Expedia Joins TripAdvisor Instant Booking and 4 Other Digital Trends This Week

Throughout the week we post dozens of original stories, connecting the dots across the travel industry, and every weekend we sum it all up. This weekend roundup examines digital trends.

For all of our weekend roundups, go here.

>>Adding new attractions is a great start, but making sure travelers can digitally engage with those attractions comes next: 5 New Travel Startups Making Iconic Attractions More Appealing

>>Trivago at least recognizes what one of the main problems is in matching a traveler’s hotel preferences with the right hotel, and hopes to address it with a heftier bank account after conducting its IPO: Trivago CEO Says No Company Has Solved the Key Problem in Hotel Search

>>TripAdvisor has been struggling, but it’s a testament to its continued power as a marketing vehicle that Expedia Inc. felt compelled to participate in TripAdvisor Instant Booking, even though Expedia controls its own TripAdvisor wannabe. It’s called Trivago: Expedia Finally Joins TripAdvisor Instant Booking

>>Being part of a public company, the Priceline Group, Rideways has to be very cautious about regulatory issues. That’s sort of like trying to be a disruptor — or a hedge against disruption — with one hand tied behind your back: Priceline Group Gave $2 Million to Rentalcars.com to Launch a Taxi Service

>>Everyone has been talking about video this year and mostly regarding newer platforms and products such as Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Live, for example. But YouTube still dominates content marketing: YouTube Travel Videos Still Drive Inspiration for Trip-Planning Tourists