Interview: Facebook’s Head of Travel Reveals How Brands Are Winning on the Platform
Photo Credit: Skift spoke to Facebook's head of travel this week on what's next for 2017. Pictured is a screenshot from one of Tourism Australia's 360-degree/virtual reality videos showing the 12 Apostles in Australia's Victoria state. Tourism Australia
Skift Take
What a year it has been for Facebook and the travel industry and it's not over yet. For a company with the unparalleled size and reach of Facebook to say that travel is the industry it's putting some of its most significant investment towards in the next year should tell you something about the state of the industry. We can't wait to see what's in store for 2017.
The travel industry has been at the center of Facebook's advertising growth during the past year and despite market concerns over Facebook's statements that the uptick in its advertising revenue will decelerate in the future, Facebook expects its investment in travel to keep trending up in 2017.
This week Skift talked to Facebook's Head of Travel, Christine Warner, who's held the post since 2015, about Facebook's pivotal year in the travel industry. From its new ad products and video platforms to the company's continued foray into virtual reality, Facebook has been active in trying to build its traction in the travel industry.
We talked about Facebook's role in travel inspiration and planning, why it's important to get the "brilliant basics" right when it comes to mobile (a term Warner and many other Facebook executives use) and what the company learned from its new products this year and where those are headed in 2017.
In the process, Warner discusses how Westin, InterContin
