Airbnb Will Now Pay You If It Rains on Your Vacation

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0:47Protests in France shut down the Louvre. Kempinski Hotels is seeing departures across its C-suite, and Airbnb will now pay you if it rains on your vacation. Welcome back to the Skift Daily Briefing. This is global tourism reporter Bailey Schultz. It's Tuesday, October 20th. Let's get into it. First up, France's cost of living protests are spilling into travel. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in France over the weekend to protest rising costs and school conditions. France's interior minister says at least 2 ,000 people have been arrested and hundreds of police officers and firefighters have been injured.

1:25This is all happening during Europe's slow season, but the travel industry isn't immune to disruptions from the demonstrations. The Louvre closed visitors after protesters blocked the entrance Monday. and many Paris metro stations closed over the weekend. Some towns in certain parts of Paris have also launched curfews. Various governments have updated their travel guidance, warning visitors to avoid demonstrations. Malaysia insofar as to ask citizens to consider postponing non-essential trips. Next up, a skiffed scoop on the leadership exodus at Kempinski. Barbara Muckerman has left her role as group CEO of the luxury hotel company after nearly two and a half years, according to multiple sources who spoke with Skipt.

2:08Sources say the CFO, Chief Development Officer, Chief Brand Officer, and Chief HR Officer are gone too, and the Chief Commercial Officer has resigned. The reasons are disputed. Kempinski hasn't answered Skipt's questions, and Nuckerman declined to comment. The shakeup comes amid efforts to sharpen the brand's luxury positioning, leave unsuitable hotels, and acquire selected flagship properties like Prague's Augustine Hotel. Sources say Kempinski's owners have been looking for a financial buyer, although some prospective buyers bopped at the asking price. The company still hasn't published its 2025 results, and a shareholder meeting is expected in the coming week.

2:46And finally, Airbnb will now pay you when it rains. Airbnb is selling a rain guarantee at checkout, underwritten by insurer Cheb. If it rains at least 1.5 millimeters in an hour during the day at your rental, You get between 50 and 1 ,000 euros. Paid automatically, no claim required. For now, it's only available to residents of 10 EU countries. Verbo, JetBlue Vacations, and Marriott's Homes and Villas offer a similar product through a company called Weather Promise. Its CEO says it can actually lift conversions because offering weather protection signals to guests that the weather will probably be good.

3:23The demand is real. Booking.com research found 74 % of travelers factor extreme weather into their trip planning. That's it for your Skift Daily Briefing. For more on these stories and everything shaping the future of travel, visit Skift.com and sign up for a newsletter at Skift.com backslash daily. Thank you.