Articles tagged “online travel agencies”

These 10 Skift stories got the most clicks in 2017, and none were clickbait. The list shows Skift readers love hotel and online travel stories, original reporting, analysis and breaking news.

Our favorites of the year were stories that you could find nowhere else. Each featured hours — or months — of phone calls or in-person interviews, and provided insights about an important development or trend. Each of these talented journalists, you could find nowhere else, either.

The big chains now offer special book-direct deals through Google Hotel Ads. This helps with click-through and conversions, but also with new loyalty member acquisition — everything a growing hotel chain needs in an ad partner.

Lastminute.com Group's attempt to wean itself off low margin flight-ticket sales gets accelerated with this deal. The relatively low purchase price makes it a relatively risk-free acquisition.

Without question, Google will continue to aggressively grow its multi-billion dollar advertising business by securing stronger direct relationships with both the supplier and the traveler.

Expedia isn't done trying to grow; that would be suicide for any public company. Instead, Expedia argues it can best spur growth by digging in deeper in countries where it already operates rather than expanding its map. The new strategy boils down to a question of priorities, and could change again in coming years.

Expedia penned its second loyalty-enrollment agreement with a hotel chain, but like the previous pact with Red Lion's parent, the G6 Hospitality deal isn't any kind of game-changer for Expedia as it tries to soften the effects of the the big chains' direct-booking campaigns.

Regionally focused online travel success stories are as rare as rhinos in the wild these days. But this merger of two South African players may help an endangered species — independent-booking players — keep thriving in a market where so much is dominated by the global duopoly, the Priceline Group and Expedia.

Who’d have thought not annoying your customers was good for business? On the other hand, the supposed turnaround just happens to fit in nicely with a potential sales process.

Decentralized applications for hotel distribution will soon live side-by-side with existing channels.