Sean O'Neill

Ugh.

Venture capitalists rarely bet on Mexico's travel startups. But Casai's 80 percent average occupancy rates in August and September must've helped it woo top-tier investor Andreessen Horowitz.

Kudos to the two companies for coming out on top of The Wall Street Journal's ranking. But shame on the rest of the sector. Time to do better.

This is now the third "blank check" company in three months to say it will buy and invest in travel companies. The sudden spike in such financial innovation underscores investor faith that the travel sector offers many bargains and promising opportunities right now.

Travel startups focusing on contactless tech at airports built in Australia, branded budget hotels in India, software and hardware to run cultural villages in China, auction-style hotel booking in Korea, and private tours in Japan have announced more than $28 million in funding collectively. Asia-Pacific is where it's at.

Bold words from eZee, an Indian subsidiary of South Korean travel unicorn Yanolja, which is backed by Booking Holdings.

All airlines are unhappy in the pandemic. But Azul is unhappy in its own way. Its strategic verve stands out.

As many companies opt out of their long-term leases for some of their offices, they face a new need for more team gatherings to ensure collaboration and company culture among distributed teams. This trend is an opportunity for the travel sector.

This deal between the lodging brand and the co-working program could not have come at a better time. Selina has the real estate that Remote Year needed to be cost-effective, and Remote Year has the digital nomads Selina could use to drive its growth.

While celebrity tourism isn't new, these two guides have certainly carved out a unique niche in covering Springsteen's origins at the Jersey Shore. Small and genuine experiences like the tours they offer may outperform generic, mass-market offerings during the travel sector's recovery.