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Today’s podcast covers domestic flights in China, protests in the Canary Islands, and real luxury travel.
— Rashard Jorden
Good morning from Skift. Today is Tuesday, April 30th. Here’s what you need to know about the travel industry today.
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episode notes
China Southern Airlines, one of China’s largest airlines, has purchased 100 domestically produced C919 aircraft manufactured by the state-owned Civil Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC).
The aircraft is considered a new competitor to Airbus’ A320 and Boeing 737. And aviation editor Gordon Smith considers whether other airlines will consider purchasing these Chinese aircraft.
Just last week, Air China signed a similar deal with COMAC for 100 C919 jets. The bigger question is whether international airlines will be tempted to buy.
Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus’ commercial aircraft division, said the C919 “doesn’t shake things up.” But one Boeing executive said the company is factoring competition from the C919 into its long-term forecasts.
Secondly, TUI CEO Sebastien Ebel believes that the recent protests against mass tourism in the Canary Islands are not about the industry itself. Travel Experience Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz said residents are angry about the lack of housing.
Protesters are calling on authorities to limit tourist arrivals to ease pressure on the environment, infrastructure and housing supply. Chase-Lubitz points out that many Canary Islanders claim that mass tourism has forced them to leave their homes.
But Ebel said unregulated online booking platforms, rather than the tourism industry as a whole, were the reason for the rise in home prices. Ebel blamed independent travel, including people booking local apartments, for increasing the number of homes being offered as vacation accommodations.
Finally, columnist Colin Nagy argues that the ideal of luxury hospitality has become so distorted that guests have a hard time understanding reality. Great accommodations don’t get the attention they deserve, and some offer only superficial products and unsatisfactory service. He examines problems and suggests ways to solve them.
Nagy cited the decline in travel media as one of his concerns, noting that he believes thoughtful and unbiased commentary about hotels is being lost. He lists authors and publications worth reading. Nagy also writes that luxury goods all look the same, urging readers to support brands that carve out a unique space.
Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos
Photo courtesy: Aerial view of the resort area of Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria.
