Expedia posts record room-night growth, but could owe Hawaii $170 million
Skift Take
Expedia's revenge? After years of sluggish growth in its all-important hotel business, Expedia's room-night growth is kicking into gear. The adverse Hawaii excise tax ruling is a concern, but the online travel agencies have been able to navigate the torrent of litigation so far without getting blown away.
Expedia Inc. released its fourth-quarter results today and recorded record room-night-growth at 33% year over year. But there were some negative rumblings in the background as the company revealed it could owe the state of Hawaii up to $170 million if a tax ruling doesn't ultimately go its way.
The company reported that its room nights grew 33% in the fourth quarter of 2012, now that its global tech platform is pumping, compared with 19% growth in the fourth quarter of 2011.
The fourth quarter of 2012 was
