Expedia’s Q2 Wobbles and 9 Other Digital Trends This Week

Every week we post hundreds of stories across various sectors in travel, connecting the dots across various global trends, and in these weekend posts we highlight the stories that tackle these trends. This one looks at top digital trends.

For all of our trends roundups, go here.

>>It’s clear that consumers can no longer wait patiently when there are major flight disruptions and some of these startups have swooped in to help with the slack: 5 New Travel Startups That Ease Passenger Experience

>>Can TripAdvisor, with all its content and global reach, become another Booking.com-like success story or will TripAdvisor’s prospects fade? Can TripAdvisor Turn Things Around? The Debate Rages

>>Would the world’s second-largest online travel agency in market cap, Ctrip, entertain the idea of entering the U.S. market to complement its sites in mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore? Ctrip CEO Interested in U.S. Potential and Sees a Brexit Boom

>>Talk and ideas are cheap but execution and having the team to carry it through is what it’s all about: Skift Global Forum Preview: Expedia’s Founder Says Startup Ideas Are Cheap

>>By increasing its dividend, Expedia management has put its money where its mouth is in expressing confidence about the future of the company: Expedia Raises Dividend Despite Q2 Wobbles

>>Red Lion’s deal to offer its member-only rates on Expedia.com and Hotels.com represents the start of some shifting in the direct-booking landscape: Expedia and Red Lion Hotels Hit Reset on Loyalty and Direct Booking

>>What happens when your social media operations have to transcend the traditional silos of B2B and B2C? Travel Management Firms Struggle to Find a Voice on Social Media

>>New event apps use matchmaking algorithms and dating app functionality to help conference attendees tap into the collective knowledge of the entire event community: Events Apps Take Cues from Tinder and Match.com to Engage Attendees

>>While everyone is looking to event technology to create better opportunities for attendee engagement, event organizers first need to free up the time and space in their programs for people to actually connect: How Technology Is Shifting Event Design — Meetings Innovation Report

>>There’s billions of location-specific insights hidden inside travelers’ Instagram photos, Tweets and TripAdvisor reviews. All travel marketers need to do is “connect the dots”: Travel’s Location Marketing Moment – Digital Marketing This Week