Lonely Planet, TripEdge, Concur, Voyager, Stash Hotel Rewards, Digital Alchemy, Bescover, Market Metrix, and ReviewPro all appear in our roundup of the stories making news and driving opinion on 2 October.
SEARCH/DIGITAL MARKETING
Lonely Planet has debuted "Best Of" guide iPhone apps for Rome, Barcelona, London, New York City, and Paris with a twist: they're free. The apps cherry-pick the publisher's top 10 choices for each city in categories lie entertainment and shopping.
DISTRIBUTION
The leading customer relationship management (CRM) for hospitality and a loyalty program for non-major-chain boutique hotels have teamed up. Stash Hotel Rewards is using Digital Alchemy’s CRM and e-Marketing tools to help its member boutique hotels communicate with guests about loyalty benefits.
SOCIAL COMMERCE
How best to compare online versus offline feedback of hotels? Today Market Metrix and ReviewPro revealed that they are collaborating to answer that question. Hotels that use ReviewPro to track their online reputation will now also be able to use a Market Metrix tool to process direct guest surveys.
DEVICES
Australia's corporate travel management giant is working on a mobile tool. Today Voyager said it has adding the Vantage POB (Personnel-On-Board) management system developed by Collabro of the UK into iVoyager – a device-based travel management tool to be revealed in a few months' time.
CAREER MOVES
Bescover Bed and Breakfast nabs Thomas Brown (formerly of Uptake) as CEO.Marie Lanier is the new VP. Bescover, formerly Lanier Travel Guides, says the company is "taking an old publishing model and modernizing digital services for the BnB community."
PARTNERSHIPS ROUNDUP
Concur, seller of travel and expense management software, has landed a big account. Huron Consulting Group will encourage US universities integrate Concur’s T&E management systems into their operations.
STARTUPS
TripEdge reveals details about its next pivot. The UK startup believes busy people will want to crowdsource tips from travel authorities. Starting in January, it will charge consumers £19 a request, and award half of that fee to the agent who gives the best advice. Sign up for details.
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