The Iran war has dramatically reshuffled global tourism demand, the founder of collapsed startup Sonder is already back with a lean AI-powered travel agent, and Priceline just gave its AI assistant the biggest overhaul in two years.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the Middle East's tourism collapse isn't killing global demand so much as redirecting it, how Francis Davidson is betting that asset-light AI software is the antidote to everything that killed Sonder, and why Priceline's Penny upgrade is a preview of where the entire travel industry is heading.

Articles Referenced:

Iran War Drives Middle East Tourism Slump and a Global Demand Shift

After Sonder's Collapse, Francis Davidson Returns With an AI Travel Agent

Priceline Penny Revamp: Multiagent AI Powered by Anthropic Claude

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A single AI-powered flight search just exposed a massive economic blind spot for the entire travel industry, new research reveals that treating women as one travel segment is quietly costing brands serious revenue, and Expedia's new chief AI officer just laid out the company's boldest bet yet.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why AI-powered travel search is breaking a system built on the assumption that humans eventually give up, how brands still running generic women's campaigns are leaving their highest-value customers completely unreached, and why Expedia's answer to AI disruption is to become the infrastructure everyone else depends on.

Articles Referenced:

AI Impact on Travel Search Costs

Women Travelers Are Not a Segment. Treating Them as One Is a Strategic Mistake.

Expedia's New Chief AI Officer on What the Company Is Really Building

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Two blockbuster deals in one week put Barry Diller and Tilman Fertitta on track to control a massive chunk of Las Vegas hospitality, Southwest Airlines confirms it's going international and eyeing lounges, and Hilton just launched a brand new hotel concept targeting a market most chains have ignored.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the MGM and Caesars deals signal a new era of ownership concentration on the Strip, how Southwest's latest reinvention is starting to look a lot like the airlines it swore it would never become, and whether Hilton's college-town bet can survive the notoriously seasonal economics of campus hospitality.

Articles Referenced:

Barry Diller Moves to Take Over MGM Resorts in $18 Billion Deal

Caesars Agrees to $5.7 Billion Takeover by Tilman Fertitta

Southwest Moves Toward Latest Reinvention: Long-Haul International and Lounges

Hilton Launches Undergraduate Hotel Brand for College Towns. Here's What the Numbers Say.

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United's CEO slams merger speculation and delivers a brutal public assessment of JetBlue's finances, the U.S. government spent eight years producing a one-page PDF about passenger rights, and Expedia just bet big on one of YouTube's biggest streamers to win over Gen Z.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Scott Kirby is done buying growth and betting that weaker airlines will simply hand United market share for free, why America's new passenger rights rule is a masterclass in doing the bare minimum while Europe has been paying travelers cash for delays since 2004, and why Expedia's IShowSpeed partnership signals that creator marketing has officially moved from experiment to core strategy across the travel industry.

Articles Referenced:

United CEO Slams 'Idiotic' Theory He Used American Bid as Cover for Smaller Deal

It Took Eight Years to Create a One-Page PDF for the U.S. Airline Industry

Expedia x IShowSpeed: Why Brands Are Doubling Down on Creators

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Hotels and OTAs have been battling over direct bookings for a decade — here's who's actually winning, Marriott just struck a deal that signals hotels are serious about selling more than just rooms, and two major hotel tech companies are joining forces to fix the data problem standing in the way of AI.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why hotels won the economics of the OTA war but may be about to lose their front doors to AI entirely, how Marriott's ResortPass deal reflects a growing push to turn empty pool chairs and spa slots into high-margin revenue, and why the Mews and SiteMinder integration is the unglamorous foundation hotels need before AI can actually take over.

Articles Referenced:

Direct Booking Tug-of-War: Hotels' Long Bid to Take Back Power

Marriott Signs ResortPass Deal. Why Hotels Are Pushing to Sell More Than Rooms.

Mews and SiteMinder to Put Hotel Distribution, Operations Under One Roof — Exclusive

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The U.S. scales back a social media vetting proposal that was scaring off international visitors, Dubai's $400 million in hotel relief is welcome but isn't solving the real problem, and Ryanair just paid off every last dollar of its debt at exactly the right moment.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the U.S. walking back its ESTA social media requirements helps but may not undo the damage already done to America's image as a welcoming destination, why Dubai's hotel operators say fee exemptions don't fix a crisis caused by empty planes, and why Ryanair's debt-free balance sheet puts it in the strongest competitive position in its history just as fuel costs are hammering rivals.

Articles Referenced:

U.S. Plans to Scale Back on Collecting All Travelers' Social Media

Dubai's $400M in Tourism Aid Buys Time. Operators See Empty Rooms.

Ryanair Just Cleared Its Debt: Where Do Other Major Airlines Stand?

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Gulf travelers are flooding search engines but holding off on bookings as the Iran war reshapes travel demand, Brand USA launches a charm offensive to win back Canadian visitors, and Expedia reveals the next big piece of its AI roadmap for B2B partners.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the Gulf's search-to-booking gap signals a demand delay rather than a demand collapse, how Brand USA is rebuilding its Canadian strategy from scratch on a dramatically reduced budget, and why Expedia's new MCP server is the unglamorous infrastructure play that could quietly reshape how AI books travel.

Articles Referenced:

Gulf Travelers Are Searching, Not Booking: How the Iran War Is Reshaping Travel Demand

Brand USA Plans New Campaign To Win Back Canadian Travelers

Expedia to Launch Agentic AI Tools for B2B Partners

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Expedia makes its second acquisition of 2026 and does a reset on its AI strategy, Google officially names hotel booking as the next frontier for agentic shopping, and private equity has discovered the events industry — and the people inside it aren't sure how to feel about it.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Expedia's CarTrawler deal and AI pivot reveal a company quietly becoming a B2B infrastructure powerhouse, why Google's latest announcements could disrupt the entire hotel discovery and booking funnel overnight, and what a room full of events industry CEOs is making of the private equity money flowing their way.

This episode is presented by Lodgify!

Articles Referenced:

Expedia To Acquire CarTrawler in Second B2B Deal of 2026

Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin on What Companies Get Wrong About AI Chatbots

Google Names Hotels as Next Vertical for Agentic ShoppingPrivate Equity Has Discovered the Events Industry — Now What?

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New York City hotel workers secure a landmark eight-year labor deal, Ryanair's CEO ties his fuel outlook directly to Trump's midterm ambitions, and Cathay Pacific removes the most photographed amenity in airport lounges — and the reason why says a lot about where luxury travel is heading.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why NYC's groundbreaking housekeeper pay deal is about to become the new benchmark for hotel labor negotiations nationwide, how Ryanair's Michael O'Leary is betting Trump will resolve the Iran conflict before elevated fuel prices cost him the midterms, and why Cathay Pacific's decision to swap its iconic cabanas for massage booths reflects a fundamental shift in what luxury travelers actually want.

This episode is presented by Lodgify!

Articles Referenced:

NYC Hotel Housekeepers' Pay to Hit $61 an Hour

Ryanair CEO Ties Fuel Outlook to Trump's Midterm Math

Cathay Pacific Removed Its First Class Lounge Cabanas. That Tells You Where Luxury Travel Is Heading.

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Americans are hungry for summer travel despite rising costs, Brand USA launches a fact-checking platform to win back international visitors, and new Skift Research says most travel brands don't just have one Gen Z problem... they have two.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why this summer's travel demand is strong but deeply uneven across income levels, how Brand USA's new "Get Facts. Get Going." platform is tackling misinformation keeping international travelers away from the U.S., and why the travel brands focused only on reaching Gen Z are missing the harder and more expensive problem.

This episode is presented by Lodgify!

Articles Referenced:

'Desperate' to Travel, but Rising Costs Point to 'Uneven' Summer

Brand USA Launches Fact-Checking Platform to Win Back International Travelers

Travel Brands Think They Have a Gen Z Problem. Most Have Two.

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