Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, January 31, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
With diversity initiatives under threat by the Trump Administration, CEOs of large hotel groups argue that the overall concept of diversity is critical for their businesses, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.
Executives speaking at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles this week said the hotel industry needs to embrace diversity because they have to appeal to a wide range of global travelers, employees, and investors. Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti said diversity would be a continued focus for his company, which operates programs providing mentorship to women and Black entrepreneurs looking to own hotels.
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Next, the National Transportation Safety Board has outlined how it plans to investigate the deadly plane crash that occurred near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.
NTSB board member J. Todd Inman, who is leading the investigation, said during a press conference on Thursday that the agency plans to release a preliminary report on the collision within 30 days. An American Airlines regional jet collided mid-air with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, killing all passengers and crew members aboard both aircraft.
Inman warned it was too early to tell if the crash was the result of a human error or mechanical failure.
Finally, Japan saw a surge in visitors from India in 2024, reports Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.
A little more than 230,000 Indian travelers visited Japan last year, a 40% jump from the previous year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Bhutia cited an increase in scheduled flights between the countries as the most significant factor in the rise of Indian tourism to Japan.
Another factor in the increase is Japanese tourism officials’ strategy to work directly with Indian travel agents, whom many Indian travelers turn to to help plan their trips.
