Thirteen years ago, Skift was born from a single idea: To decipher and define the future of travel. It started as three people with curiosity, stubbornness, and a relentless focus on deepening our understanding of travel, the world’s largest industry.

Today, Skift is at the center of this global sector. We’ve grown to over 90 talented people in 16 countries across five continents, becoming an indispensable source for professionals across every facet of travel. But our journey continues, and today I’m thrilled to share a new chapter.

Ever since our first Skift Global Forum, gathering stakeholders in travel and being a part of the leading conversations have been a key part of what we do, and now we’re investing more into this. Our goal at Skift has always been to connect deeply with the travel industry – beyond just providing information, we’re creating a community. This is where we’ve been heading, and we’re committed to investing in that shift.

In line with that vision, I’m proud to announce two acquisitions that mark significant steps forward for us in community-driven, multimedia content.

Women Leading Travel & Hospitality (WLT&H)

First, we are acquiring Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, a highly respected travel leadership and event community, led by Hannah DeMaio, that connects executive women across all sectors of travel and hospitality with the mission to unite, educate, and inspire. Founded by NAPCO, WLT&H has become a vibrant membership-based network in the U.S., delivering powerful events, education, career resources, coaching, and virtual experiences.

I attended their annual conference in Atlanta last month and was struck by the energy, authenticity, and sheer impact of what Hannah and her team have built. We’re deeply committed to scaling this community globally and integrating it within Skift’s broader ecosystem. Skift has always championed diversity and equality – this acquisition further solidifies our commitment to supporting the next generation of travel leaders, something our President, Carolyn Kremins, has passionately emphasized.

Hospitality.fm

Secondly, we’re thrilled to welcome Hospitality.fm and its talented founder, Wil Slickers, into our Skift family. Hospitality.fm is a dynamic podcasting studio focused on hospitality and short-term rentals, including their popular show, “Good Morning Hospitality.” Will Slickers, a visionary creator, built Hospitality.fm to spotlight voices reshaping this rapidly growing sector.

Wil will now lead Skift’s audio and video strategy, tapping into the exploding demand for dynamic content that resonates on platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, and beyond. We already produce a variety of podcasts – including the Skift Travel Podcast and Airline Weekly Lounge – and our rich video assets from our Global Forums and Summits. With Wil’s leadership, we’re ready to scale these offerings to unprecedented levels.

Our Strategic Vision: Growing with Purpose

These acquisitions are part of our intentional growth strategy, balancing simplicity and complexity to build resilience into our media ecosystem. They bring deeper community engagement and new multimedia dimensions that compliment and improve upon our diversified revenue streams of media, research, events, advisory, and executive search.

The world is shifting, and we’re shifting with it – not by chasing every trend, but by thoughtfully integrating emerging formats that resonate with our audience and further empower our industry.

As much of the global media industry falters, we remain solidly profitable, disciplined, and laser-focused on meaningful innovation. We don’t chase scale for the sake of scale. We chase impact, resonance, and connection. We give a shit about the people who build, transform, and lead the travel industry. This focus, this intentionality, is why we’ve succeeded where others have struggled.

To Hannah, Wil, and our incredible global team: Let’s build the future. Let’s make it meaningful. Let’s keep going deeper into the heart of travel.

We’re just getting started.