6 Questions for Airlines Iconoclast Gordon Bethune on the State of the Industry

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Former Continental Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune. Skift

Skift Take: As airlines continue to plan their rebound strategies from the global coronavirus pandemic, the legendary Gordon Bethune, an expert in turning things around, sees a difficult yet promising future ahead for airplanes and commercial travel.

— Ruthy Muñoz

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Video: Interview With Top United Airlines Exec Andrew Nocella at Skift Aviation Forum 🔒

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United Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella. Skift

Skift Take: United is optimistic that even the most-struggling sectors like corporate travel will eventually return. But the airline will continue to play it safe with capacity cuts until the positive impact of a vaccine fully resonates throughout the broader economy.

— Cameron Sperance

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The Park Ranger Connecting Civil Rights to the U.S. National Parks

Keith Walket  / Yosemite Conservancy

Park Ranger Shelton Johnson in Buffalo Soldier uniform with Half Dome in the background. Keith Walket / Yosemite Conservancy

Skift Take: As we grapple with the role of race and exclusion in the wilderness, Shelton Johnson’s views on Sierra Club founder John Muir, as well as the connection between the civil rights and national park movements, give us all a fuller picture of the complete idea of freedom, and what it means to have an inheritance in those parks.

— Jill Robinson

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Video: Interview With Air France CEO Anne Rigail at Skift Aviation Forum 🔒

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Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France , talked about the bold and drastic changes her team has made to the airline at Skift Aviation Forum. Skift

Skift Take: Air France plans to keep in-flight meal service and first-class cabins on international flights despite making cuts to its flight network and seeking other operational efficiencies. Count on it. That’s the promise from CEO Anne Rigail.

— Sean O’Neill

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100 Million Chinese Projected to Travel Overseas in 2021: How Realistic Is That?

Photo courtesy of Switzerland Tourism

Chinese free independent travelers exploring Switzerland. Photo courtesy of Switzerland Tourism

Skift Take: It would be fantastic if 2021 would see 100 million mainland Chinese traveling overseas. The first huge swell is touted to begin during the Lunar New Year holiday in February. But like a horoscope, it’s just a prediction. Still, destinations are wise not to be caught off-guard should the big moment happens.

— Raini Hamdi

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A Funding Crisis at Destinations Spurs New Tourism Marketing Models

Los Cabos Tourism Board

Los Cabos Tourism Board established a private sector funded trust months before Covid hit. Los Cabos Tourism Board

Skift Take: Since April, destination marketing organizations have been forced to seek funding beyond revenue from hotel bed taxes, which aren’t expected back fully for four years. What’s emerging? A blended DMO model in which advocacy, corporations, and communities play key roles.

— Lebawit Lily Girma

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Uncertainty Looms Over Seamless EU-UK Tourism as Final Brexit Nears

Mirko Toller  / Flickr Commons

As Brexit’s final phase nears, uncertainty looms over how travel between EU-UK will operate seamlessly. Mirko Toller / Flickr Commons

Skift Take: The lack of clarity surrounding EU-UK travel regulations in 2021 is causing concern among European Union destinations as well as tourism service providers. But the biggest deterrent to consumer confidence could be the continued lack of consensus on travel health protocols.

— Lebawit Lily Girma

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