Online Travel News

Better rates and more visibility are clear advantages for independent hotels. But the presentation still needs some work.

The LLMs will need to prove that their agentic AI is so revolutionary that it can capture traveler trust and loyalty. Travel inspiration sites and social media have never been able to do it.

That Airbnb didn't acquire Tiqets for its own experiences business after leading a Series C funding round, didn't give Tiqets much street cred. The Expedia deal couldn't have been a very substantial one for investors given the lack of financial disclosures.

Expedia and Booking are trying to be both the storefront and the supply chain. AI is squeezing the middle, and “doing both” starts to look less like diversification and more like diluted power.

The global online travel agency (or OTA) market is experiencing sustained, moderate growth, fueled by resilient international travel demand and rapid digital transformation across all travel sectors. The OTA market, valued at $94 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $107 billion by 2026, growing at a steady rate of 7%.

There was too much logic to keep this Exclusive Resorts-Inspirato merger from taking place. And there was too much illogic in Inspirato's abandoned combination with car marketplace Buyerlink.

Prism will ask shareholders this weekend to approve a $744 million IPO. What it isn’t saying, yet, is the valuation it’s aiming for. After years of expansion, restructuring, and mixed financials, the unanswered question is what the company is actually worth.

Booking's CFO thinks artificial intelligence can put his company on the offensive rather than the defensive. The odds are long but based on past performance you can't count them out.

Expedia's acquisition of Tiqets is the latest indication of the online travel agency's B2B tilt. It's certainly a niche that provides Expedia with an open lane.

As travelers invest more in premium, emotionally charged trips, hotels face rising pressure to provide continuity and reassurance. Peace of mind has not only become the ultimate luxury, but a new measure of guest loyalty.