Vrbo’s Crackdown, Accor’s Subscription Push and Europe’s AI Lag
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 4. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Vrbo will start imposing 100% penalties on October 1 against U.S. hosts who leave guests stranded without access to a reserved home, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.
The new policy applies in most situations that a guest is denied access. The fine will match the booking amount — for example, a $500 reservation will result in a $500 penalty. Vrbo may also temporarily suspend the property and cancel future bookings.
Schaal reports that both Vrbo and Airbnb have been removing listings and taking other actions against some hosts who provide poor service.
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Next, Accor plans to unify its hotel subscription cards under a new global brand, All Accor+, granting members discounts and perks worldwide, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.
Accor had previously only offered subscription cards in a few regional markets, such as Asia-Pacific and Brazil. The cards will offer travelers access to discounts at hotels in selected brands across more than 4,000 properties in 100 countries. Subscription services have been popular in other industries, but hotel groups haven’t tested them much.
As for how Accor’s changes work, O’Neill cites Asia Pacific as one example. Accor’s subscription card for Asia Pacific used to offer 10% discounts on hotel stays only in the region, but it now includes 15% off Accor hotels there and worldwide.
Finally, European tourism boards are largely interested in finding ways to use AI, but few are incorporating the technology in their operations and daily work, writes Contributor Thomas Bywater.
A survey by the European Travel Commission found that 93% of national tourism boards across Europe have at least dabbled with AI tools. However, Bywater notes the survey revealed a general lack of expertise and clear implementation plans regarding AI.
While research teams at tourism boards often said they found measurable value in AI tools, 55% said their initiatives remained informal. The appeal was particularly strong for content translation across Europe’s 24 official languages, a resource-intensive task that generative AI can handle efficiently.
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