Booking.com News

As a global leader in online accommodations and travel services, Booking.com continues to shape the digital travel experience through innovation, platform evolution, and strategic partnerships. PhocusWire delivers the latest Booking.com news to keep industry professionals informed on how this travel giant is adapting to shifting market dynamics and consumer expectations.

Key Booking.com updates, partnerships, and market trends

Follow developments in Booking.com’s core technology, loyalty strategies, and supplier relationships, along with its expansion into flights, experiences, and payments. Our reporting covers how the brand is responding to competitive pressures, regulatory environments, and the increasing demand for seamless, personalized travel.

Required: one mobile app to rule them all and a touch of virtual reality
News / Technology
Required: one mobile app to rule them all and a touch of virtual reality
By Kevin May | June 13, 2016
More than half of travellers would like a mobile app that covers every aspect of their transportation needs, a survey of consumers has found. The Priceline Group asked American travellers about the Read More
Evolve Vacation Rental Network raises $5.5 million to help owners with distribution and services
News / Distribution
Evolve Vacation Rental Network raises $5.5 million to help owners with distribution and services
By Kevin May | June 13, 2016
A new round of $5.5 million has been ploughed into owner support service Evolve Vacation Rental Network by T Rowe Price. The Series B investment funds have been bolstered by participation from Anno Read More
Ryanair and Booking.com end deal ahead of new Rooms service launch
News / Distribution
Ryanair and Booking.com end deal ahead of new Rooms service launch
By Kevin May | June 9, 2016
Booking.com will no longer power the accommodation platform of the Ryanair website from the end of September this year. The European low-cost carrier has worked with the Priceline Group-owned Booki Read More
France seeks Euro 356 million in unpaid tax from Booking.com
News
France seeks Euro 356 million in unpaid tax from Booking.com
By Sean O'Neil | June 1, 2016
France's fiscal authority is claiming Euro 356 million (about $397 million) from Booking.com, a Priceline Group brand and the largest hotel reservations platform online. A financial document filed Read More
With new investment, HRS amplifies its corporate travel push, to outflank its rivals
News / Distribution
With new investment, HRS amplifies its corporate travel push, to outflank its rivals
By Sean O'Neil | May 25, 2016
HRS, the giant of digital hotel distribution, has expanded into the Australian market by investing in The Lido Group, a corporate and government accommodation aggregator. The move underlines the compa Read More
TripAdvisor switches off KeepMeBooked platform after HouseTrip buy
News / Online
TripAdvisor switches off KeepMeBooked platform after HouseTrip buy
By Kevin May | May 23, 2016
TripAdvisor is to shut down the KeepMeBooked reservation and marketing platform it obtained as part of the recent HouseTrip acquisition. HouseTrip was bought for an undisclosed fee in late-April th Read More
European independent hotels - tech adoption, distribution issues, and being different from US
News / Distribution
European independent hotels - tech adoption, distribution issues, and being different from US
By Kevin May | May 17, 2016
Commission fees and a fear of relying too much on online travel agencies are two of the major issues that are troubling independent hotels in Europe. Those are some the findings from a major study Read More
Online will be most popular travel booking channel in Europe by 2017
News / Distribution
Online will be most popular travel booking channel in Europe by 2017
By Kevin May | May 12, 2016
It is often easy (maybe even convenient) to forget that the majority of travel bookings are still made offline and not via the internet. But within 18 months, Europe will be the first region on the Read More
IHG turns the screw on agencies with direct-booking swipe
News / Distribution
IHG turns the screw on agencies with direct-booking swipe
By Kevin May | May 9, 2016
InterContinental Hotels Group is the latest mega-chain to make a major effort to turn travellers away from the "purse-stretching" online travel agencies. The group is pushing a major new campaign t Read More
Age of flying bots - what airlines should do in 2016
News / Technology
Age of flying bots - what airlines should do in 2016
By Viewpoints | May 6, 2016
Airlines will be one of the first sectors to push into messaging-driven experiences, as shown by KLM’s bot launched at Facebook’s F8 Conference last month. NB: This is an analysis by Nadav Gur, fou Read More
Priceline Group brings attention back to performance, 2016 bookings hit $16.7 billion
News / Distribution
Priceline Group brings attention back to performance, 2016 bookings hit $16.7 billion
By Kevin May | May 4, 2016
Putting turbulence over its recently resigned CEO aside momentarily, Priceline Group today posted revenues of $2.1 billion for the first quarter of 2016. The group saw the exit of president and CEO Read More
Booking.com debuts chat tool to enable hotels and guests to interact
News / Technology
Booking.com debuts chat tool to enable hotels and guests to interact
By Sean O'Neil | May 3, 2016
Booking.com is launching an SMS-style chat tool via its desktop and mobile web sites and via its mobile apps, the company confirmed to Tnooz. Customers will be able to start a chat with hotels wher Read More
Priceline Group CEO Darren Huston quits over conduct with employee
News
Priceline Group CEO Darren Huston quits over conduct with employee
By Kevin May | April 28, 2016
Darren Huston, CEO and president of The Priceline Group, has resigned after an investigation into a personal relationship with a fellow staffer. The company says former-CEO and current chairman, Je Read More
Travel sites are working on personalisation but do consumers notice?
News / Distribution
Travel sites are working on personalisation but do consumers notice?
By Linda Fox | April 25, 2016
Elements of personalisation are creeping into online travel sites as demonstrated by a recent study by eDigitalResearch. The eTravel Benchmark looks at the digital travel experience across a number Read More
Lastminute.com says too hard for consumer startups to enter travel battle
News
Lastminute.com says too hard for consumer startups to enter travel battle
By Kevin May | April 21, 2016
Travel startups attempting to muscle in on consumer travel will face an uphill task if they want to challenge the status quo. That's the pessimistic view from the deputy CEO of Lastminute.com Group Read More
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