NYC’s New Tourism Chief, IHG’s Growth and Cathay’s ‘Mindblowing’ Cabin

Skift Take

Today’s podcast looks at New York City’s new tourism boss, Cathay Pacific’s first-class upgrade, and IHG’s strong quarter.

Rashaad Jorden

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, October 23, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

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Episode Notes

NYC Tourism + Conventions, the city’s destination marketing organization, announced on Tuesday it named Julie Coker as its next president and CEO, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. 

Coker, who has held the same roles at the San Diego Tourism Authority since 2020, will assume her new position on December 9. She succeeds Fred Dixon, who served as NYC Tourism’s CEO for close to a decade before stepping down earlier this year to lead Brand USA

Coker will take the helm as New York City’s tourism chief as the region prepares to welcome several major events, including the FIFA World Cup final in 2026. 

Next, InterContinental Hotels Group had a strong third quarter in terms of hotel openings. But the company also saw a slowdown in revenue growth, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. 

IHG added 17,500 rooms across 98 hotels, more than doubling its growth pace from the same period in 2023. O’Neill notes that a lot of that growth came from a deal with the German hotel group Novum Hospitality, which added roughly 6,000 rooms to IHG’s portfolio.

However, IHG only saw a 1.5% growth in revenue per available room worldwide during the third quarter. O’Neill notes a weak economy in China and turmoil in the Middle East contributed to the slowdown in revenue growth. 

Finally, Cathay Pacific recently unveiled the Aria Suite, the carrier’s new business class cabin. And the company has plans for a new first class cabin that its chairman called “mindblowing” in an exclusive interview with Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. 

Cathay Chair Patrick Healy told Skift that having a world-class cabin is part of the carrier’s aspirations to be one of the best premium airlines in the world. CEO Ronald Lam said Cathay plans to reveal the new cabin in 2025 or 2026, with Smith noting the carrier is awaiting Boeing’s new 777X aircraft before launching a new first-class cabin.