Expedia News and Updates

Expedia Group is one of the most influential players in online travel, with a portfolio of brands and platforms that shape the digital booking landscape. PhocusWire provides timely, in-depth coverage of Expedia news and updates, including leadership changes, platform innovation, and shifts in its global strategy across lodging, air, and experiences.

The latest developments from Expedia and the OTA market

Track how Expedia is evolving its technology stack, streamlining traveler engagement, and reimagining its marketplace to compete in a rapidly changing OTA environment. Our reporting includes insights on product development, loyalty integration, and strategic partnerships that reflect broader trends in online travel retail.

Airbnb courts hoteliers in crusade against OTAs
News / Online
Airbnb courts hoteliers in crusade against OTAs
By Jill Menze | March 14, 2018
Airbnb has made no secret of its intentions to knock off Expedia and Booking.com from the top of the travel food chain. Read More
quote of the week 12
News / Online
QOTW: Something about room for the biggest startup in the world
By PhocusWire | March 2, 2018
Quote from Brian Chesky, in a one-to-one interview with PhocusWire this week. Read More
Interview: Airbnb CEO says it's now "100%" battling online travel agencies
News / Online
Interview: Airbnb CEO says it's now "100%" battling online travel agencies
By Jill Menze | February 23, 2018
Airbnb views itself going all-in with a plan to compete with the giants of the accommodation world - online travel agencies. Read More
Hostaway vacation rental system funding
News / Startups
Hostaway secures €700K to expand distribution tool for thriving rental market
By Mitra Sorrells | February 22, 2018
Helsinki, Finland-based Hostaway has raised €700,000 in funding to grow its vacation rental channel management solution.   Read More
Barry Diller dishes on Dara, succession planning, and the true impact of artificial intelligence
News / Distribution
Barry Diller dishes on Dara, succession planning, and the true impact of artificial intelligence
By Nick Vivion | February 22, 2018
Covering events is always a marathon -- from deciding which sessions to attend, managing interview requests, and capturing content from the keynotes, there are many moving parts. Often, this means tha Read More
airbnb-hotel-distribution-analysis
News / Distribution
Can Airbnb trigger a revolution in hotel distribution?
By Cesar Lopez - Mirai | February 20, 2018
Given the size of Airbnb, recent coverage of its potential to open up to hotel distribution has been well worth the fanfare. Read More
Hotels admit steep reliance on online travel agencies
News / Distribution
Hotels admit steep reliance on online travel agencies
By Kevin May | February 13, 2018
Hotels have a high dependency on online travel agencies to distribute their inventory, with almost every other channel deemed to be low on same scale. Read More
Expedia splashed out record $5.3 billion on marketing in 2017
News / Online
Expedia splashed out record $5.3 billion on marketing in 2017
By Kevin May | February 12, 2018
Expedia Inc spent a record $5.3 billion on marketing in 2017 - a figure that continues to trouble investors amid its full year financial results. Read More
Expedia ticks modest growth in 2017, now charting "new direction"
News / Online
Expedia ticks modest growth in 2017, now charting "new direction"
By Mitra Sorrells | February 8, 2018
Expedia Inc.’s revenue increased 11% in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to a year prior – up to $2.32 billion – but the diverse online travel company still missed analysts’ expectations by $40... Read More
Expedia earnings: Cloud migration, supply expansion, and HomeAway
News / Distribution
Expedia earnings: Cloud migration, supply expansion, and HomeAway
By Nick Vivion | February 8, 2018
Earnings calls generally get interesting towards the end. While it's useful to hear how a business is doing, it's equally revealing to hear how executives respond to analyst questions. Outside of the Read More
Booking.com leads the way as top hotel channel
News / Distribution
Booking.com leads the way as top hotel channel
By Kevin May | February 7, 2018
Some 72 million reservations have been analysed to discover what are claimed to be top revenue-generating booking channels for hotels. Read More
Online travel agency fightback: Tactics to lure direct bookings
Opinion / Distribution
Online travel agency fightback: Tactics to lure direct bookings
By Max Starkov - HEBS Digital | February 6, 2018
As the travel planning journey continues to become increasingly more complex, hoteliers need to be looking for more impactful ways to engage and retain their best potential guests. Read More
An insider's tale on hotel website conversion rates
Opinion / Distribution
An insider's tale on hotel website conversion rates
By Jean-Louis Boss - Fastbooking | February 2, 2018
The conversion rate of a hotel website is determined by so many factors that one shouldn’t be fooled into trying to meet an industry average. Read More
blockchain ota disruption
Opinion / Technology
Pulse check: Blockchain not a panacea to disrupt web travel
By Douglas Quinby - Phocuswright | February 1, 2018
People have been bashing online travel agencies since, well, they first came along in the mid-1990s. Read More
American Express buys Mezi chatbot
News / Startups
AmEx buys Mezi, embraces "do-it-for-me" model
By Mitra Sorrells | January 30, 2018
American Express has acquired artificial intelligence-powered assistant Mezi, which co-founder and CEO Swapnil Shinde says upends the current “DIY” trend of travel search and booking into a... Read More
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