Travel technology, boutique bidding and innovations in travel from Airbnb and Concur were all recent topics of conversation on Bloomberg West network, demonstrating the continued interest in the technological underpinnings of the industry.
Here are some clips from this special on travel technology.
Stayful
Cheryl Rosner, CEO of boutique hotel bidding startup Stayful (TLabs here), discusses the realities facing smaller boutique hotels when it comes to inventory management and increasing occupancy throughout the year.
The focus is on technology in hotels, such as the startup's platform that encourages a negotiated sale of distressed inventory, and how technology is enabling smaller players in the industry to compete more fully - especially in a social, mobile booking age. By creating a flexible and dynamic pricing system, hotels are able to access the more spontaneous Millennial traveler.
Airbnb eliminates real estate from the accommodation picture
The accommodation behemoth Airbnb continues to be a media darling, and this round of coverage is no different. However, this round of coverage is geared towards the business audience and focuses specifically on how the elimination of real estate from the business model has fueled the company's growth.
The video below highlights a Boston University study that found a .05% drop in quarterly hotel earnings for each 1% increase in Airbnb listings. While this study was limited to Texas, it points out a compelling correlation that suggests a shifting traveler expectation of hospitality.
And while the video claims that Airbnb is changing the hotel industry, it seems that Airbnb is also trying to become more like a hotel. The company has hired veteran hotelier Chip Conley to increase hospitality standards, while the hotel industry has gone a rapid renovation streak that has made hotels more social and design-forward. The line begins to blur, and the true winner here is the traveler, who enjoys increased choice and superior products all around.
Concur continues to dominate corporate travel
As Concur's Open Platforms integrates more and more services, it becomes much more intensive to compete in the corporate travel and expense management space. The company has focused intensely on signing up more partners than anyone else to realize seamless and automated travel expense management.
The following video shares more on how that company has dominated the corporate T&E space, with (yet another) interview with CEO Steve Singh talking about how the company is delivering innovation in its own space with a more reluctant corporate user base.
Other technology missives, and Starwood's take on mobile
The final videos in this series looks at some of the technologies currently changing hotel bookings, from mobile to social, and how these technologies can fuel personalization for consumers with increased expectations due to technology.
Expedia CEO speaks on international expansion
Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi spoke with Bloomberg on the growth of the brand's international footprint past the current count of 50 countries. Khosrowshahi also talks about how mobile and tablet browsing has become a very important part of the consumer experience.
NB: Tech image courtesy Shutterstock.