Unified Visas = Tourism Boom?
Good morning, readers. As you all know, many of my colleagues are plying their trade in Dubai at the Skift Global Forum East, and we've got all the highlights. There's also a loyalty tie-up between Marriott and Singapore Airlines and we also have word on some job cuts at a digital marketing platform that caters to travel companies. On the itinerary:
The biggest headlines from our Forum in Dubai
Marriott, Singapore Airlines get loyal together
Sojern lays off 20% of its staff to cut expenses
Dubai As a Global Hub
We are just about to wrap up our second day of the Skift Global Forum East in Dubai, and we have a slate of news from yesterday afternoon along with today's sessions. Here is the latest:
“When Dubai began its journey, we had hunger and agility, we have an entrepreneurial spirit," Issam Kazim (pictured above), the CEO of Dubai Tourism, told Skift CEO Rafat Ali. "That’s how Dubai achieved what it did. We were the new kids on the block, we looked at Singapore, Paris, New York and so on.”
Meanwhile, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas stood out amongst his peers by announcing the upstart airline would ditch cabin crew uniforms. He also boasted of an exceptional premium economy product and laid out why first class did not make sense for the carrier.
Raki Phillips, the tourism boss for neighbor Emirate Ras Al Khaimah, praised the value of the proposed shared visa scheme among between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. “We have to take away the burden of travel. We want to find those friction points and eliminate them," he told the audience.
Outbound travel from China has been held back by flight capacity and visa hurdles. That’s according to Boon Sian Chai, managing director and vice president of international markets for Trip.com. Once those issues are resolved, domestic travelers will be looking to head out of the country again, he said.
Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith said the sale of Portugal’s state-owned TAP was postponed by 9-12 months due to the change in government. Group executives, including Smith, had previously expressed a keen interest in buying the airline multiple times.
Transforming Global Tourism for a New Generation
The focal point for the global travel and tourism industry is moving eastward. Middle Eastern countries are investing heavily in tourism infrastructure as a cornerstone for economic growth, and therefore have become models for future innovation in the travel sector. Learn more in the latest report from Dubai + Skift.
Marriott, Singapore Airlines Team Up
Marriott and Singapore Airlines are bringing their loyalty programs together to give members of both ways to maximize their benefits.
Effective immediately, eligible members of the two programs will receive a status match to a comparable tier in the other program. Both have also launched an accelerated path to earn higher elite status.
For instance, those with Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elite status can earn KrisFlyer Gold status (equivalent to Star Alliance Gold) by flying just four revenue flights on Singapore Airlines in any cabin. That’s significantly lower than the requirement to earn 50,000 elite miles in a year.
Similarly, members of Singapore Airlines’ Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold can qualify for Marriott’s Platinum Elite status by staying with participating properties for just 10 nights (instead of the usual fifty). It’s a significant reduction to bring in new customers for Marriott International properties.
Airlines and hotel chains frequently collaborate to grow their loyal member base and increase business. Accor’s ALL loyalty program collaborates with Qantas Frequent Flyer, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue programs, for example.
Sojern Lays Off 20% of Staff
Sojern, the digital marketing platform for travel companies, laid off about 20% of its staff last week, noting that the moves were primarily associated with the company’s legacy offerings.
Sojern’s primary business is an AI-powered platform that uses customer data to help hotels and other travel companies make more informed marketing decisions and drive direct bookings. The company says it works with more than 10,000 travel companies worldwide.
Sojern did not say exactly how many people the layoff affects. LinkedIn lists about 500 people associated with the company. The company did not specify which departments were included but said it included some public relations staff.
“This decision was not made lightly,” the statement said. “However the company believes this is the right path forward to support the long-term health of the business. While the company remains profitable, its executives and the board of directors agree that the best course of action to ensure long-term profitable growth is to reduce expenses for the upcoming year.”
Sojern in July acquired VenueLytics, a platform that provides guest management and communications software for independent hotels, in an effort to move into a new sector of hotel services.
At the time of the acquisition, Kurt Weinsheimer, chief solutions officer for Sojern, said clients had been asking for a way to use Sojern’s data to drive revenue beyond securing bookings alone.
Sojern raised $120 million in a series D funding in 2018, totaling $162.5 million at the time.
More From Skift
Despegar Ups Its Full-Year 2023 Guidance Based on Travel Strength in Latin America
Ian Schrager and Marriott Open Second Edition Hotel in Japan
International Traveler Spending in the U.S. Remains Below 2019 Level
Experience Economy Investors Need to Amplify the Human Touch
IDEAS: British Airways Introduces Accessible Video Content for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Customers
Skift Travel 200: Top Movers
Despegar.com jumped nearly 12% after the company posted strong results and raised its 2023 revenue guidance. The company now expects the low-end of its full-year revenue to be $690 million, up from $670 million.
Source: The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. Go to the Skift Travel 200. Stock data as of market close.