Articles tagged “attractions”

Eventually, Google's new Tickets feature may turn out to be one of the most important developments in a long time for the tours and activities sector. Google will certainly move to monetize the feature with paid ads, and it will ultimately expand to tours, and other products, too.

Google's retreat in tours and activities booking services doesn't mean Google is becoming less powerful in travel. It's part of Google's strategy to wrangle consistency across its products in offering a combination of advertisements and free listings to gain an even wider audience.

The pandemic slammed revenue at amusement parks, but it was a one-off problem. Looking ahead, operators must market the appeal of season passes to help cope with flatlining attendance.

Hornblower's acquisition of Walks and Lindblad's takeover of DuVine are great case studies. They show how young companies can land well even in times of crisis. The lessons ought to resonate across the travel sector.

There are no guarantees that Trivago will succeed in transforming itself, broadening its offerings to travelers, and becoming different enough from rivals to ensure its viability. But sitting still and not trying new things wasn't an option, either.

In addition to its new partnership with TUI, Trivago is betting on travel inspiration to spur nearby weekend getaways. From Tripadvisor to Google Flights and mostly forgotten travel startups, the prospect of both nurturing bucket list dreams and converting lookers into bookers has never worked out very well.

Will it suffice for TUI Musement to focus on the partnership side of its business, as it does with Booking.com and major cruise lines, or does it need to master the uphill task of becoming a breakout consumer brand beyond TUI's existing customer base? Acquisitions could be part of the mix when the pandemic dust settles.

Sell Disneyland tickets or retain its curated Experiences offerings? Things are already beginning to change, but that's a dilemma for Airbnb as it tries to build a profitable tours and activities business in a rough-and-tumble and highly competitive market.

Despite an ongoing longing for foreign tourists, Wuhan has come most of the way back tourism-wise from the bleakest days of the provincial capital's history earlier this year. Lessons for the rest of the world? Once tourists feel safe, they will return in big numbers.

After missteps in thinking it could grow its own attractions business and catch larger competitors, Booking.com's relaunch is the next stage in its evolution. The tours and activities sector is a lot more competitive now than it was even two years ago when Booking acquired FareHarbor. Hence, the need to reboot.