News

TripAdvisor ramps up attractions strategy, shows why it splashed out $200 million on Viator
News / Distribution
TripAdvisor ramps up attractions strategy, shows why it splashed out $200 million on Viator
By Kevin May | March 20, 2015
TripAdvisor is embarking on a major strategy to woo providers of tours and activities to the platform, with promises of direct sales to consumers. Existing operators that are members of TripAdvisor... Read More
Ctrip to reach $112 billion TTV target early
News / Distribution
Ctrip to reach $112 billion TTV target early
By Martin Cowen | March 20, 2015
Ctrip's 2014 earning call reveals a business which is growing not only its revenues but also the number of travel verticals it operates in, and which aims for a 30% share of the Chinese market by 2020... Read More
Virtual try before you buy to change shopping behaviour
News / Distribution
Virtual try before you buy to change shopping behaviour
By Linda Fox | March 20, 2015
Some interesting findings around the potential for virtual reality to push more sales online in this Future of Retail study released by Walker Sands. Although not travel specific, the study tips vi... Read More
Google played hardball with TripAdvisor and Yelp, says leaked FTC report
News / Online
Google played hardball with TripAdvisor and Yelp, says leaked FTC report
By Sean O'Neil | March 19, 2015
A report on Google's search practices by the US Federal Trade Commission's bureau of competition has been accidentally obtained by the Wall Street Journal. The report supports antitrust claims made... Read More
C'est plus chic: New Air France video reminds flyers that they are, in fact, not this glamorous
News / Online
C'est plus chic: New Air France video reminds flyers that they are, in fact, not this glamorous
By Nick Vivion | March 19, 2015
The new Air France video fits nicely along the trend of smart, engaging and refreshingly different safety videos by airlines. However, this one is a bit more risqué in pure French style, offering u... Read More
Project Loon successfully uses wind patterns to move Internet across continents
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Project Loon successfully uses wind patterns to move Internet across continents
By Nick Vivion | March 19, 2015
Project Loon has successfully managed to surf wind patterns in order to carry Internet from New Zealand to South American to Australia, says the team's latest update on Google+. This is the first time... Read More
Apple Pay adoption still lags with only single digit participation rate
News / Technology
Apple Pay adoption still lags with only single digit participation rate
By Nick Vivion | March 19, 2015
The latest survey from InfoScout and mobile payments website PYMNTS.com has found Apple Pay adoption to be stalled in the single digits, signaling strong headwinds for Apple's signature digital paymen... Read More
The main event is now Priceline versus Expedia — so whose round is it?
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The main event is now Priceline versus Expedia — so whose round is it?
By Nick Vivion | March 19, 2015
The ongoing wave of industry consolidation among OTAs-in-pursuit has focused the crowd's attention on two formidable fighters: Expedia and Priceline. Both have developed into global juggernauts by... Read More
Shop for your hotel not by wifi but wifi speed
News / Technology
Shop for your hotel not by wifi but wifi speed
By Linda Fox | March 19, 2015
Helping travellers cut through the noise to find what they want should be what online is all about but it isn't. Yet  there are moves, by the likes of RouteHappy and its Happiness Factors in air tr... Read More
India-based community Tripoto eyes global presence
News
India-based community Tripoto eyes global presence
By Martin Cowen | March 19, 2015
Tripoto, an online community for travellers, has confirmed "pre-Series A" funding and will use the cash to scale up its web, mobile and global footprint. The amount raised is undisclosed. Report... Read More
When Best Western engages with reviews, its occupancy spikes
News / Online
When Best Western engages with reviews, its occupancy spikes
By Sean O'Neil | March 19, 2015
When Best Western properties worldwide engaged with user reviews across the Internet, they saw their annual occupancy rates grow at double the rate of properties that didn't. That's according to a... Read More
Anne Frank House protests GetYourGuide queue-hopping offer
News / Online
Anne Frank House protests GetYourGuide queue-hopping offer
By Sean O'Neil | March 18, 2015
In recent months, GetYourGuide, the Germany-based tours-and-activities platform, has been reselling advance tickets to Anne Frank House, in Amsterdam, at double the price the museum charges on its own... Read More
Merge loyalty and pricing to drive direct hotel bookings
News / Distribution
Merge loyalty and pricing to drive direct hotel bookings
By Viewpoints | March 18, 2015
Imagine a world without OTAs, without metasearch sites, where the internet is not dominated by Google. NB: This is an analysis by Patrick Bosworth, co-founder and CEO of Duetto. Just think about... Read More
Airbnb and Priceline join Expedia in halting Crimean travel bookings, but others don't
News / Online
Airbnb and Priceline join Expedia in halting Crimean travel bookings, but others don't
By Sean O'Neil | March 18, 2015
One year ago, Russia annexed Crimea, a territory that had been in eastern Ukraine. Since then Western sanctions on Crimea have put online travel companies in an awkward position. In December, US Pr... Read More
Conservative estimate? One in three airline boarding passes via mobile by 2019
News / Technology
Conservative estimate? One in three airline boarding passes via mobile by 2019
By Kevin May | March 18, 2015
More than 1.5 billion boarding passes will be delivered to mobile devices by airlines within four years, a new study has suggested. Juniper Research claims the 2019 figure will be double the number... Read More