The JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, Venice. Mergers and acquisitions are changing the luxury hotel sector. Marriott InternationalSkift Take: Scale definitely helps hotel companies, but it comes at a cost. With multiple brands, differentiation is difficult, leaving plenty of room for smaller operators.

A concierge at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva. Hotel staff take guests to visit private watchmaking ateliers. Mandarin Oriental GenevaSkift Take: It would be easy to dismiss a concierge as a relic of another time. But concierges are the secret weapon of the educated traveler, and when the job is done well, it is vital. — Colin NagyColin Nagy, head of strategy at Fred & Farid, a global advertising agency, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality, innovation, and business travel.

MSC Seaside is pictured in Trieste, Italy. Switzerland-based parent company MSC Cruises launched the new ship Thursday in Miami as part of an expansion in North America. Mike Louagie / MSC CruisesSkift Take: As MSC Cruises embarks on a rapid global expansion, it makes sense for the privately owned operator to focus on the popular Caribbean cruise market.

El Cosmico Hotel in Marfa, Texas has a full line of ECPC Apothecary products. El CosmicoSkift Take: In the rush to smash together retail and hotels, brands have to focus on doing this with a lot of care and intention. Sometimes a brand just isn't that important. — Colin Nagy Colin Nagy, head of strategy at Fred & Farid, a global advertising agency, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality, innovation, and business travel.

Virgin Atlantic has built a pop-up igloo at London Heathrow. Virgin AtlanticSkift Take: Most high-value customers choose airlines based on two factors —price and schedule. But on the margins, airlines like to use marketing strategies to attract customers. Maybe Virgin Atlantic's outdoor igloo at London Heathrow will help it win some new fans. — Brian SumersThe Skift Airline Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter focused on the business of airline innovation.

Carnival Conquest is shown returning to San Juan on Nov. 30 after Hurricane Maria caused severe damage to Puerto Rico. The cruise line said storms this year caused a pause in Caribbean bookings. Carnival Cruise LineSkift Take: Carnival Corp. had a good quarter despite the fact that it included two monster hurricanes in key markets. That should bode well for other players in the cruise industry. — Hannah SampsonCarnival Corp.

Skift Take: Calling all educators! We're offering an educator rate making it easier than ever for you to attend our upcoming Skift Forum Europe. Apply today. — Rafat AliEvery year we get countless emails from professors around the world asking about attending our Forum events. For Skift Global Forum NYC 2017, we implemented a new type of ticket to accommodate those impassioned professionals leading the next generation of travel innovators.

Revelers at London's 2016 Pride parade. The UK has experienced strong travel and tourism growth since the Brexit referendum. Chris Beckett / FlickrSkift Take: Tourism, along with business travel, is on the rise again in the UK due to a weak British pound and cheap flights. VisitBritain is trying to make the most of it despite the lingering ramifications of the political mess that is Brexit.

American Airlines still uses paper vouchers for ticket refunds. They're not easy to redeem. Envoy AirSkift Take: American Airlines wants to be known as a customer-friendly company. But the airline still doesn't make it easy for customers to redeem vouchers for flights. That needs to change soon. — Brian SumersThe Skift Airline Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter focused on the business of airline innovation.

Skift Take: Attention travel startups: We want you to attend Skift Forum Europe next April at our exclusive discounted price! Apply now. — Rafat Ali As you may have heard, on April 26, 2018 we’ll be hosting our second annual Skift Forum Europe event in Berlin, and one of the main reasons we’re heading there is because of its vibrant startup community that serves as an everyday test lab for the future of travel.