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News / Technology

Android to become central nervous system — including seamless translation into any language

By Nick Vivion | March 2, 2015

Seamless translation into any language via a "lightweight wearable" could soon be a reality, suggested Google's mobile czar Sundar Pichai during today's session at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelo... Read More

News / Technology

CreateTrips adds to seed round, explores b2b potential

By Linda Fox | March 2, 2015

Trip planning mobile application CreateTrips has added $800,000 to its seed funding bringing the total to US$1.4 million. The Helsinki-based startup initially secured $600,000 last June with existi... Read More

News / Technology

Zip lining through the Amazon is Google's next StreetView trick

By Nick Vivion | March 2, 2015

Google is constantly sending its StreetView bubble — called a Trekker — around the world to document every last nook and cranny of the planet. This has led to some fairly interesting deployments of... Read More

News / Distribution

Google Flights comes out of beta, but still isn't profitable

By Sean O'Neil | March 2, 2015

Google Flights, the travel metasearch tool, has officially come out of beta. The Flights product now appears as an option within the Google products dropdown menu. While no longer in beta, Google F... Read More

News / Technology

Make your responsive website respond quickly on mobile

By Viewpoints | March 2, 2015

As mobile starts to matter even more in travel and hospitality, it is important that the user experience comes up to speed, literally. NB This is an analysis by David Hsieh, VP Marketing at Instar... Read More

News / Distribution

Ola buys TaxiForSure for $200 million

By Martin Cowen | March 2, 2015

India's biggest taxi app Ola has bought TaxiForSure, the country's second largest taxi firm, in a cash and shares deal worth $200 million. Ola, formerly OlaCabs, already has 100,000 "driver-entrepr... Read More

News / Distribution

TUI throws in the towel with AsiaRooms hotel booking site

By Kevin May | February 28, 2015

The recently created TUI Group has made its first strategic move and will close the under performing AsiaRooms brand. The company confirmed the plan this weekend after hotel partners were informed... Read More

News / Distribution

5 hotel distribution trends in 2015 [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Nick Vivion | February 27, 2015

March is upon us, and as winter theoretically fades into spring, there's still a solid bit of 2015 remaining to plan strategies and achieve goals. eRevMax has compiled five distribution trends that... Read More

News / Online

Olset kickstarts HotelMatch, Olery sums up reviews, Dallas gives props to UTrip, and more...

By PhocusWire | February 27, 2015

This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel MARKETING in tourism and hospitality for February 2015. Friday 27 February 2015: Olset launches HotelMatch.me HotelMatch.me is... Read More

News / Distribution

Oracle Micros ties up with SiteMinder [UPDATED]

By Sean O'Neil | February 27, 2015

For a couple of years now, SiteMinder, the Australia-based hotel channel manager, has been stealing market share away from Micros, the hotel technology provider recently purchased by Oracle. Micros... Read More

News / Online

Citymaps raises $6 million to fuel its Yelp/Google Maps mashup

By Nick Vivion | February 27, 2015

Citymaps is a mashup of Yelp and Google/Apple Maps, spinning mobile mapping in a new direction. This direction includes large logos, which the company calls its "logo maps." The idea is to shift th... Read More

News / Distribution

HRG creates Fraedom, Seekda launches platform, Epteca unveils ancillary platform, and more...

By PhocusWire | February 27, 2015

This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel DISTRIBUTION in tourism and hospitality for February 2015. Friday 27 February 2015 Hogg Robinson Group launches new company Fraedom... Read More

News / Online

CMO of Booking.com becomes CEO of Priceline brand

By Sean O'Neil | February 27, 2015

Paul Hennessy, the chief marketing officer (CMO) of Booking.com for the past three years, will step up to become chief executive officer of the Priceline brand at the start of April, said the Pricelin... Read More

News

Franchise hotels and the framing of online travel agencies

By Viewpoints | February 27, 2015

For more than a decade, online travel agencies such as Expedia or Booking.com have been demonized by franchise chains for being too expensive. Is the criticism true, or is it possible that the OTAs... Read More