Online Travel Agency

PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of online travel agencies, featuring news, analysis, interviews, research and more on the brands and their strategies, executives and positions in the market.

OpenAI chairman tells travel industry: Do not restrain your AI agents
News / Technology
OpenAI chairman tells travel industry: Do not restrain your AI agents
By Matthew Parsons | September 25, 2026
Bret Taylor, who is also the co-founder of Sierra, urged travel brands to adopt agents to reduce friction, calling agents "remarkable." Read More
India's travel market stalls in 2025, then bets on a fare-driven rebound
News / Online
India's travel market stalls in 2025, then bets on a fare-driven rebound
By Phocuswright Resesarch | September 24, 2026
Resilient domestic travel will sustain strong demand for accommodation and car rental, and online penetration is on track to reach 62% by 2029, according to Phocuswright data. Read More
Travel's stolen data problem: Why cybercriminals want booking details
News / Technology
Travel's stolen data problem: Why cybercriminals want booking details
By Marisa Garcia | September 23, 2026
Ordinary customer and business data can become raw material for targeted phishing, impersonation and extortion in travel, and agentic AI may further accelerate attacks. Read More
Fora travel advisors flag outdated, inconsistent accessibility data
News / Online
Fora travel advisors flag outdated, inconsistent accessibility data
By Abby Crotty | September 22, 2026
While advisors work to confirm accessibility details, roughly a third said a client has arrived at a property and found previously confirmed features "missing or unusable." Read More
How leading travel companies are strengthening margins in 2026
From Our Partners / Online
How leading travel companies are strengthening margins in 2026
By Airwallex | September 22, 2026
A new Airwallex report explores how travel companies are protecting margins by managing FX exposure, payments, working capital and financial operations. Read More
Expedia exec on making AI an ambassador in travel
News / Technology
Expedia exec on making AI an ambassador in travel
By Abby Crotty | September 22, 2026
With AI agents becoming gatekeepers, travel brands need to influence them to act as ambassadors instead, according to Expedia's Daniel Shin Un Kang. Read More
The reach is rented: Why travel brands need to stop building for algorithms
Opinion / Online
The reach is rented: Why travel brands need to stop building for algorithms
By Phil Treagus-Evans - Giraffe Social | September 18, 2026
Phil Treagus-Evans, CEO and co-founder of Giraffe Social, contends that a social following built on someone else's platform is "a relationship you're renting." Read More
Trip.com's TripGenie to get booking capabilities through Mastercard partnership
News / Online
Trip.com's TripGenie to get booking capabilities through Mastercard partnership
By Linda Fox | September 17, 2026
Mastercard's Agent Suite for Merchants enables travel brands to offer agentic shopping experiences within their existing ecommerce environment. Read More
European hotels maintain direct distribution lead over OTAs
News / Distribution
European hotels maintain direct distribution lead over OTAs
By Linda Fox | September 17, 2026
HOTREC's hotel distribution study revealed that 51% of bookings are made directly with hotels, while almost 30% are made through OTAs. Read More
Trip.com Group Q2 hit by fine from Chinese regulator
News / Finance
Trip.com Group Q2 hit by fine from Chinese regulator
By Linda Fox | September 16, 2026
The Chinese OTA's accommodation revenue for Q2 was offset by the penalty imposed by China's State Administration for Market Regulation. Read More
China's OTAs face a reckoning as growth slows and regulators circle
News / Distribution
China's OTAs face a reckoning as growth slows and regulators circle
By Phocuswright Research | September 15, 2026
What happens when a maturing, over-supplied market collides with regulatory pressure and AI disruption at once? Read More
OTA marketing spend rose again in Q2
News / Finance
OTA marketing spend rose again in Q2
By Abby Crotty | September 15, 2026
The travel industry's largest players are still pouring money into marketing, even as AEO becomes more relevant. Read More
Entravel Group secures additional $3M to launch Expereon settlement platform
News / Distribution
Entravel Group secures additional $3M to launch Expereon settlement platform
By Linda Fox | September 14, 2026
The $3 million investment for Expereon comes on top of the $7.5 million Entravel Group secured in mid-August. Read More
How AI is changing travel companies’ spending habits
News / Technology
How AI is changing travel companies’ spending habits
By Morgan Hines | September 14, 2026
As AI evolves, travel companies are increasingly investing in internal AI rather than external software. Read More
AI transformation in travel: Sejal Amin of Priceline
News / Technology
AI transformation in travel: Sejal Amin of Priceline
By Morgan Hines | September 11, 2026
Sejal Amin, CTO of Priceline, discusses Priceline's AI strategy, company education, employee buy-in and more. Read More
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