Jetsetter, TripAdvisor, Triposo, Fairmont Hotels, Cape Town Tourism, and India4GapYear all appear in our roundup of the stories making news and driving opinion on 19 October.
DISTRIBUTION
Gilt Groupe has been trying to offload unprofitable travel site Jetsetter, reports the WSJ in a scoop.Jetsetter was launched in 2009 as a flash-sale and retail sale site for vacation packages. In May, its CEO Drew Patterson, a Kayak veteran, departed.
Jetsetter apparently loses $2 million a year on $25 million in revenues. Betabeat reports that it is selling for between $30 and $50 million. The company had tried to set itself apart from competitors by trying to be a content play -- hiring freelancers to take photos of hotels, write editorial copy, and produce customised travel concierge services.
DEVICES
TripAdvisor has added a “Trip Journal” feature to its popular free City Guides app for Android. The company says the tool is a way for "travelers to document and share their trips from start to finish in 50 popular destinations worldwide." The iOS version will appear later this year.
American startup Triposo, which makes apps that let algorithms create crowd-sourced travel guides, is expanding to the iPad. A new app allows users to bookmark locations they would like to visit, and then store that info an iPhone for use offline while traveling.
Dehli startup India4GapYear has launched iTajPlus as a guide to the city of the Taj Mahal, Agra. The $3 app includes interactive self-guided audio tours, offline maps and recommendations from locals.
DIGITAL MARKETING/SEARCH
Canada's Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is undergoing a makeover of its digital platform, with its websites, such as Fairmont.com. Expect to see "larger visuals, user-submitted photography, high definition hotel videos, a greater selection of interactive maps, and links to brand and hotel specific social feeds."
Cape Town Tourism has partnered with Tourism Radio to produce a comprehensive walking tour of Cape Town. The $1 app is on sale for iPhones.
THANKS!
Tnooz hopes you will have good weekend. Feel free to e-mail us your tips, theories, and ideas for how Jetsetter can turn a profit.
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