Online Travel Legends Video and 7 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.

>>Expedia’s expansion outside the OTA world is afoot. With their aquisition of Homeaway and the expansion of Egencia, Expedia keeps a steady foot in online travel: How Expedia Is Expanding and Acquiring Its Way Beyond Traditional Booking

>>Moral of the story about the early years of online travel? Not to over-simplify, but be prepared to take risks, feel free to contradict conventional wisdom, and assemble the best damn team that you can: Video: Online Travel Founders Talk Game-Changing Deals, Big Upcoming Trends

>>Egencia is moving ahead with the understanding that travel management companies need to operate globally, with a focus on developing the technology tools that business travelers actually want to use: Expedia Restructures Egencia Corporate Travel Unit

>>The travel industry has moved forward on several fronts this year with plenty of obstacles in the way and startups are often a key ingredient in that perseverance and problem-solving: 5 New Travel Startups Creating Solutions for Brands’ Digital Challenges

>>While Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wasn’t talking about implementing artificial intelligence for customer service in the next quarter or two, be assured that Expedia and others are working on it hard: Expedia Plans to Use Artificial Intelligence for Customer Service

>>Whilst tech-innovation and hotels direct booking campaigns bring new challenges to the OTA world, Expedia has kept a solid growth over the past years and has a steady eye on upcoming disruptions: Understanding Expedia’s Competitive Position and Where It’s Headed

>>If Uber, Lyft and other relevant players can stick to the markets and consumer segments that matter they’ll continue to capture them: Uber and Lyft’s Growth Is Slowing in Most Major U.S. Cities

>>Are those 20 million registered users worth $1.2 million or will the deal prove a costly mistake? Lastminute Bought WAYN’s Assets for Just $1.2 Million