Partnerships

Airbnb has struggled to scale experiences. Investing in WeRoad — and hiring its CEO — is Chesky's preferred move: partner first, potentially acquire later.

RARE India's partnership with SAMHI Hotels is a measured bet on a familiar problem: how to build commercial infrastructure around a product that derives its value from resisting it. The opportunity lies in scaling access while preserving the experience — without standardizing it.

Travel brands are evolving far beyond selling seats and hotel rooms. The blueprint for diversified growth is not just about what’s offered but also how partnerships, technology, and organizational culture are strategically set up to experiment, scale, and implement.

DCT Abu Dhabi is betting big on the travel trade by training thousands of agents and expanding global partnerships to put human expertise at the center of its tourism growth strategy.

Loyalty is shifting from status to substance. For banks, embedding protection and care into cardholder benefits offers a powerful path to deeper engagement and long-term trust.

Loyalty programs are more important than ever – but travelers are moving beyond status tiers and points to seek relevance, reassurance, and value. As expectations rise, credit cards have emerged as a key force in the loyalty ecosystem, offering the flexibility, personalization, and protection travelers now demand.

Viator has always been open to partnerships with competing platforms, but the approach may not fit with Airbnb's current strategy.

Outstanding payments for hotel commissions tend to peak in the fourth quarter — just as the travel business hits its most volatile period. Using analytics and strategies that allow commissions to be paid as quickly as possible can help hotels avoid year-end backlogs, simplify their financial reporting, and improve relationships with their partners.

Juggling too many loyalty programs? You’re not alone. A new survey from IAG Loyalty shows consumers want more flexibility and simplicity in their loyalty programs, highlighting the benefits of a consolidated loyalty currency. To maximize profitability, business leaders must understand how to meet this demand.

As travel rebounds, it's time to reassess what consumers, businesses, and governments need to keep the industry growing sustainably. The ecosystem’s health depends on partnerships that extend across the value chain.