Tour Operator

PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of the tour operator sector, featuring news, analysis, interviews, research and more on the brands in multi-day, single-day and packages, including their strategies, executives and positions in the market.

ToursByLocals cover image
News / Distribution
ToursByLocals survives decade of bootstrapping, raises $33M to accelerate growth
By Steven Lerner | January 13, 2020
Tritium Partners is leading the investment and is receiving a minority equity stake in the company. Read More
justin-francis-responsible-travel-CEO-profile
Interview / Online
In The Big Chair - Justin Francis of Responsible Travel
By Linda Fox | January 7, 2020
The online travel agency was one of the first to offer carbon offsetting in 2002, just a year after co-founder Justin Francis created the brand with Harold Goodwin. Read More
The digital travel revolution, next-gen consumers and the role of insurance
From Our Partners / Technology
The digital travel revolution, next-gen consumers and the role of insurance
By PhocusWire | January 6, 2020
Over the course of two interviews, PhocusWire spoke to Beth Godlin, president at the Aon Travel Practice, about a wide range of issues in the travel industry. Read More
Travel tech: A glimpse into the future
From Our Partners / Technology
Travel tech: A glimpse into the future
By PhocusWire | December 24, 2019
Travel Technology Europe is back for its 17th year on February 26-27, 2020, and will once again be offering visitors a glimpse into the future of travel marketing, booking and technology.  Read More
guruwalk free tours
News / Startups
Guided tours startup GuruWalk raises €1M to fuel pay-as-you-go model
By Steven Lerner | December 17, 2019
GuruWalk, a Spanish startup specializing in tip-based guided tours, has secured €1 million in seed round funding.   Read More
voice-search-marketing
Opinion / Technology
Why voice is the travel marketers’s next destination
By Joel Davis - Mighty Social | November 20, 2019
A new voice-enabled era for travel is coming, and now is the time for brands to take advantage of it. Read More
tour-operators-machine-learning
Opinion / Technology
Why are tour operators neglecting machine learning?
By Nigel Beighton - chief information officer, Atcore | November 13, 2019
Machine learning is underused in the travel industry, yet it could significantly improve efficiency. Read More
hotel-distribution-thomas-cook
Opinion / Distribution
Surviving Thomas Cook: Damage to hotel ecosystem shows distribution mix is vital anywhere
By Douglas Green - Duetto | October 17, 2019
For those hotels now in the eye of the Thomas Cook storm, better days could lie ahead if they get more strategic with their channel distribution. Read More
When it comes to LiDAR and the opportunities in travel, Elon Musk is wrong
Opinion / Technology
When it comes to LiDAR and the opportunities in travel, Elon Musk is wrong
By Sam Kamel - iinside | October 9, 2019
Rather than dramatically ringing the death knell for LiDAR, Musk's comments earlier this year merely underscore the fact that LiDAR has an awareness issue, no pun intended. Read More
The influencer marketing metrics travel brands are missing
Opinion / Online
The influencer marketing metrics travel brands are missing
By Rachel Jean-Firchau - Nativo | October 4, 2019
Influencers aren’t publishers, they’re people. While they might have incredible reach, most are focused on awareness and storytelling, not on driving bookings or conversions. Read More
impala-11-million-investment-2
News / Technology
Impala checks in with $11M investment to scale up hotel data platform
By Kevin May | October 2, 2019
The U.K.-based company was launched in 2017 and had previously raised $1.8 million in April 2018. Read More
What the travel sector can learn from the demise of Thomas Cook
Opinion / Online
What the travel sector can learn from the demise of Thomas Cook
By Sooho Choi - Publicis Sapient | September 26, 2019
Unlike the leading OTAs or the low-cost airlines whose business models necessitated digital capability to reduce cost, Thomas Cook was unable to find the omnichannel strategy that represented... Read More
Thomas Cook's digital strategy - great ideas that came too late
News / Online
Thomas Cook's digital strategy - great ideas that came too late
By Kevin May | September 23, 2019
Years after when a serious strategy should have been considered, Thomas Cook finally hired its first chief digital officer in the shape of Marco Ryan. He was in the job less than 12 months. Read More
Thomas Cook collapses after investors pull the plug on survival package
News / Technology
Thomas Cook collapses after investors pull the plug on survival package
By Kevin May | September 22, 2019
Plenty of factors have led to the tour operating giant's demise, including its failure, at crucial times, to grasp the complexities of IT and the wider digital world. Read More
Return on Ethics - abandoning high‐pressure sales tactics can make travel marketing better
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
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