Will Airlines Be Hotels' Biggest Enemy in the Recovery?
Limited Airlift and Poor Experiences Could Sour Travelers' Journey
In earnings calls and conference commentary this year, all I hear about is optimism related to the still untapped potential of pent-up travel demand.
A lot of that is tied to leisure travel, the segment that has already led the recovery. It has left many hoteliers hopeful there is still more upside to unlock, and more and more of it is tied to the return of business travel, which has shown some early signs of life.
As an active traveler myself, I can say there is definitely something very real about this return of travel, and it really is quite joyous to get back into the world and experience new places after a prolonged period of hibernation.
But I caution all hoteliers to keep something extremely vital in mind: All is not right in the world of travel.
Anyone who has been out on the road, or more appropriately up in the skies, over the past year or so can tell you that the overall experience of traveling is more stressful, expensive and anxiety-inducing than it has ever been. There is a single, simple reason for that: The air travel experience right now is atrocious.
