Skift Travel News Blog

California-based RedAwning has introduced updates to its communication features for Airbnb superhosts. 

The new communications hub communication features include:

• Centralized communications management , where hosts can send messages from their email, mobile phone, or via the RedAwning Portal or the mobile app, to guests which will then appear on their booking platform or email or text inbox. 
• Automated messaging for hosts, with customization of design and text for all messages.
• Automatic conversion of PDF attachments to channel inboxes.

“The fundamental core idea that you’re in the hospitality business is not what people necessarily think of when they think they’re in the rental business,” Red Awning CEO Tim Choate said. “So by using AI and real hospitality thinking, we’re hoping that we can get people to both be very efficient but also be able to personalize and customize something that’s very professional and hospitality oriented.”

Although this particular launch doesn’t have ChatGPT add-ons, Choate hinted at that being the second phase of this launch.

“The next phase for communication, which we’ve already been working on for a while, is integrating AI features,” Choate said. “But it’s really hard to get it right to get AI to suggest responses by using your history, and high hospitality standards.”

Next among product updates is automatic integration of internet of things or smart devices including locks, thermostats, hot tubs, pools and lights. 

This is how Choate described it: ““You automatically send all your personalized messages to each guest via their communications method of choice, automatically set and deliver your door codes, and then you automatically turn up the heat 6 hours before check in and turn it down 2 hours after checkout, so the house will be warm and you save energy. Maybe you also have a hot tub so you automatically turn that up, or maybe you have a pool and the guest opted to pay a fee for pool heating, so you turn up the heat automatically and automatically bill the guest too.”

Qantas has unveiled the livery of its first QantasLink Airbus A220, which will be the sixth aircraft to feature in its Flying Art Series when it comes into service as part of the group’s domestic fleet renewal program.

The aircraft features the Aboriginal artwork of senior Pitjantjatjara artist, Maringka Baker, and tells the ‘dreaming story of two sisters who traverse remote Australia together, covering vast distances to find their way home,’ according to a release from the carrier.

Qantas has worked with Indigenous Australian design agency, Balarinji on the fuselage design for all of its aircrafts featured in the Flying Art Series, with this design featuring over 20,000 dots taking a team of 100 painters two weeks to complete.

The aircraft has also been given the name ‘Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa’ – which translates to ‘The Two Sisters Creation Story’ – that was inspired by the artwork.

The aircraft, which is currently at Airbus’ facility in Mirabel, Canada, is due to arrive in Australia before the end of 2023.

Airbnb made public filings on Tuesday showing that its acquisition of AI company GamePlanner.AI was paid partially with stock valued at about $104.5 million. 

The filings said that the company is offering 877,062 shares and the two largest recipients were listed as Adam Cheyer (337,652 shares) and Siamak Hodjat (245,565). 

Cheyer and Hodjat are the co-founders of GamePlanner.AI, which Airbnb said on Tuesday that it had acquired for an undisclosed price. 

Other stock recipients included several venture capital funds: B Capital, Golden Circle Ventures, a fund owned by Hong Kong businesswoman Solina Chau Hoi Shue, and a trust related to venture capitalist Gary Morgenthaler, among others.

One filing referenced $119.15 as the last reported stock stock price on November 13, which would make the total value of the shares $104.5 million.

Citing sources familiar with the deal, CNBC reported that the total value of the GamePlanner.ai acquisition was nearly $200 million. Airbnb stock is up 3% over the last day and up 36% year to date.

About 7 million international travelers came to the U.S in August, which was 86% of their pre-pandemic level, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office’s latest data. About 3.3 million of international travelers came from outside North America.

India was the U.S.’s second top traveler market outside North America in August. The U.S. welcomed 221,000 travelers from India. Only the UK surpassed India with 396,000 travelers. 

This year, India has been the U.S.’s second largest traveler market outside North America. From January to August, nearly 1.2 million Indian travelers visited the U.S. The UK held the top spot with 2.5 million travelers.

Over 2.7 million travelers came to the U.S. with a tourist visa in August. Nearly 240,000 came with a business visa.

Nearly 8.9 million Americans traveled abroad in August, which was 94% of their 2019 pre-pandemic level. To date, over 66 million Americans have traveled abroad.

JetBlue Airways President Joanna Geraghty said the airline would “love” to partner with passenger rail operator Brightline in Florida.

While she did not provide many details of what such a partnership could look like, it would likely include single-itinerary trips that combine both a JetBlue flight and Brightline train, and protections for travelers if either their flight or train is late. This could make the transfer experience between flights and trains smoother for many travelers. Many European airlines offer similar rail partnerships, including Air France with French rail operator SNCF and Lufthansa with German operator Deutsche Bahn.

JetBlue already offers similar joint itineraries, including protections for connections, with cruise operators and other partners through its Paisly travel products booking site.

Brightline began passenger rail service between Orlando and Miami in September. The trip takes roughly three-and-a-half-hours with four intermediate stops, including in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. The operator’s Orlando station is located at the airport adjacent to Terminal C where JetBlue flights arrive and depart.

Geraghty, who was speaking at the U.S. Travel Association’s Future of Travel Mobility conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, said JetBlue would also be interested in partnering with Brightline at the Fort Lauderdale airport. That, however, would require a new train station and likely airport facilities to connect the two; Brightline’s tracks pass the terminal complex at the Fort Lauderdale airport.

JetBlue has large bases in both Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

Hotel Indigo has launched a new program wherein residents in the US and UK who share a zip code, or postcode, with select Hotel Indigo’s are now able to “borrow” everyday essentials at no cost. 

The ‘Borrowed by Hotel Indigo’ program has been designed to ‘reignite the popular habit of lending to a neighbor,’ according to a release.

So starting this month, locals will be invited to borrow what a survey from the brand has revealed as the most commonly borrowed items, including coffee, tea, sugar and olive oil.

The initiative has taken inspiration from the brand’s latest marketing campaign, which has been created to position the brand as the ‘World’s Neighborhood Hotel’.

“When our hotels join a neighborhood, we become a part of the fabric of the community. We put it at the heart of everything, and we welcome the neighborhood and its people into our spaces – it’s how we create an authentically local experience for our guests. Everyone knows the adage of ‘borrowing a cup of sugar’ from your neighbor – with this program, we want to embody this idea of being a good neighbor and strengthen social connections with those inside and outside of our hotels,” said Carol Hoeller, vice president global brand management for Hotel Indigo.

Miami startup Foothold.co has launched a real estate crowdfunding platform for investing in luxury vacation rentals.

Following SEC compliance and the finalization of its online investment processing platform, Foothold.co allows both accredited and non-accredited investors, starting from $200. 

Foothold was founded in September 2022 after raising capital to invest in real estate for private investors, the company designed a crowdfunding platform to cater for accredited and non-accredited investors to invest online.

The company has announced availability starting November 8, including an investment opportunity in the “Patagonia Mirror Hotel” resort in Argentina. The company plans to extend its platform to local US investors in 2024, actively seeking partnerships with hospitality and glamping space developers.

According to its website, the company counts over 1200 investors and 21 units under development. 

“Our long term vision is to create a solution to help real estate developers and architects in securing funding to turn their visions into reality. We collaborate with them to create unique short-term rentals with the potential to captivate Airbnb users,”said German Rimoldi, co-founder of Foothold.

Foothold’s concept isn’t new – fractional ownership of vacation rentals, especially in the luxury segment, have been gaining momentum. 

In October last year, luxury vacation rental brand Wander launched what it called the industry’s first vacation rental REIT named “Atlas” — with an attempt to attract investors with high yield-passive income promising eight percent annual returns and 14 percent targeted total return.

Another Miami company Here.co offers a similar proposition: to allow everyone to invest in short-term and vacation rentals.

Saudi Arabia’s two national carriers, Riyadh Air and Saudia have entered a partnership that will start with a codeshare agreement, but go on to include much more collaborative efforts. The pair of Kingdom carriers announced the deal at the Dubai Airshow taking place in the emirate this week.

Along with codeshares, the deal will see each carrier’s loyalty program sync up so that travelers will be able to earn points or credits when traveling on codeshare services operated by the other.

Riyadh Air “Raising The Bar”

Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas stated: “Riyadh Air and Saudia will play a significant part in the growth of travel tourism within the Kingdom and so having the national carriers working side-by-side is the best way to accelerate and manage this growth.”

“We are confident that Riyadh Air will raise the bar in air travel and working in cooperation with Saudia will help us achieve this as we prepare for take-off in 2025.”

Riyadh Air was launched earlier this year by the Kingdom’s crown prince, looking to connect to 100 destinations by 2030 and significantly support the country’s lofty 150 million visitor goal that same year. Headed by the former chief of Abu Dhabi’s Etihad, the carrier says it will create 200,000 jobs by the end of the decade and contribute billions to the local economy.

Tourists won’t be allowed to relax in Iceland’s iconic Blue Lagoon for the next few days. A volcano near the geothermal spa is very likely to erupt soon, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. 

Residents of the nearby seaside town of Grindavik have been evacuated. Roads have been closed. There have been around 900 earthquakes recorded in the area since midnight on Monday. Grindavik is located 26 miles away from Reykjavik.

When or where the eruption will happen is uncertain. The location and size of the eruption will determine what the impact on flight traffic will be, according to Visit Iceland.

Blue Lagoon is closed until November 30. The spa has been closed since November 9. “We’re constantly reassessing the situation in accordance with the local authorities,” said a Blue Lagoon spokesperson.

Most tourist attractions remain open. The Golden Circle, the South Coast and the Northern Lights have not been affected and remain open. Tour operators Intrepid Travel, Jacada Travel and Kensington Tours are monitoring the situation and haven’t cut their trips to Iceland.

No flights have been canceled or suspended. All airlines are operating on schedule, according to Visit Iceland. There has been no impact to the Keflavik Airport, according to the U.S. Embassy in Iceland.

UK issued a travel warning. On November 11, the UK advised its nationals to monitor local media for updates and follow the advice of local authorities on travel to the area.

The Reykjanes Peninsula has experienced three eruptions in the last two years.

In 2010, Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano experienced an eruption that disrupted over 90,000 flights.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has launched a new cat-inspired campaign designed to highlight the ‘#PurrrfectVacation’.

The ‘All About You’ campaign was created by FABLEfx, and stars Leo the cat as he journeys across Ras Al Khaimah to discover all that the Emirate has to offer whilst maintaining his ‘laid-back demeanor’.  

According to a release, the feline character was inspired by a real rescue-cat named Leo, who found a home in Ras Al Khaimah and became a social media icon in the process. 

In addition to the creative elements of the campaign, there is also a gamification element where players have the opportunity to win a trip to Ras Al Khaimah and discount vouchers.

“Ras Al Khaimah’s wealth of experiences comes to life in a whimsical way in our new campaign. The decision to choose a cat character for the Ras Al Khaimah’s latest marketing campaign is a strategic one that is based on consumer insights, brand alignment and research that shows ad campaigns featuring mascots are 37% better positioned for greater market share,” said Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism and Development Authority.

“This was reinforced with a YouGov survey that validated that the presence of the cat in our campaign resonates with our target audience and adds to its likeability with scores of up to 90% among tested campaigns in all markets. This creative campaign will help put the Emirate on the map for new tourists, with the help of a fascinating and memorable character, who was once a real-life and beloved icon in the Emirate”, said Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism and Development Authority.”