Articles tagged “online travel agencies”

Expedia's moves to lower commissions, tack on a tactical bidding program for hotel displays, and make itself friendlier to hotels and consumers by offering a pay-at-the-hotel option are all designed to ramp up Expedia's business and to make Booking.com's so-called "competitive moat" a little less imposing.

Hilton’s newest campaign—its largest ever—shows to what lengths hotel companies will use low rates and loyalty programs to take back their market share from online travel agencies, and get more customers to book direct.

Priceline's and Expedia's respective selling and marketing spend on a global scale shows why Priceline remains on top despite all of Expedia's acquisitions. Priceline does it much more efficiently, getting a lot more bang for a buck.

Priceline's CEO says its "competitive moat is deep and wide." His counterpart at Expedia believes his company needs to get more international. And TripAdvisor's new CFO says it has ample resources for acquisitions. This all should make for an interesting 2016.

Many travelers prefer mobile browsing because they don't feel constrained by app experiences that are sometimes limiting. But as Criteo's data show, mobile apps are still a powerful way to win customers and conversions if they're constructed in ways that build trust and promote simplicity.

TripAdvisor CEO Stephen Kaufer gets mystical about the company following "our North Star, navigating our path toward creating the best user experience in travel." Investors could care less about TripAdvisor journey toward the North Star as long as it means great returns on their investments, which ultimately is Kaufer's goal, as well.

As TripAdvisor Instant Booking kicks into gear it appears as though it is breaking new ground and becoming a hotel-friendly channel -- for chains that sign up, that is. Chains such as Hilton Worldwide and InterContinental Hotels Group, which have not hopped on the bandwagon, can probably afford to sit on the sidelines for awhile to gauge how the whole thing shakes out.

Whether hospitality or booking, Africa presents an enormous opportunity for first-movers right now.

When Priceline.com decided to try to reinvigorate the brand, it studied the data: Travelers are taking shorter, more frequent trips, and many are booking them on mobile at the last-minute. Their customers are heading to Rome, Georgia more frequently to that other Rome where Vatican tours are available. The data called for a streamlined site and app emphasizing "deals near me," pay at the hotel, and easier-to-book products.

This likely will be a year of building out what TripAdvisor already has in hotel Instant Booking, vacation rentals and tours and activities. One big challenge will be how to focus effectively in so many huge areas simultaneously without some getting short shrift.