U.S. Travel Ad Spending Plunges 90 Percent in March

Royal Caribbean

Anthem of the Seas. The ships owner Royal Caribbean Cruises had a record year in 2019 but has had to sharply pull back on advertising due to the coronavirus crisis. Royal Caribbean

Skift Take: Quarantines and lockdowns are driving huge spikes in online traffic, and digital marketing may be more effective than ever when the crisis ends. In the meantime, ad tech companies need to prove their worth by helping suppliers plan how to re-activate their marketing campaigns at the right time — and in the best ways.

— Sean O’Neill

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Virtual Reality Gives Training Boost to Asia’s Displaced Hotel Workers During Crisis Downtime

Passport to Success Myanmar

A capture of the 360-degree virtual reality visuals that hospitality staff see during their training. Pictured is the lobby of The Strand Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar. Passport to Success Myanmar

Skift Take: With borders shut and hotels closed during the coronavirus pandemic, this could be the moment for remote training — and virtual reality’s role — in hospitality to shine and take off.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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AirAsia Seeks Government Loan to Ride Out Coronavirus Storm

Reuters / Lim Huey Teng

AirAsia Airbus A320-200 planes are seen on the tarmac of Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) in Sepang, Malaysia, February 4, 2020. Reuters / Lim Huey Teng

Skift Take: There’s no end to troubles for AirAsia Group. With Tony Fernandes finally back in the CEO saddle after being cleared of bribery charges, the airline now has to fight a much tougher pandemic battle.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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China’s Domestic Aviation on the Rebound But Recovery Still Slow

Alan Wilson / Flickr

Air China Boeing 777-300ER aircraft taking off from Beijing Capital International Airport. Alan Wilson / Flickr

Skift Take: With China’s domestic aviation still not showing the swift rebound as the coronavirus crisis subsides in the country, the route to recovery for global carriers will probably be harder than expected.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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What’s Next for Trip.com Group as Coronavirus Crisis Subsides in China?

Trip.com

Trip.com CEO Jane Sun is seeing signs of recovery in China’s domestic travel market as the coronavirus crisis subsides in the country. Trip.com

Skift Take: For Trip.com Group’s top leader, the message is clear. Countries around the world should not squander any chances to control the virus, and neither should the travel industry let a serious crisis go to waste by not seeking out new opportunities.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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Virus Fear Empties Overcrowded Venice of Tourists

Francisco Seco / Associated Press

Venice’s usually overcrowded streets are now void of tourists as the coronavirus spreads to Europe, with Italy being one of the worst-hit countries. Francisco Seco / Associated Press

 

Skift Take: While the virus threat will eventually subside and tourists will throng its streets again, Venice still has to grapple with a long-term, existential challenge that is climate change.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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