Travel Planning

News / Technology

New app aims to boost tourism in Puerto Rico, nearly one year after Hurricane Maria

By Mitra Sorrells | August 24, 2018

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is partnering with hotel operations platform ALICE and Roca Marketing to bolster tourism on the island by enhancing communications between hotels and tourists. Read More

Opinion / Online

Online travel agency moves harming profitability: What hotels need to know

By Max Starkov - HEBS Digital | August 24, 2018

Two recent events in hotel distribution created a mild media buzz, but unfortunately were ignored by some hoteliers and quickly forgotten by the industry: Expedia’s Add‐On Advantage and Booking.Basic. Read More

Opinion / Online

Revenue and loyalty for vacation rentals in the age of Amazon and Google

By Mike Putman - Custom Travel Solutions | August 23, 2018

The accommodations market has expanded over the past decade, in part due to the growing vacation rental sector. However, nobody quite knows how vacation rentals will fit into the larger travel ecosystem... Read More

Opinion / Technology

WayBlazer postmortem: Why did travel's highest-profile AI company fail?

By Arnie Weissmann - Travel Weekly | August 21, 2018

Among the reasons many of us were surprised last month by the demise of WayBlazer, travel's highest-profile artificial intelligence initiative, was that we had become habituated to the success of... Read More

Opinion / Online

The secret to direct bookings? Consider hotel website conversion rates

By Max Starkov | August 17, 2018

A key imperative for hoteliers in 2018 is preventing travel planners from becoming distracted by digital noise and serving them content at the correct time in order to convert them into bookings. Read More

News / Startups

FunNow raises $5M to expand tours and activities in Southeast Asia and Japan

By Mitra Sorrells | August 16, 2018

FunNow, a Taiwan-based instant booking app for entertainment and leisure activities, has raised $5 million Series A funding led by Alibaba Entrepreneur Fund. Read More

News / Technology

Egencia, Yapta, Traxo and more product news from GBTA

By Mitra Sorrells | August 15, 2018

The Global Business Travel Association’s annual convention wraps up today at the San Diego Convention Center. Read More

Interview / Startups

STARTUP STAGE: Vacaryx ticks high-touch and blockchain boxes for rental platform

By Mitra Sorrells | August 14, 2018

Vacaryx is a vacation rental platform that aims to add transparency to the booking process by facilitating communication between hosts and guests. Read More

News / Distribution

Dnata acquires German tour operator Tropo

By Mitra Sorrells | August 13, 2018

Dnata, a Dubai-based provider of ground handling, cargo, travel and flight catering services for 300 airline customers in six continents, has acquired German tour operator Tropo. Read More

News / Startups

Handiscover raises $700,000 to expand accessible accommodations platform

By Mitra Sorrells | August 10, 2018

Handiscover, a startup to help people find and book accessible hotel rooms and rental properties, has raised $700,000 in new funding. Read More

News / Distribution

QOTW: Something about doing business like - and with - locals

By PhocusWire | August 10, 2018

Quote from Max Starkov, president and CEO of HEBS Digital, in an article on PhocusWire this week. Read More

News / Technology

Business travelers divided over whether to allow GPS tracking during work trips

By Mitra Sorrells | August 9, 2018

GPS-tracking is a tool companies can use to know the location of their employees traveling for business, for example to reach them in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Read More

Opinion / Distribution

Why offering local tours and activities is a huge revenue opportunity for hotels

By Max Starkov - HEBS Digital | August 9, 2018

Local tours and activities are a multibillion-dollar business, and hoteliers are uniquely positioned to offer experiences and work closely with fellow local business operators. Read More

Interview / Startups

STARTUP STAGE: MüvTravel uses AI to customize itineraries for independent travelers

By Mitra Sorrells | August 7, 2018

MüvTravel is an AI-powered platform to help independent travelers customize their entire trip, including transportation, accommodations and activities. Read More

News / Online

Airbnb for Work bookings triple, drive "significant" growth for Homes business

By Jill Menze | August 6, 2018

Airbnb is reporting a sizable increase in bookings via its corporate travel platform - so much so that Airbnb for Work is now “one of the most significant growth drivers” for the company’s Homes sector. Read More

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