Sean O'Neill

TripAdvisor's key tactics to grow its tours and activities business include the discounting of some products for consumers, practically giving away a reservation system to operators, and rolling out a brand marketing campaign this year. The company talks like it's in it to win it.

TripAdvisor's greater transparency in its financial reporting is to be applauded, showing its investment in growing units. But the stuttering of its legacy businesses is notable, too.

SeaWorld's challenges have not gone away. But it enjoys several advantages over its theme park rivals, such as having marine-themed parks, which are a rare and distinctive product. Its new CEO is rightly focused on investing for growth while finding operational efficiencies.

Masabi enables cities, such as Denver and Sydney, to sell tickets on public transit via the mobile apps of travel companies like Uber. Meanwhile, Elenium disrupts airport self check-in, Pana pivots into corporate travel, and Sweetguest surfs the growth in management services for vacation rentals.

Peter Fankhauser needs to act speedily to bolster Thomas Cook Group's resilience in the face of tumult in the packaged holiday segment. But the CEO is persuasive in arguing that he has a winning plan that's begun to show results.

Turns out it's through its cloud-based services that Amazon is embedding itself in the travel and restaurants sectors. The company’s recent hiring hints at the scope of the opportunity.

InterContinental Hotels Group aims to use its new reservations system from Amadeus to set and shift rates based on customer preferences and spending habits. But the move will eventually force the company to throw away its rulebook on how to maximize revenue.

It makes sense that Ctrip, the market leader in China, would be interested in strategically working more closely with MakeMyTrip in the fast-growing Indian market. In a new deal, it now has five of the 10 board seats at India's largest online travel agency group.

This week’s startup funding announcements reveal broader industry investment themes, such as the need for marketing tools for the owners of short-term rentals and for talent recruitment technology to help fill labor gaps in the tourism industry.

Selina is riding a wave of venture capital investment like a dreadlocked surfer with remarkable poise. Come to Skift Forum Europe to hear CEO Rafael Museri explain how his startup may capsize the traditional hospitality model.