Barry Sternlicht, the real estate investor who founded Starwood Hotels & Resorts, continues to expand his 1 Hotels eco-luxury hotel brand. 1 Hotels/Starwood Capital Group Skift Take: Being a perfectionist isn't always a bad thing, especially if Sternlicht's hotel history is any proof of that. — Deanna TingBarry Sternlicht has a lot to be happy about these days.

AirAsia X Group CEO Datuk Kamarudin Meranun wants to expand his airline's reach. Air Asia XSkift Take: Just as Norwegian Air has on trans-Atlantic routes, Air Asia X might disrupt established trans-Pacific players and push down fares. But making money on long haul flights is tricky, and Air Asia X might decide it has better options closer to home.

Christopher Nasetta, CEO of Hilton Worldwide, speaking at last year's World Travel & Tourism Conference. Nassetta is optimistic about the year ahead for his company. WTTCSkift Take: For Hilton, focusing on building direct customer relationships, improving loyalty, and launching new brands will always be top priorities, at least for this year. — Deanna TingThere’s a “new” Hiltonthis year.

Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson (left) and chairman Bill Marriott Jr. in Times Square in New York City September 30, 2016. Sorenson thinks President Trump's travel ban could adversely impact group business. Marriott InternationalSkift Take: Companies like Marriott International, with its strong global presence, are in a good position to capitalize on hotel demand that may shift away from the U.S. due to political concerns.

Azamara is putting an even greater focus on land experiences with new activities and itineraries. Here, the Azamara Quest is shown in Sydney Harbour. Azamara Club CruisesSkift Take: Azamara's focus on the shore is serving the company well, but at some point its 17-year-old ships will be ready to retire.

Evan Frank, CEO of onefinestay, is overseeing the company's expansion, as well as its entrance into the traditional vacation rental market with its new Collections product. onefinestay Skift Take: Onefinestay's parent company, Accor, and homesharing juggernaut, Airbnb, aren't the only companies interested in the traditional vacation rental market. — Deanna TingIt’s been an eventful year for onefinestay.

Hugo Burge, the Chief Executive of Momondo Group. The company is in the process of being bought by Priceline. Momondo GroupSkift Take: Instant booking has long been thought of as a natural progression for the metasearch sector, so it is interesting to note the cautious tone adopted by Momondo’s Chief Executive. It would be a big change and Hugo Burge is determined to make sure whatever he brings in does not confuse the consumer.

An EasyJet aircraft. The carrier, along with Ryanair, is finding that there is still a lot of competition in the market. EasyJetSkift Take: Cheap fuel is keeping the European aviation market competitive, which presents something of a challenge to strong, established carriers like EasyJet and Ryanair. We'll probably have to wait until next year for any kind of shake-up. — Patrick WhyteNot all airlines love cheap fuel. Of course if they had a monopoly on flights, low oil prices would be great.

Father and daughter protesters outside of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. President Donald Trump's travel ban Jeff Chiu / Associated PressSkift Take: This is good news for travel and tourism, but what travelers and business leaders are looking for here is some semblance of consistency by the U.S. on who can come into the U.S. and how.

Trump Hotels CEO Eric Danizger wants to emphasize his company's growth and expansion, while maintaining its distinction from Trump the President. Trump Hotels Skift Take: The hotel business will always be a challenging one, regardless of whether your founder happens to be the 45th President of the United States or not.