Articles tagged “online travel agencies”

Looks like Traveloka is wading deeper into events such as concerts and sports, a big business in Southeast Asia with the biggest gatherings drawing huge local and regional crowds. Its investment in an events technology company shows the potential of tours and activities hasn't been tapped yet.

We don't know much about Airbnb's thinking about launching a flights product, but an unrelated acquisition by Etraveli Group shines a light on some of the business issues Airbnb needs to consider as it crafts a strategy.

Big-name tour operators aren't losing sleep over Airbnb Adventures. But some are indeed paying close attention, which is prudent. Just ask European airlines, which underestimated the emergence of Ryanair and EasyJet, and would love to have a do-over.

Some hotel chains, such as Marriott, feel they have no choice but to get into homesharing. Marriott is trying to turn it into a loyalty play to keep its customers engaged with the brand.

Props to Volantio, which won the Air Pitch startup competition at Skift Global Forum last year, for now getting investment and sales support from Amadeus.

A top-tier private equity firm like General Atlantic should provide a strong tailwind for Kiwi as it branches out from selling plane tickets into other types of travel. But it's a bit surprising that Ctrip.com or another travel conglomerate didn't bite instead.

Lots of companies have plenty of data at their disposal to improve operations and personalize services. Whether AirAsia has the wherewithal to become a much broader e-commerce platform is a very open question.

The more Ctrip internationalizes its sources of revenue, the more it will cross swords with global players like Booking Holdings, which owns a small stake, and Expedia Group. It already claims to process more transaction volume than both of them, and a third of its revenue comes from outside mainland China.

Online travel agencies have been late to the airline sector push to sell airfares and other products in more modern ways. Travix has reached a milestone, though, with the help of tech firm Amadeus, and its story suggests the outline of future trends.

Cvent remains committed to bringing new products to its customers through acquisitions. By diving into the U.S. market for weddings, the event tech giant hopes to keep its platform relevant despite the friction it creates for hotels and planners alike.