GOOD DAY, READERS.
The World Cup kicks off June 11, but the international travel boom the U.S. hospitality industry was counting on may fall short of expectations. Global Tourism Reporter Bailey Schulz finds that hotels in many host cities have been running in line with or below last year's booking pace, European flight bookings are down for most host city airports, and many short-term rental hosts are still waiting for a surge in demand.
The culprits: steep FIFA ticket prices, geopolitical headwinds dampening inbound travel, and a domestic crowd that simply doesn't spend like international visitors. While the tournament is still expected to offer a lift and last-minute bookings could shift the picture, the gap between forecast and reality is hard to ignore.
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MORNING HEADLINES
CHART OF THE DAY
The World Cup was supposed to be a windfall for short-term rental hosts. It's been a mixed bag, according to Global Tourism Reporter Bailey Schulz. High costs and concerns about visiting have kept international visitors away, and while demand is up year-over-year, most hosts are still waiting on bookings — and not everyone is convinced the last-minute rush will materialize.
SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK
On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the international tourist windfall host cities were promised isn't materializing, how Delta's Amex card expansion is a masterclass in playing the loyalty game right, and why hotels cutting costs with AI are missing the bigger opportunity sitting right in front of them.
PEOPLE MOVES
This week's people moves shaping the industry. Let us know about a move.
Justin Purves is joining The Set as its VP of Global Sales.
Dean Winter was appointed CEO of The PuLi Group.
Josh Littman was named Head of Development across EMEA for the Langham Hospitality Group. He had most recently served as Vice President of Development, EMEA at Starwood Hotels.
Ilana Edelman is the new Vice President of Development across EMEA for Ace Hotel Group.
Heather Moses was appointed CMO of RateGain.
Bill Watkins has joined Expedia as the SVP and GM of Global Advertising.
Paul Harnedy was named by Yotel as its new COO. He comes to the company after having led asset management for Cedar Capital Partners.
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