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HotelsMag March/April 2026
OTA players, big tech, and Google I/O keep announcing major updates. It’s hard to keep up. And it should terrify tour operators. Or excite them. Depends on how you play it. Tripadvisor’s CEO just… | Ari Adnan Cibari | 23 comments
🌐 Tripadvisor's CEO reports ongoing declines in "flyby visitors" due to AI overviews. OpenAI partners with Expedia and Booking.com. Google launches Project Mariner, an AI agent for browsing, price monitoring, and booking. Only 15-25 million people pay for AI subscriptions, while 1.3 billion use free tools, leaving over 6 billion untouched by AI. Tour operators need direct booking systems and AI-friendly websites to stay relevant. AI commoditizes generic travel, increasing the value of bespoke experiences.
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Extreme Travel Disruption After U.S. and Israel Attack Iran
✈️ Following strikes by Israel and the U.S. on Iran, widespread airspace closures affected the Middle East, disrupting flights from Emirates, Flydubai, Air Arabia, and Qatar Airways. The UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait restricted airspace, leading to delays, cancellations, and rerouting. Governments advised shelter-in-place protocols for residents and travelers as military operations continue. The situation remains volatile, impacting travel and safety in the region.
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Travel’s third-largest sector faces its defining decade
🏖️ Experiences in the travel sector reached $271 billion in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and growing faster than the broader travel industry. The sector is projected to exceed $340 billion by 2029, with an 8% nominal CAGR from 2023-2029. Online channels are expected to rise from 17% of bookings in 2019 to 42% by 2029, with OTAs being the fastest-growing channel, increasing bookings more than fivefold from 2019 to 2029.
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FAA Considers Reducing Flights at Chicago O’Hare After American and United Turf War
🛫 The FAA may reduce flights from Chicago O’Hare this summer due to congestion concerns amidst a turf war between American and United Airlines. A meeting on March 4 will address potential flight restrictions to mitigate delays. A memo reveals that O'Hare's operations could surpass capacity in summer 2026, with ongoing construction affecting operations. Currently, peak days hit over 3,800 operations, compared to last summer's 2,680.
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Outside the Beltway: Why JW Marriott Reston Station is the perfect bridge between D.C. and Dulles
🏨 JW Marriott Reston Station opened in September 2025, located 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. The 248-room hotel, with design by Michael Graves, offers luxury accommodations and is part of a tech hub in Reston, Va., home to Google and Rolls-Royce North America. Managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, it features unique amenities like "mindful rooms" and the largest executive lounge in North America. The hotel had 175 jobs available at opening, attracting over 1,800 applicants.
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Southwest Airlines Bars Employees From Wearing Smart Glasses: Scoop
🛫 Southwest Airlines, on Thursday, prohibited employees from using smart glasses and wearable tech with recording functions during work, both on and off premises. The updated policy also includes a ban on wireless earbuds with recording capabilities.
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Amadeus Sets First Multi-Year Growth Target as AI Reshapes Travel Tech
💰 Amadeus announced its first three-year earnings growth target, detailing expectations of low double-digit growth in earnings per share (EPS) from 2026 to 2028. Released with its 2025 financial results, the company also projects high single-digit revenue growth. This marks a new strategic approach for the travel-technology giant. This information was presented on a Friday in a slide deck, highlighting Amadeus's commitment to transparency with investors.
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Asset-light only works if someone else owns the asset. And that’s the concern.
🏨 At ALIS 2026, IHG Hotels & Resorts CEO Elie Maalouf highlighted the dependency of asset-light hotel companies, like IHG, on asset-heavy owners. Hotel owners face declining profitability due to rising expenses and high interest rates. Over five years, hotel REITs declined by -9.5%, while the S&P rose by 74% and lodging companies like Marriott and Hilton increased by over 110%. Marriott's Tony Capuano emphasized the need to address high expenses to support owner profitability.
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Why hotel brands are betting big on this underdeveloped coastline in Mexico
🏖 Jalisco, Mexico, experiences significant hotel investment, with over $1 billion across 38 projects planned by 2028. Costalegre, a 150-mile Pacific coastline in Jalisco, attracts luxury brands despite its remote location and limited infrastructure. Key developments include Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo (opened 2022) and upcoming projects like Six Senses Xala and Chablé El Tezcalame, both slated for 2027. Costalegre's low-density approach values scarcity, long-term asset appreciation, and environmental conservation, contrasting with Guadalajara's rapid hotel growth.
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