Skift

Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm to hit Jamaica in more than 30 years, made landfall in late October and forced the closure of at least 26 resorts, wiping out months of peak-season bookings and dealing a multi-billion-dollar blow to the island’s tourism economy. The World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank estimate Hurricane Melissa caused $8.8 billion in physical damage to Jamaica. With tourism accounting for more than 30% of Jamaica’s GDP, according to the Ministry of Tourism, and supporting 175,000 direct jobs plus 354,000 indirect positions, the closures represent both an immediate economic impact and a long-term challenge of increasing how resilient hotels and tourism businesses are in extreme weather conditions. Link in the first comment, below:

Hotel groups increasingly measure their competitive strength by the number of rooms under management, and 2025 projections show Marriott International still ahead — but Hilton expanding at a fast clip. Analysts track the number of net rooms added each year because each new hotel tends to add marginal profit over time. Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta has said he popularized the concept roughly 18 years ago, when he took the company public. Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano expressed a sentiment common among hotel leaders with a joke in 2024: “[It] will probably be on my tombstone one day.” https://hubs.ly/Q03WgVg_0

Ready for takeoff? ✈️ Leaders across aviation are already on board for Skift Aviation Forum 2025. Check out the companies joining us, secure your seat make sure you’re part of the conversation. 🎟️ Final chance to register get your ticket here: https://hubs.li/Q03W6zwc0

New Issue Preview: Music in the Air: The Spectacular Rise of Nashville Nashville is a city best known for its music. Airlines know it for something else: Spectacular growth. Of America’s 75 busiest airports, none are growing faster than the Tennessee capital's international gateway. In this week’s feature story we examine the factors driving its recent success. Preview the issue via the first comment, below.

Sri Lanka has announced free of charge visa extension for tourists stranded in the country after Cyclone Ditwah. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority said it has asked airlines to provide a “full waiver of flight cancellation and date change fees for tourists” and to offer “flexible rebooking policies” for those affected by the cyclone. The tourism authority said the verification process for the rebooking and cancellation would be straightforward, noting that “a passenger’s declaration of being affected by the weather is sufficient to qualify for the waiver.” It has also set up a 24-hour hotline for tourists needing immediate assistance. https://hubs.li/Q03Wf6rG0

From Friday: Ryanair - Europe's Favourite Airline has pulled the plug on its “Ryanair Prime” membership program just eight months after launch, ending the carrier’s most ambitious experiment in paid loyalty. According to Ryanair CMO Dara Brady, the program generated roughly €4.4 million in subscription revenue during the trial but delivered more than €6 million in fare discounts. “This trial has cost more money than it generates,” Brady said in a statement. https://hubs.li/Q03Wczq90

This week’s scoop: Capital One is stripping Hopper for parts: Capital One plans to buy the installed software from Hopper that powers Capital One Travel and to hire several of Hopper’s hotel and engineering teams, according to a source familiar with the potential deal. A second source told Skift that members of Hopper’s hotel and engineering teams in Europe and Canada have already been receiving job offers from Capital One. Skift has reached to several Hopper employees but has not been able to confirm that offers have gone out. The hotel and engineering hires would help Capital One with two goals: Establish more direct relationships with hotels to build inventory and develop travel and fintech offerings. https://hubs.li/Q03WczQs0

Airlines around the world returned to normal after a major safety alert caused thousands of planes to be grounded. On Friday, Airbus issued an urgent advisory after identifying a safety issue impacting its best-selling A320 aircraft. In a statement, the company said “intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls” on some jets. Airbus said the issue raised safety concerns across a “significant number” of aircraft. https://hubs.li/Q03WcB7Z0

Imagine this scenario: You have a death in the family and airlines know from scraping your emails that you’ll be flying to the funeral with no time to shop around. Your fare? Double what everyone else is paying for the same flight. That’s not happening today, but it’s the danger former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan warned about on a podcast in July. In 2025, airlines are eager to tout how they are using AI for customer service and to manage disruptions. But AI and pricing? That’s become a third rail. https://hubs.li/Q03WcgJJ0

Strategies start here: The insights shaping 2026. Megatrends brings the travel community together for a fast, focused look at the year ahead. Expect sharp insights, big ideas, and the trends that will guide strategies across the industry. Don’t miss out, secure your seat here ⬇️ Jan 20 London: https://hubs.li/Q03WbD2v0 Jan 22 NYC: https://hubs.li/Q03WbFWl0