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

Read the Complete Story On Skift

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

Read the Complete Story On Skift

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

Read the Complete Story On Skift

05 Mar
Travel

European Tourism Losing More Than $1 Billion a Month From Virus: EU Commissioner

A.Davey / Flickr

The Art Nouveau Palace Hotel Prague. European commissioner for Internal Markets Thierry Breton on Monday told a French television station that the estimated financial toll of the virus on the tourism industry in Europe amounts to roughly $1.1 billion per month. A.Davey / Flickr

Skift Take: It’s not just Chinese tourists who aren’t visiting Europe anymore. Expect the economic losses to steepen.

— Rosie Spinks

Read the Complete Story On Skift

123