2017 › August

Ctrip is betting on 6,000 franchise shops to take aim at cities where most travel shopping happens offline. At the same time, it hopes to increase its operating margins to Priceline-like levels. The two initiatives don't necessarily collide since Ctrip doesn't own the real estate or pay labor costs for the offline shops.

Skift Global Forum is rapidly approaching and you don't want to attend alone. Grab your colleagues and save when you register as a group before it's too late!

Google now prods its users to try to cut their travel costs by considering alternative airports and other tricks. Yet the incremental moves may not appease a European watchdog that may question its broader business practices in travel.

Suddenly former Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi walks away from substantial unvested compensation. Becoming CEO of Uber may have been a once in a lifetime opportunity for Khosrowshahi, but we expect that Uber had to compensate him for his treasure trove of unvested options to pry him away.

A lot of CEOs say they will maintain the policies of their predecessors. But when huge challenges surface, it will be up to Okerstrom to be his own guy, and chart a new course when necessary.

The conventional wisdom has been that flash sales can't be a profitable model during economic good times. The apparent success of Secret Escapes puts the lie to that notion.

If mobile is increasingly becoming a more popular channel, not only for booking and search but also for in-destination travel experiences, this report is proof that hotels have a lot of work to do when it comes to their apps.

Sports venues are quickly becoming a preferred event venue of choice for groups that are looking for a memorable and unconventional meeting.

Restaurant menus aren't random, they're carefully crafted and chosen with more in mind than taste alone — especially when it comes to chains.

There is only one vote that mattered in Expedia's abbreviated CEO search — Barry Diller's. And he wholeheartedly wanted Okerstrom for the job. No need to mess around with an interim title or to conduct the dog and pony show of a CEO search. It was a done deal. Now Okerstrom has to step up to the challenge.