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.

Does the Expedia billboard effect still exist for hotels?
News / Online
Does the Expedia billboard effect still exist for hotels?
By Sean O'Neil | May 22, 2014
In 2009, Chris Anderson, an associate professor at Cornell University, published a study about Expedia and hotels that was a sensation in the industry. When four hotels in the JHM Hotels US chain a Read More
Pigs in paradise: Expedia reveals most successful Facebook campaign
News / Online
Pigs in paradise: Expedia reveals most successful Facebook campaign
By Nick Vivion | May 14, 2014
Expedia Media Solutions has gone to the pigs: the swimming pigs, that is. The media solutions arm used a primed-for-viral clip of pigs swimming in the blue-hued waters of the Bahamian paradise isla Read More
Hotels: take your heads out of the sand and get over the Airbnb threat
News / Distribution
Hotels: take your heads out of the sand and get over the Airbnb threat
By Viewpoints | May 2, 2014
Have you heard the one about wrestling with the jewel case to listen to your new CD? *Crickets* NB: This is an opinion from Susan Barry, president at Hive Marketing. Of course you haven’t – a Read More
Price maintains its hold in satisfaction poll of online travel agencies
News / Distribution
Price maintains its hold in satisfaction poll of online travel agencies
By Linda Fox | May 1, 2014
Travelocity emerges top of a satisfaction poll for online travel agencies which also reveals price continues to be the main driver for using the OTA channel. A report by market intelligence firm J. Read More
OTA vs metasearch power struggle - Big Data could be a deciding (not boring) factor
News
OTA vs metasearch power struggle - Big Data could be a deciding (not boring) factor
By Alex Bainbridge | April 28, 2014
Big Data is fast becoming one of those terms that is overused and applied to all sorts of data projects that are, in fact, not Big Data at all. However just because the term is misapplied, we shoul Read More
In defence of online travel agencies - they are not evil
News / Distribution
In defence of online travel agencies - they are not evil
By Viewpoints | March 31, 2014
There are multiple opinion pieces pushing ways in which hoteliers can free themselves from online travel agencies and increase their own direct bookings. NB: This is an analysis by Sabrina Lugo at Read More
How Expedia's homepage design evolved to today's full revamp
News / Online
How Expedia's homepage design evolved to today's full revamp
By Sean O'Neil | March 25, 2014
Online travel agency Expedia.com today unveiled a fresh homepage design for its US website. The Expedia homepage redesign features a "fully responsive design" -- meaning it works better on tablets Read More
Travelport scoops AirAsia for distribution as low cost carrier renaissance continues
News / Distribution
Travelport scoops AirAsia for distribution as low cost carrier renaissance continues
By Kevin May | March 24, 2014
AirAsia will be the latest low cost carrier to join the ranks of legacy airlines on the GDS, following another coup for Travelport which agreed a deal with the airline this week. The Asia-Pacific a Read More
Middle East travel industry - mobile and last-minute bookings kick in
News / Technology
Middle East travel industry - mobile and last-minute bookings kick in
By Siew Hoon Yeoh | March 18, 2014
In my recent visits to Dubai, I have sensed growing excitement around the nascent online space. The opportunities are huge and diverse in the Middle East travel sector. More investors are eying the Read More
Trivago extends mystery guest programme to combat fake reviews
News / Distribution
Trivago extends mystery guest programme to combat fake reviews
By Linda Fox | March 14, 2014
Trivago is extending its Hotel Test scheme to the UK and Ireland after its initial launch in Germany last year. The mystery guest programme has a number of elements. Users sign up as a hotel tester Read More
Can the newbies of tours and activities sweep aside the old kids on the block?
News / Online
Can the newbies of tours and activities sweep aside the old kids on the block?
By Viewpoints | March 13, 2014
Recent fundraising by GetYourGuide and Peek is good news for the tours and activities sector. These investments reflect the growing awareness that "the things you do when you get there" are a crucial Read More
Orbitz buys private label division of Travelocity
News / Online
Orbitz buys private label division of Travelocity
By Kevin May | February 28, 2014
More breaking up of a mainstay of the online travel industry, with Travelocity offloading its white label business to rival online travel agency Orbitz. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Or Read More
150 million reviews now on TripAdvisor (some 14 years old)
News / Online
150 million reviews now on TripAdvisor (some 14 years old)
By Kevin May | February 26, 2014
TripAdvisor, given its eye-watering size these days, has plenty of milestones to shout about - not least this week when it announced 150 million reviews are now on the site. The company says this i Read More
Japan industrial tourism, Uber in Riyadh, Hotels.com states the obvious, and more
News / Online
Japan industrial tourism, Uber in Riyadh, Hotels.com states the obvious, and more
By PhocusWire | February 25, 2014
This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel MARKETING in tourism and hospitality for February 2014. Thursday 27 February 2014: Japan industrial tourism website launched A Read More
eLong reports record high annual revenue, mobile hotel bookings jump
News
eLong reports record high annual revenue, mobile hotel bookings jump
By Karthick Prabu | February 19, 2014
eLong has reported a net revenue of $43.1 million for its fourth quarter 2013, an increase of 25% over the same period in 2012. The highlight of the financial results was Expedia-backed eLong's net Read More
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