Expedia News

Domestic travel searches are on the rise, booking windows are getting shorter, and more travelers are dreaming and shopping than they are canceling or changing their trips – new Expedia Group data and consumer research offers clues on how travel companies can best connect with travelers right now.

Given Google's global market clout, none of its product introductions and activities should be dismissed. But Expedia's CEO Peter Kern got feisty and made a good point that Expedia has transaction data, which can be more useful for hotels and tourism boards, than mere search data. Unless Google ups its booking game, and then all bets are off.

The Covid crisis seems to have softened some of the hostilities between cities and short-term rental players. The idea of the two sides working together was once anathema, but certainly seems possible as long as their thinking keeps evolving.

Before the pandemic turned the world sideways, nearly 12 percent of Airbnb's revenue last year came from its top 10 cities. But among them, cities like Lisbon and San Diego are taking radical steps to limit their short-term rental portfolios. Are investors overlooking the likelihood of vastly more stringent regulations?

The typical Airbnb review talks up a rental's charms while overlooking vital information. The company's stock prospectus similarly skips some key details for understanding its business. But we can still infer a few things about the distribution dynamo.

The hotel distribution landscape is complex, with hotel rooms being sold and promoted in many different channels. Covid-19 has certainly impacted how and where hotel rooms are being distributed, but it is unlikely this disruption will be sustained long-term. That’s not to say that disruption isn’t coming, though.

Online travel brands can no longer count on paid marketing alone to drive growth as they try to penetrate developing markets. Despegar is ahead of its larger global rivals in embracing "fintech." It sees consumer loans as a way to appeal to many travel buyers who don't use banks.

The travel industry needed a new reason to believe after months of enduring the body blows from coronavirus, coming on top of four bizarro years of a president who seemed to have little regard for his former industry. Read what executives had to say about the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

In Skift's top travel stories this week, we surface the drama inside Air Canada's loyalty program, write a letter to the next president about travel industry priorities, break down the latest TSA airport security screening numbers, and detail Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian's tough talk to the hotel industry.

Using an American football analogy, Expedia Group is working on technique and drawing up a new playbook during its bye week. The company claims to not care much about market share dynamics now because travel volumes are low, but it is trying to be ready to come back strong when the game resumes.