Booking CEO: Travel staffing issues not as bad as people think
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Booking Holding CEO Glenn Fogel said Wednesday that headlines related to staffing shortages for airlines and hotels have overstated the problems within the travel industry.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, the head of Booking Holding (NASDAQ:BKNG), which operates travel booking brands like Priceline and Kayak, predicted that "there will be sufficient supply" to meet travel demand as COVID-related restrictions ease.

Fogel argued that news of recent flight cancellations and other staffing shortages in the travel industry only really impact a small percentage of the total number of travelers on a given day.
Meanwhile, the Booking CEO projected that the desire to take a trip will remain strong, despite the near-term challenges presented by Omicron and the lingering impact of the pandemic.
"Demand for travel is something you cannot suppress," he said. "When restrictions go down, people start traveling."
Fogel encouraged people to get vaccinated, calling it the best method for returning the industry to normal and the main thing that "will most move the dial" in terms of bringing travel back.
After gains early in the year, BKNG saw choppy trading through much of 2021. It touched a 52-week high of $2,687.29 in November but mostly held to a broad range throughout the year.
In Wednesday's intraday trading, shares dipped fractionally, falling to $2,459.09 at about 11 a.m. ET. BKNG has climbed about 14% over the past year, compared to the 31% gain in the S&P 500, which you can see in this chart.