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.

TripAdvisor airport store program grows
News / Online
TripAdvisor airport store program grows
By Kevin May | May 10, 2018
Rarely mentioned by TripAdvisor (it's not really been officially announced) but the company has a growing offline strategy, too. Read More
Hotel direct distribution benefits "debunked"
News / Distribution
Hotel direct distribution benefits "debunked"
By Kevin May | May 10, 2018
"No measurable impact" is the headline-grabbing finding from a study looking at whether direct bookings have any impact on the cost of distribution for hotels. Read More
TripAdvisor wants to utilize massive user base to grow Experiences
News / Online
TripAdvisor wants to utilize massive user base to grow Experiences
By Kevin May | May 10, 2018
TripAdvisor has high hopes for its Experiences division, claiming that there is plenty of room for growth as more suppliers shift online. Read More
Booking Holdings hits record $25B booking mark for a quarter
By Jill Menze | May 9, 2018
In the first quarter of 2018, Booking Holdings, formerly the Priceline Group, has reported significant financial growth despite a slowing of growth in bookings and room nights. Read More
Dreamlines sails home with €45 million to expand cruise platform
News / Online
Dreamlines sails home with €45 million to expand cruise platform
By Kevin May | May 8, 2018
Cruise booking platform Dreamlines has brought its total funding to over the €100 million mark with a new €45 million capital raise. Read More
AHLA fraudulent hotel bookings
News / Distribution
Fraudulent hotel bookings hit $5.2 billion in 2017
By Mitra Sorrells | May 8, 2018
The American Hotel & Lodging Association says consumers paid $5.2 billion in fraudulent and misleading hotel booking transactions with third-party travel companies in 2017. Read More
Microsoft’s manifesto on corporate travel – a not so fast revolution
Opinion / Technology
Microsoft’s manifesto on corporate travel – a not so fast revolution
By Bill Carroll - Phocuswright | May 8, 2018
In 1848, German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto to recognize the struggles of class in societies as they related to capitalism. Read More
BackBid checks out to HotelPlanner
News / Online
BackBid checks out to HotelPlanner
By Kevin May | May 8, 2018
Hotel booking and group travel specialist HotelPlanner has acquired accommodation auction site BackBid. Read More
Security series part 1 threat landscape
News / Online
Unlocking travel security, part 1: The threat landscape
By Mitra Sorrells | May 7, 2018
Equifax, Yahoo, Ebay – all major brands that have been the targets of cyber criminals, with millions of customers impacted in each case.   Read More
Amadeus Q1 2018 earnings
News / Distribution
Amadeus revenue up on growth in distribution and IT solutions
By Mitra Sorrells | May 4, 2018
Amadeus brought in €1.23 billion in revenue during the first quarter of 2018 – up 3.1% over the same period a year earlier. Read More
Dissecting the dark world of travel search engines, hotels and online agencies
Opinion / Distribution
Dissecting the dark world of travel search engines, hotels and online agencies
By Pablo Delgado - Mirai | May 3, 2018
We have always defended the notion that the value online travel agencies have is to provide visibility to hotels and help them generate new sales, sales that otherwise would be impossible to access. Read More
Thomas Cook Qubit digital personalization
News / Online
How personalization is driving conversions for Thomas Cook
By Mitra Sorrells | May 3, 2018
Personalization of the digital experience is a primary strategy for brands looking to attract and retain customers. But one of the challenges is how to create personalization at scale and in a way that... Read More
Air Canada and WestJet irked over Hopper's Secret Fares
News / Distribution
Air Canada and WestJet irked over Hopper's Secret Fares
By Mitra Sorrells | May 2, 2018
Since its long-awaited launch in 2015, Hopper has established a unique – and, it appears, lucrative – platform to sell flights.    Read More
TripAdvisor extends animal welfare policy, critics say "falls short"
News / Online
TripAdvisor extends animal welfare policy, critics say "falls short"
By Kevin May | May 2, 2018
Campaigners for animal rights have welcomed a shift in strategy at TripAdvisor for selling tickets to animal-based attractions - but say the brand should go further. Read More
siteminder global hotel business
News / Technology
Hotels investing in growing direct bookings, mobile upgrades for 2018
By Jill Menze | May 2, 2018
Hotels view their own websites as equally as effective at driving direct bookings as Google or TripAdvisor, a new report from SiteMinder shows. Read More
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