Evolve Raises $80 Million for Vacation Rental Management Tech
Vacation rental management is becoming professionalized, and the gold rush is on.
Sean O’Neill is Skift’s Senior Hospitality Editor. Sean’s forte is reporting, and he’s broken multiple hotel industry scoops. He has also conducted 1:1 interviews on stage with the CEOs of Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Wyndham.
Why Hotels Envy Airlines When It Comes to Managing Revenue
The revenue management industry picked an odd time to have an identity crisis, given the opportunity for additional profit that new rate-setting and distribution software could bring.
KuaiBangXing Links Chinese Travelers With Activities: Travel Startup Funding This Week
KuaiBangXing, an activities booking startup, focuses on making it easier for Chinese visitors to North America to sample tours and attractions. It sets up guided transportation between outings, and it lets customers pay with China's popular WeChat Pay system.
Despegar Tripped Up by the Ailing Economies of Argentina and Brazil
Lousy economies in key markets have hurt Despegar's profit. But deft management during the recent storms suggests the online travel agency has a promising future.
Blackstone’s Acquisition of Audiovisual Firm Shines a Spotlight on Event Production
Roll up, roll up, roll up! No, that's not a lyric from a song by either The Struts or Fitz and the Tantrums. That's instead the call of Blackstone, which has bought events tech provider PSAV with a likely plan of creating more roll-up mergers with similar vendors.
MakeMyTrip Sees Gains From Its Loyalty Programs
Investors are understandably focused on MakeMyTrip's ongoing operating losses. But in good news, the company is narrowing the size of those losses while maintaining its growth rates.
Amadeus Buys Hotel Tech Firm TravelClick for $1.5 Billion
With this deal, Amadeus Hospitality finally has a chance to start selling its enterprise software after years of perfecting its platform-based offering.
Investors Bet Millions More in China: Travel Startup Funding This Week
China's travel startup scene is less well covered in Western media due to the language barrier, but is nonetheless just as vibrant as the West's.
Booking Holdings Says Half Its Customers Now Come Direct: Will It Be a Game Changer?
Some hotel groups will be jealous of Booking Holdings' ability to have one out of every two of its customers booking travel on its brand sites and apps without having to buy online ads to acquire them.
Booking Holdings Sacrifices Growth for Profit
The online travel titan faces a reality check after years of extraordinary growth. Booking Holdings forecast that third-quarter growth in its accommodation room nights booked rate would be between 6 percent and 9 percent, well below the 20 percent range typical in the past.