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.

News / Technology

Trust and finding the right option are top traveler frustrations online

By Linda Fox | September 17, 2019

Trust issues and lengthy search processes are the top frustrations for travelers in Travelport's Global Digital Traveler study. Read More

Opinion / Online

Trip Planning 3.0 – this time it’s more than personal

By Manuel Hilty - Nezasa | September 13, 2019

Some survivors are learning from the past, making the most of today’s tech landscape to create fit-for-purpose planning and booking tools for today’s travelers. Read More

News / Online

VIDEO: How Booking.com will weave every element of a trip together

By Kevin May | September 12, 2019

Details of exactly how the giant will achieve its ambition to connect hotel guests with activities and transportation, plus a myriad of other travel-related services, are becoming clearer now. Read More

News / Online

VIDEO: Trip.com on its role in the wider group and the importance of flights

By Linda Fox | September 11, 2019

James Spalding is responsible for building flight content for Trip.com. He spoke to PhocusWire about knocking on airline doors, ambitions for the brand and its role in the wider group. Read More

News / Online

Ctrip scores £1.3B in revenue for second quarter in a row, will change name to Trip.com Group

By Kevin May | September 10, 2019

Executive chairman James Liang says the move is to position the brand further as a global player, ending almost 20 years as Ctrip. Read More

News / Online

Klook on target to hit 60M bookings in 2019, outlines expansion plan

By Jill Menze | September 10, 2019

By the end of 2020, Klook plans to double its headcount from 1,200 to more than 2,500 across 30 offices; it also plans to continue to penetrate the Asia-Pacific region as well as bolster its presence in... Read More

Opinion / Distribution

Google price-matching: Are hotel bookings next?

By Gino Engels - OTA Insight | September 6, 2019

With Google testing a "lowest fare" price guarantee on flights, what happens if the guarantee extends to hotels? Read More

News / Online

China online hotel channels getting a boost by youth travelers

By Linda Fox | September 5, 2019

China's online hotel platforms are attracting younger demographics with diverse expectations. Read More

Interview / Online

How I Got Here, episode 3 - Polina Raygorodskaya of Wanderu

By Kevin May | September 5, 2019

For the third episode, PhocusWire's Kevin May and David Litwak from Mozio chat with Polina Raygorodskaya, co-founder and CEO at Wanderu. Read More

News / Online

Booking.com, Skyscanner, Ctrip and TripAdvisor join travel sustainability pact

By Kevin May | September 3, 2019

The quartet will work together in a series of initiatives to educate, raise awareness and, in their words, "promote positive change." Read More

News / Technology

My Method... How Expedia thinks about cloud migration

By Subbu Allamaraju - Expedia Group | September 3, 2019

Phocuswire asked Subbu Allamaraju, vice president of technology for Expedia Group, to highlight the challenges of the company's move to the cloud. Read More

News / Technology

Hostelworld invests $3M in accommodation tech provider Tipi

By Kevin May | September 2, 2019

The investment is the first major strategic initiative at Hostelworld since Gary Morrison took over as CEO in mid-2018, following the departure of Feargal Mooney. Read More

Opinion / Online

Return on Ethics - abandoning high‐pressure sales tactics can make travel marketing better

By Parry Malm - Phrasee | September 2, 2019

Natural anxieties about travel make consumers particularly susceptible to pressure tactics, with the invisible hand of the market pushing the envelope (perhaps a little further than it should have). Read More