Artificial Intelligence and 7 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.

>>Corporate travel is finally starting to learn lessons from the consumer travel space, mostly because business travelers have been trained by their leisure travel to expect robust booking tools and more control over their trips: Travel Megatrends 2017: Corporate Travel Tech Is in Upheaval

>>Sophistication and adoption of back-end technology on the supply side is getting to a point where the big players in online travel are taking the tours and activities segment seriously: New Skift Research Report: State of Tours and Activities Tech 2017

>>A lot of public companies are actively wondering how they will counter an onslaught if they become a target of the new administration in Washington: Expedia Trolled Trump on Inauguration Day With Anti-Wall TV Ad

>>WorldMate suffered as many smartphones and other services added free travel notifications. But TripCase and TripIt still have fans among many frequent travelers: WorldMate’s Retreat Leaves Itinerary-Organizing Rivals in Dogfight

>>We’ve said we expect technology in the corporate travel space to undergo intense upheaval in the coming year, and that prediction is already coming true: Tech Upheaval Prediction Meets Reality — Skift Corporate Travel Innovation Report

>>Chinese New Year is big business. The country’s travelers are expected to take more than three billion trips during this year’s festivities: Travel Ramps Up for Chinese New Year — Digital Marketing News This Week

>>After years of hype, hospitality and travel companies are now delivering real added value for consumers by integrating artificial intelligence into online search and booking platforms: Travel Megatrends 2017: Artificial Intelligence in Travel Is Finally Becoming a Reality

>>Google continues to churn out strong revenue growth numbers despite its massive size. There was little direct mention of travel on Google’s earnings call, but a few metrics give us insights: Google Earnings Show Booking Sites Face Ongoing Advertising Headwinds