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Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, January 23, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Accor has big plans to expand its portfolio of economy hotels in the Middle East, a region long known associated with luxury, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder.
As several destinations around the Middle East are aiming to hit lofty visitor goals, Corder notes the region is shifting toward mass-market tourism as most travelers will choose to stay in non-luxury properties. Accor’s regional Chief Operating Officer Paul Stevens said midscale and economy hotels have come a long way throughout the years.
Stevens also said that Accor will announce a “healthy” number of non-luxury hotels in Saudi Arabia.
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Next, India has seen domestic tourism and outbound travel thrive in recent years. However, that hasn’t been the case for inbound tourism, and Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia examines why.
Although India reported close to 19 million international arrivals in 2023, only half were foreign tourists, with the rest being people of Indian origin or non-resident Indians visiting friends and family. Indian travel executives have cited the country’s cumbersome visa process as a huge barrier to attracting more tourists.
In addition, the government’s enormous cut to funding global tourism promotion has raised concerns about how committed Indian authorities are to attracting foreign visitors.
Finally, Contributor Christine Mao takes a look at RedNote, the Chinese social media platform that has seen a surge in popularity among American travelers recently.
Nearly 3 million American users downloaded RedNote in a single day last week amid widespread uncertainty about the fate of TikTok. Mao notes RedNote is one of the largest hubs for inspiration for travelers, with the app featuring scrollable feeds of travel guides and images from reviews. Official RedNote accounts for prominent attractions and travel services in China have already posted English-language content for their new audience.
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