Expedia-Supported Despegar Prices IPO at $26 Per Share
Expedia would own 14 percent of online travel agency Despegar post-IPO. But contemplating the odds of an Expedia takeover is a "rompecabeza,” or a head-breaker.
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.
Priceline May Be Spending Less on Trivago and Changing Hotel Metasearch Dynamics
Booking.com is pulling back from its advertising spend on Expedia-controlled Trivago. But we must await third-quarter financial data and any company pronouncements on the topic to know all of the implications.
Tour Operator Context Nets $5 Million in Funding for Its Task of Scaling
Context is a scholarly tour business betting that digital marketing will let it replicate its model profitably worldwide. Other experiential tour businesses will watch with a skeptical (but hopeful) eye.
Booking.com Buys Evature for Its Chatbot Talent
This acqui-hire of Tel Aviv chatbot start-up Evature underlines the intense interest travel companies now have in natural-language search by text or voice -- and for the technical talent that can make the magic happen.
India Hotel Brand Oyo Rooms Attracts a $10 Million Strategic Investment From China Lodging Group
The 23-year-old CEO of loss-generating hotel aggregator Oyo Rooms has a business vision that has attracted total funding of $446 million to date. What could go wrong? Well...
HotelTonight Essentially Pivots to Become Hotel Whenever
HotelTonight's pivot into a 100-day booking window is a concession that the last-minute market was too small. Yet the company's swing to profitability is remarkable.
Package Vacation Platform GoFro Raises $10 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week
Startups in India and Turkey have benefited from investment by venture capital firms located outside those countries. That's a trend that's a mixed blessing.
Social Dining Service VizEat Scoops Up Rival EatWith
VizEat's business has gotten stronger with this acquisition. But it still faces an uphill slog to expand its total addressable market beyond travelers to include locals looking for activities, especially in Asia.
Hotel-Tech Startup Alice Acquires Smaller Rival GoConcierge
Expedia has famously grown by acquisition. Will Expedia-controlled Alice also try to do the same for its hospitality operations software business? If any concierges know, contact us. We'll tip well for answers.
Artificial Intelligence Is Becoming a Priority for Airline IT Chiefs
Airline chiefs are more likely to moan than talk optimistically about leaps in artificial intelligence. But a new SITA survey suggests they're realizing that it can be the bedrock of their futures.