Skift

Episode Notes The Bahamas saw a drop in short-term rental bookings and hotel reservations in January after a U.S. State Department safety alert to travelers, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Habtemariam notes short-term rental bookings fell 7% in January from the same month in 2023. Meanwhile, hotels in the Bahamas also registered weekly occupancy declines from last year throughout the month. While higher average daily rates may have deterred bookings, those drops followed a U.S. Embassy alert warning Americans about crime in Nassau.  A State Department spokesperson said the overall Travel Advisory for the Bahamas is at Level 2, which advises U.S. citizens to be cautious in the country due to crime.  Next, Expedia Group’s equity stake in American Express Global Business Travel has taken a beating — to the tune of $326 million, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Expedia said on Monday the fair value of its equity stake in Amex GBT has dropped 40% since 2021. Expedia took a 19% stake in A