Articles tagged “online travel agencies”

The biggest knock on the online travel agencies these days is that the competition is intense and that their golden years are done. Expedia's Mark Okerstrom counters that his company has a single-digit share of a $1.6 trillion market, and he's going wide and deep to pick up more. The jury is still out.

Shares in the hotel search company rose the most in two years on news that a cut in ad spending had pushed the Expedia-controlled company into the black. But the company, which once enjoyed meteoric growth, seems unlikely to return to turbo-charged revenue gains anytime soon.

Kiwi has grown fast without venture capital or marketing gimmicks. The online travel agency's story shows what it takes for a startup to scale today. Its story also reveals the long shadows cast by the mighty travel conglomerates.

Hopper's survival is a testament to the perseverance of its founders, though it's an understatement to say it takes them a long time to scale their products up. The startup is also now overpriced, based on its funding, for most potential acquirers — except maybe for Airbnb.

TripAdvisor is notable for having a large audience of consumers looking for ideas about where to go and stay and what to do once they're there. It's sensible that the company is adding features to bolster that edge over its transaction-focused rivals — as long as the company doesn't neglect transactions.

Google has developed solid travel booking and itinerary management tools, but won't push fully into the online travel booking business because of its lucrative role in online advertising. It looks like Google's bifurcated travel strategy will continue for some time.

Oyo's surprise move represents a big threat to the likes of Whitbread-owned Premier Inn, which has been a dominant force in the UK scene over the past few years. We'll have to wait for more details to see just how serious a player it might become.

Does Expedia or Booking have the energy to launch their booking apps in four local Indian dialects? Maybe not, but MakeMyTrip does, and that local effort matters.

TripAdvisor will start showcasing content from long-dismissed professional reviewers so it can be more of a resource to visitors who aren't ready to book. Is nothing sacrosanct anymore?

Can a budget carrier like AirAsia also be an aspirational brand, and a hotel and activities booking site? The dual operations — running an airline and an online-travel-agency-like operation — seem like a big stretch. That's especially so when the airline is facing intense pressure from rising fuel costs.