Ground Transportation

PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of the ground transportation sector, featuring news, analysis, interviews, research and more on car rental, ride-hailing, taxis and rail. 

Phocuswright Europe 2018 Preview: Q&A with CarTrawler's Bobby Healy
Interview / Distribution
Phocuswright Europe 2018 Preview: Q&A with CarTrawler's Bobby Healy
By PhocusWire | March 30, 2018
Ahead of the event, Bobby Healy discusses the major opportunities in mobile, what's wrong with Google and why it's crucial to stay ahead of the competition. Read More
Venture capital investments in travel tech could hit record highs in 2018
News / Startups
Venture capital investments in travel tech could hit record highs in 2018
By Mitra Sorrells | March 28, 2018
Startups creating solutions to make travel more efficient, frictionless and interconnected received a record amount of venture capital funding in 2017 – at $25.45 billion it was a substantial 32%... Read More
Hotelbeds offloads destinations services to TUI for €110M
News / Distribution
Hotelbeds offloads destinations services to TUI for €110M
By Kevin May | March 28, 2018
Hotelbeds has ended its interest in providing incoming services to travel agencies by selling its Destination Management division to TUI for €110 million. Read More
ibm watson assistant
News / Technology
IBM enters voice assistant market with Watson Assistant for businesses
By Jill Menze | March 27, 2018
IBM is throwing its hat into the voice assistant ring, but with what could be a key differentiator over Amazon and Google. Read More
Uber offloads Southeast Asia wing to Grab, will now focus on organic growth
News / Online
Uber offloads Southeast Asia wing to Grab, will now focus on organic growth
By Kevin May | March 26, 2018
Uber claims consolidation is not the "strategy of the day" after seeing another part of the business heading to a competitor. Read More
Tourlane $8.5M funding
News / Startups
Tourlane raises $8.5M to expand custom trip-planning platform
By Mitra Sorrells | March 23, 2018
Berlin-based Tourlane has secured $8.5 million to expand its service that combines the customized offerings of a traditional travel agent with the ease of online booking. Read More
Amazon’s multifaceted – and likely inevitable – path into travel
News / Online
Amazon’s multifaceted – and likely inevitable – path into travel
By Mitra Sorrells | March 21, 2018
It’s becoming clear that it’s no longer a question of “if” but rather of “when” and "how” Amazon will try to disrupt the travel industry.... again. Read More
Voice series part 2 user experience
News / Technology
Voice tech in travel, part 2: UX and design
By Mitra Sorrells | March 12, 2018
The days of typing search terms into a browser or clicking through drop-down menus may be fading. Rising in their place is a much more natural interface: voice. Here are the characteristics of an... Read More
Trainline voice app rap 2
News / Technology
Trainline creates rap duet to promote its voice app
By Mitra Sorrells | March 9, 2018
Trainline has created a two-minute film with showing what it calls a “voicebot duet” to promote its voice app for Google Assistant.   Read More
Facebook trip consideration ad strategy
News / Online
Facebook launches new targeted ad strategy for travel brands
By Mitra Sorrells | March 8, 2018
Facebook is using its knowledge of consumers’ online behavior to help brands market their deals and destinations to travelers earlier in their planning process.   Read More
Europe online shopping abandonment
News / Online
Why website abandonment rates are so high for European travelers
By Mitra Sorrells | March 8, 2018
European travelers appear to be more commitment-phobic lately when it comes to booking accommodations, travel and experiences.    Read More
Ctrip Trip.com car rental
News / Online
Ctrip’s Trip.com adds international car rental service
By Mitra Sorrells | March 7, 2018
Ctrip, China’s largest online travel agency, is bolstering its Trip.com site with the addition of international car rentals, bringing it one step closer to becoming a comprehensive source for all travel... Read More
In The Big Chair - Clare Gilmartin of Trainline
Interview / Online
In The Big Chair - Clare Gilmartin of Trainline
By Kevin May | March 6, 2018
The former-eBay exec knows a lot about retail, expansion and customers - and can now add distribution, standardisation and mobile technology to her repertoire of skills needed to run an online business. Read More
What airlines stand to gain from better mobile apps
News / Technology
What airlines stand to gain from better mobile apps
By Jill Menze | March 6, 2018
Many airline mobile apps in the Asia Pacific region are still in their infancy when it comes to the search and booking process, often mimicking desktop purchase flow. Read More
Voice tech in travel, part 1: Brand adoption
News / Technology
Voice tech in travel, part 1: Brand adoption
By Mitra Sorrells | March 5, 2018
The days of typing search terms into a browser or clicking through drop-down menus may be fading. Rising in their place is a much more natural interface: voice. Read More
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