2014 › August

Instagram is becoming a clearer choice for airlines to reach new fans.

What a difference a couple of years makes. No longer sister companies, Expedia doesn't want to participate in TripAdvisor Instant Booking, and declines to do anything to help the brand that it is competing with, along with Booking.com, on TV in their competing commercials.

Southwest Airlines should be commended for ending its direct relationship with SeaWorld, but the compromise decision is simply a half step if the Southwest-branded tour arm continues to promote the controversial theme park.

The tours and activities sector is at the very start of its inevitable transition to a mobile-first industry with last-minute in-person sales being replaced by mobile bookings. Although the change has the opportunity to widen operators’ margins, they’ll need to work internally to make sure their options are available and open on a yet-to-emerge leader in the booking space.

To some extent, the shift in geographic focus of the travel IPO market from the U.S. in 2013 toward Europe and Asia Pacific so far in 2014 reflects where the burgeoning investment and market opportunities are opening up, although it is somewhat surprising that Latin America has yet to be heard from in a very meaningful way.

Expedia's strategy is worth a shot: Focus on hotels and other core products while competitors the Priceline Group and TripAdvisor play around with restaurant reservations, and tours and activities. If Expedia sticks to its focus-on-what-we-got strategy, it is a huge gamble.

Amid a growing obsession around experiential travel, brands and destinations can better communicate with potential visitors through inspirational messages than facts and figures.