Sounding Off: The first six months of PhocusWire's weekly editorials in 2019

We've covered everything from startups and China to voice technology and digital marketing.

And lots more.

The Sounding Off series is PhocusWire's weekly spot to vet the trends that others are talking about and add some perspective beyond the hyperbole, based on a quote from an article published here during that particular week.

Here are the articles from the first six months from 2019.

• Something about not being in Kansas anymore - "How would you ever know what you are missing in your arsenal of capabilities if you do not stress-test the system with someone with a fresh perspective?"
• Something about being safe safe from disruption - "As a result, our ability to grow exponentially is capacity-limited and the cost of entry is very high. That presents a major challenge for anyone looking to disrupt the industry and to disrupt a business model that currently works very well."
• Something about following a trail of data breadcrumbs - "In the coming decade, almost every action will leave a trail of data breadcrumbs both in the digital and real world, and Big Tech will be harvesting and processing them for their own commercial use."
• Something about an ethical dilemma - "Is it ethical to use a guest's social media following as an incentive to promote a hotel, in exchange for lower rates?"
• Airbnb should accept that some things are done certain ways - "One can forgive Airbnb for a year or two, it being a little late to the game, but it is now the most disconnected channel."
• China is treading a path of ideas for others to follow - "Chinese brands are integrating experiences across all touch points and channels to create a seamless and immersive experience, often leveraging virtual reality and 3D imaging to build continuous engagement along the entire consumer journey."
• Digitalization can help remove mafia tag from tours and activities - "Some cruise lines and concierges are like the mafia."
• Being able to shift ad budgets will please all in travel (except Google) - "A big chunk of budget is already going toward social media, which means people are seeing results and wanting to move more budget there."
• Voice-enabled devices in travel need to be given time - "We found that when most people got into their hotel room, they disconnected it, presumably because they didn't want Alexa listening to them in the room."
• Innovation in travel is only in the eye of the beholder - "There is a misconception that innovation is being solely driven by travel technology startups."
• The dilemmas that face growing companies - "[Connecting] with one million hotels is a super daunting task that would require huge investments in technology, personnel, know-how, B2B marketing and consumer advertising."
• The autonomous option may not be the one chosen - "With autonomous vehicles, it will be much more like YouTube and Netflix - there’s literally going to be unlimited routes."
• There's nothing wrong with being smart about investment cash - "Our ethos has always been to build sustainable, profitable businesses that provide quality, economically priced services to our passengers without burning through investment cash."
• Personalization can be a great equalizer - "The beauty of personalization is that it doesn’t require AI and a seven-figure marketing tech budget to execute."
• Loyalty does not belong in the past - "The assumption that travelers are not faithful to a brand anymore, and consumer loyalty in travel belongs to the past, is not true."
• The Middle Eastern travel startup scene can learn from errors of others - "I think the tech investment scene is where Europe was 15 years ago and the United States 20 years ago. We are still very much in the basics."
• A financial downturn could fuel the power of the platforms - "You’d think past recessions would be a cautionary tale, but we doubt it will change anything this time around."
• Is tech innovation enough to fix business travel? - "I think investors realize business travel is one of the biggest markets that hasn’t been fixed by better technology and products."
• It's time to knock some leaders off their pedestals - "Culturally, we're over‐focused on 'rock star' leaders."
• Empires on Edge ... now what? - We've been busy on the ground at Phocuswright Europe 2019, hearing from travel companies big and small on how they're driving innovation and change in the industry.
• Failure should be a cautious part of the equation - "Fail fast is not about developing the coolest new gadget, instead it is an approach where a company will develop a product while conducting many small experiments, with the knowledge that some will work, and some will fail."
• Stepping out from the crowd could be the only option - "Running an OTA, you find yourself in a vicious circle... where everyone is doing more or less the same."
• It's all about making consumers' lives easier - "Consumers don’t want 100 different apps - they want tools that make their lives easier."
• Another major OTA arriving is the least of the hospitality sector's worries - "Airbnb-as-OTA introduces the challenge of consistent content."
• Not all emerging tech is created equal - "Part of the story for both AR and VR, especially in travel, is that they require such a huge scale of content there’s a pretty high barrier to entry."
  PhocusWire's regular editorials

  Sounding Off.

  Click here for the full archive