trombetta / Flickr.com

Skift Take: From overtourism to a stark absence of tourists, tourism dynamics have rocked Venice and its citizens. The new flood barrier should at least provide some assurance for awhile that at least the tides won’t sink the city’s prospects.

— Dennis Schaal

Read the Complete Story On Skift

05 Oct
Travel

Meet the Springsteen Fans Who Created Tours That Bring the Star’s Legend to Life

Craig O'Neal / Wikipedia

Bruce Springsteen performing with drummer Max Weinberg behind him, on the Magic Tour stop at Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida, August 15, 2008. Celebrity tourism isn’t new, but these two have certainly carved out a unique niche. Craig O’Neal / Wikipedia

Skift Take: While celebrity tourism isn’t new, these two guides have certainly carved out a unique niche in covering Springsteen’s origins at the Jersey Shore. Small and genuine experiences like the tours they offer may outperform generic, mass-market offerings during the travel sector’s recovery.

— Sean O’Neill

Read the Complete Story On Skift

05 Oct
Travel

Disney to Lay Off 28,000 U.S. Theme Park Workers and Others as Covid Takes Its Toll

Skift

The world had been watching how Disney looks to successfully bring back large crowds to its theme parks in the coronavirus era. That’s much less certain now. Skift

Skift Take: Analysts had been predicting the Mouse House may not return to last year’s profit levels until 2025. These painful job cuts seemed inevitable.

— Tom Lowry

Read the Complete Story On Skift

123