Turkey is in talks with 92 countries on resuming flights in a safe manner. Konstantin Dyadyun / Unsplash
Skift Take: Governments are going to huge efforts to open up for the summer season, and in Turkey‘s case that means discussions with some 92 countries.
The U.S. hotel unemployment rate jumped more than 4 percent in January due to a longer-than-expected travel recovery. Elizabeth Backus / Flickr
Skift Take: The slow winter travel season, delayed vaccination schedules, and people giving up on hotel jobs are pushing the hospitality sector unemployment figures up once again. More vaccines can speed up the recovery (the industry hopes).
Two sets of couples using selfie sticks at the Acropolis during pre-pandemic times in Athens, Greece. Skift
Skift Take: Who knows what the next few months have in store, but the PM is right about one thing: any success in the tourism sector is entirely dependent on an effective vaccine rollout in Greece’s feeder markets.
After announcing its exit from long-haul flights due to the pandemic, Norwegian Air on Monday issued a pause to its frequent flyer loyalty reward program affecting millions of passengers worldwide. Skift
Skift Take: Many global airlines have reduced long-haul flights or exited markets altogether due to the pandemic, but more often than not their loyalty points have an expiration date. Now is a really good time for airlines to put customers first and adjust their valuable currency — or risk losing their loyalty.
The Graduate Berkeley (pictured) is the first to host a multi-branded ghost kitchen in a partnership between parent company Graduate Hotels and C3. Graduate Hotels
Skift Take: The pandemic has produced unlikely partnerships between the hotel and office sectors, but the longevity is up for debate. The ghost kitchen pairing between hotels and an outside food operator may actually stick for years to come, as it solves a pre-pandemic revenue loss problem.
Skift Take: The vaccine rollout is fueling optimism among Asia-Pacific’s travelers and the region’s travel industry. But until inoculations are widespread and the right systems for recognizing official health documents are in place globally, extra layers of protection — such as testing — remain key to traveler health and safety.
Airport technology provider SITA has successful trialled a new system with the Australian government that help airlines, airports and passengers share information on health tests or vaccinations. Caroline Voelker / Unsplash
Skift Take: It’s reassuring to see several destinations, including Australia with its hard-line stance on border restrictions, warm to the idea of digital health passports.