Skift Take

These are the digital trends we were talking about 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.

>>In the past nine months, a group of relatively low-profile startups began signing up brands like Expedia and United Vacations to the concept of layaway plans for buying travel: 5 Travel Startups Popularizing Installment Payments for Vacations

>>It seems odd and a stretch that such a European-focused brand would be gaining traction in the U.S. Will Lastminute.com now be able to scale its business and compete with the sector’s heavy hitters? Lastminute.com Looks To U.S. For Metasearch Growth

>>With content marketing’s move into the mainstream, the next step for companies to master is measuring its performance and success: How Travel Marketers Are Measuring Content Marketing Success

>>Despite recent gains, Google Flights is still the price-comparison tool of tomorrow, and not today — unless its scale makes the instant booking of flights a standard way of doing things: Google Flights Gains Popularity Among Millennials as It Adds Booking Sites

>>Hotel booking startup HotelTonight took immense losses in 2015. If it is truly profitable now and doubled its revenue to at least $60 million in 2016, then that still doesn’t scream IPO: HotelTonight Raises Another $37 Million in Funding

>>Today Expedia’s computers are analyzing guest reviews. We predict that someday its computers will use the reviews to create software-generated, Zagat-style hotel summaries, for its search results: Expedia Has a New Tool to Help Hoteliers Use Reviews to Improve Service

>>Companies often chase and vie to sign on influencers for marketing purposes, but all can agree that Google is one of the most powerful forces in travel: Skift Forum Europe: Google Travel Exec Details Changing Consumer Behavior

>>Boom will get a supersonic jet to test, Ixigo will get help with its Indian expansion, and Eventerprise will expand beyond South Africa: Boom Tech Raises $33 Million for Supersonic Jet: Travel Startup Funding This Week

>>Most Western travel brands are still in their infancy when it comes to understanding China’s digital platforms and marketing norms: Effective Outreach in China — Digital Marketing News This Week

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Tags: Travel Trends, trends roundups

Photo credit: Existing user reviews on Expedia's primary hotel booking site. The company debuted a new tool to help analyze reviews.

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