25 Jul
Travel

American Airlines Legend Bob Crandall on How Mergers Led to Increased Inequality

Brandon Wade

Bob Crandall at the Robert W. Baker Integrated Operations Center IOC in Fort Worth, Texas on October 25, 2017. Crandall is a longtime critic of airline consolidation. Brandon Wade

Skift Take: Bob Crandall called it in the late 1970s, saying airline deregulation would be the ruination of U.S. aviation. You can credit the retired American Airlines chairman and CEO with consistency as he argues that airline mergers — and mergers in general — have contributed to capital accumulation at the expense of workers, and the demise of small cities.

— Dennis Schaal

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25 Jul
Travel

Investors Question Whether Ryanair Has Lost the Magic

Ryanair’s quarterly profit is off, year-over-year, which might be making investors uneasy. Pictured is the airline’s Dublin headquarters.

Skift Take: Ryanair’s profit is down, but let’s not get carried away. The airline reported roughly $400 million U.S. in pre-tax profit for the most recent quarter, despite several challenges, including labor unrest and rising fuel prices. Europe’s leading discounter will be just fine.

— Brian Sumers

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25 Jul
Travel

State Tourism Budget Growth Slows Ahead of Governors’ Races in Midterms

David Fulmer

Oregon saw the largest increase in its state tourism marketing this year. Pictured are tourists at Ecola Point Overlook in Oregon’s Ecola State Park. David Fulmer

Skift Take: The future of tourism marketing in the United States will be on the ballot in more than three dozen states in one way or another this November. While most voters probably won’t realize that, tourism is one of the most important economic drivers they’ll be voting for.

— Dan Peltier

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25 Jul
Travel

The Philippines Aspires to Shift Visitors From Beaches to Culinary Tourism

Some of the cuisine of the Philippines. Tourism officials want visitors to focus on the destination’s food.

Skift Take: The Philippines’ new tourism chief is hoping that millennials will be inspired by social media sites like WeChat and Instagram to visit its culinary destinations as the government considers imposing quotas on beachgoers. Tourism officials worldwide will be watching to see how it turns out.

— Sean O’Neill

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25 Jul
Travel

Air Pollution Could Be Keeping Visitors Away From Some U.S. National Parks

Ross D. Franklin

A new study concludes visitors may be steering clear of some U.S. national parks or cutting their visits short because of pollution. Pictured is a Sept. 4, 2011 file photo of the main plant facility at the Navajo Generating Station northeast of Grand Canyon National Park as seen from Lake Powell in Page, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin

Skift Take: U.S. national parks are supposed to showcase America’s natural wonders, so it’s no surprise that visitors would stay away on days when the air might be full of pollution. Given the current administration’s eagerness to roll back environmental regulations, we don’t see this problem being fixed anytime soon.

— Dan Peltier

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25 Jul
Travel

Tourism Boards Fund Event Security and 6 Other Tourism Trends This Week

dconvertini

Nashville is shown in this photo from September 2016. The Nashville tourism board became the latest organization to offer grants to its city police department to ensure the safety of tourists. dconvertini

Skift Take: This week in tourism, event security gets financial support from local tourism boards, and we question whether some luxury experiences are guilty of cultural appropriation.

— Sarah Enelow-Snyder

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25 Jul
Travel

Scenic Coastal Highway Reopens in California After Last Year’s Landslide

Joe Johnston

Crews work to finish up a massive seawall at the base of the Mud Creek Slide alon Highway 1 on the coast of Big Sur, California. Joe Johnston

Skift Take: Although the local community in Big Sur managed to make the best of a potential tourism disaster, it’s good to know that things are finally back to normal following last May’s devastating landslide.

— Deanna Ting

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