Travel Industry CEO Interviews

Greyhound had to go outside its brand to find out what today's travelers want and is now incorporating those learnings nation-wide in a customer experience overhaul.

Grenada attracts a relatively older demographic, but the Grenada Tourism Authority is going new school in analyzing data to better attract younger, tech-savvy travelers to introduce them to "the spice of the Caribbean."

Finnair is trying to reinvent itself, in part by taking a hard look at 10 to 20 second-tier cities in China, as well as routes in other parts of Asia. What happens, though, when larger competitors get around to taking up some of the same opportunities?

The Momondo Group is in the early stages of pursuing a dual brand metasearch strategy with its Cheapflights and Momondo brands. Are they different enough from one another, and will they stand out sufficiently from their rivals to make a real go of it? Other players will be watching to see if any of this makes sense.

Trippy is banking on the premise that its new question and answer platform for travel will be a cut above the rest in terms of quality, and that it will distinguish itself in the way it maps attractions and concisely summarises their basics for travel planning. That begs the question: Will it be enough?

With its emphasis on long-haul flights to Asia, and connections to the mainland U.S., it would be in Hawaiian Airlines' best interest to make installation of Wi-Fi a higher priority. The airline may be under-estimating the desire for Wi-Fi among its core leisure travelers.

Hawaii will definitely get in on the boom in travelers from Asia. The islands have lots to offer, but competition will be intense. With hotel rates soaring, hoteliers in Hawaii may come to realise that they may have to temper their rate hikes rather than make up for the 2007 recession in one fell swoop.

Qunar is a technology company with a big vision and an enormous opportunity as the Chinese traveler busts out into the world. He won't say it outright, but it's clear that CEO CC Zhuang likes where he sits, and wouldn't want to stop the momentum with the complications that a merger with Ctrip would bring.

Avid users of HotelTonight may find some value in its Look Ahead feature, but it is not a data-heavy game-changer by any means as there are no immediate actions to take, and no rate guarantee on the predictions.

Can Capella Hotel Group make a sustainable business model out of providing highly individualized service to guests who think that run-of-the-mill 5-star properties are too cookie-cutter?