Booking Holdings

Google Travel turned off Russia advertisers, but is still getting a limited amount of advertising for Russia travel from ad partners outside Russia. In contrast, Skyscanner and Kayak don't display any information about Russia travel.

Airbnb went deep while Booking Holdings went wide in terms of product development in 2021. Airbnb assuredly will get back to broadening its product line, if not in 2022, then later.

Expedia Group Media Solutions’ Q4 2021 Travel Recovery Trend Report features custom research and key data on how travel is returning, with actionable insights to help the industry respond to shifting traveler behaviors and attitudes.

The global travel industry is split over doing business in Russia, although the vast majority of companies are abiding by the relevant economic sanctions. Moral outrage, self-interest, and disparate views over harming ordinary Russians are clashing big time.

Expedia Group stepped out of the pack and ceased offering travel to and from Russia because of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The company doesn't have a ton of Russia-related business, so even if the move is more symbolic than anything else, it is an important statement.

Booking Holdings is a significantly more profitable company than Airbnb, which recovered from the pandemic faster, and likely has more upside, but that is certainly debatable.

Listen now to a conversation with Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel at Skift Global Forum in September 2021 in New York City.

As part of its "connected trip" and loyalty strategy, Booking Holdings argued it can convince hotels and other partners to offer up substantial discounts and perks, and this would spur incremental bookings. But do hotels really want to be a cog in building the Booking.com brand?

Booking.com has a substantial presence in the Middle East, but there is a vacuum that Wego Group and homegrown players could begin to fill over the next few years.

Good morning from Skift. It's Monday, February 21, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.