AI Is Exposing Travel’s Weak Spots — Not Fixing Them
Good Morning Hospitality
04/20/26
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On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down how AI is putting pressure on every corner of the travel industry. The conversation starts with Mews’ founder calling out hotels for taking a surface-level approach to AI, focusing on chatbots instead of meaningful improvements to operations and guest experience.
They also unpack why Expedia Group’s CEO says travelers still don’t trust AI to handle bookings, reinforcing the importance of reliability and real inventory, before turning to the growing financial pressure on operators across both hotels and short-term rentals.
From rising costs and platform fees to a generational shift where longtime owners are looking to exit while fewer new entrants step in, the episode explores how margins are getting squeezed across the board.
The conversation ties it all together with a look at how AI isn’t replacing travel companies — it’s revealing where their models are weakest.
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Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
Previous Episode
On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk are live from Seatrade Cruise Global, breaking down how AI is reshaping the way travelers discover and book hotels and whether brands are starting to lose control of the funnel.
Expedia Group data shows that only a small percentage of bookings are currently driven by AI, but the shift in discovery behavior could have much bigger long-term implications.
They also explore how Minor Hotels is building out its AI tech stack to drive deeper personalization, Lemon Tree Hotels’ record year powered by an asset-light strategy, and Delta Air Lines’s first major Delta One upgrade in nearly a decade as airlines continue investing heavily in premium experiences.
This episode is brought to you by Vrbo! Learn how you can earn OneKeyCash today.
Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
Next Episode
On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk break down Hyatt’s rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise across the company and what it signals about AI moving from experimentation to real operational impact in hospitality.
They also explore rising travel costs tied to the upcoming World Cup, where higher prices for tickets, hotels, and transportation are starting to squeeze travelers, the rise of fossil fuel-free hotels across the industry and whether that model can scale, and BWH Hotels’ new outdoor brand tapping into demand for glamping and experiential stays.
This episode is brought to you by Vrbo! Learn how you can earn OneKeyCash today.
Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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