The Haaland Effect Isn’t Real for Norway
Haaland mania. It is loud. It is everywhere.
Norway wants nothing to do with it, essentially. Or at least, they want no part of the crowd Haaland is actually pulling in.
Haaland mania is real, but it won’t move the tourism needle. The people it attracts? The exact ones Norway is pricing out.
It feels counter-intuitive, maybe. But logic holds. If you price out the casuals, a footballer doesn’t bring them back.
Accor Banks on U.S. Investors
Reports say Accor has hired banks for Ennismore’s U.S. IPO.
Smart money? Or just money. Ennismore wants access. The U.S. market is the holy grail for European hotel groups, always.
Booking Plays Hardball in B2B
Booking Holdings is shifting gears. Again.
They are forming a new B2B unit. The Agoda CEO is overseeing it. Why? To chase Expedia’s scale. It’s an uphill climb. Steep, maybe. But consolidation usually helps. Booking needs to look bigger, tougher, more formidable.
Why not now.
Hopper’s Legal Troubles Don’t Stop
Do you remember when Expedia dumped Hopper in 2023? For 17 months? Over deceptive practices.
Well, the FTC agreed with Expedia. They just charged $35 million for it.
Hopper settled. It’s another black mark on their reputation. Same verdict. Different jury. Money changed hands, not standards.
Skift’s AI Takeaways
Skift hosted their Data + AI Summit earlier. 2026. The future is now, apparently.
Here’s what mattered. Not the hype, but the actual mechanics of AI strategy in travel. Agents are coming. Search is changing. Personalization isn’t a buzzword anymore, it’s an expectation. Scaling this stuff is hard. Nobody admits how hard it is until they try.
