Expedia Gets New CEO and 15 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.

>>Take a look at our event schedule and find out when each of our world-class speakers is taking the stage at Skift Global Forum: Skift Global Forum’s Editorial Program Is Set

>>Khosrowshahi's financial acumen will be crucial to Uber's turnaround, especially after just giving Uber an 18- to 26-month window to go public. The first step is to find a way to become profitable: Expedia IPO and Spin-Off History Sets Up Uber for a Deal-Making Era

>>With everyone talking about experience curation and creating a sense of place, can a glitzy advertising campaign focusing on those characteristics actually differentiate a luxury hotel brand? Rosewood’s New Ad Campaign Tries to Make Luxury Guests Its Stars

>>Despite the popularity and discussion surrounding the Chinese consumer in recent years, it is still a developing market worth watching and studying for nuanced changes and opportunities: What Travel Brands Can Learn From Alibaba’s New Luxury Marketplace

>>Tourism board websites in 2017 exist in an increasingly diverse world of platforms that have also been readily adopted by travelers as trip-planning resources. Here are some trends we noticed from our review of the world's best tourism websites this year: 4 Tourism Website Trends Highlighting User Experience and Design

>>It's not a tsunami, but it's been clear for some time that the tides are turning: Skift's data show 23 percent of U.S. consumers who booked a hotel in the past year used a smartphone to do so. The waters – or mobile hotel bookings – will only keep rising: Travel Habits of Americans: Gen Xers Lead Hotel-Mobile Bookings Among U.S. Travelers

>>Trivago says this was just a hiccup. But they’re vague about why they were surprised and what precisely happened. We suspect a Priceline sucker punch: Trivago Concedes It Overspent on Advertising and Lowers Forecasts

>>Chatbots offer the first glimpse into a future where meeting and event planners can deliver mass personalization at scale using artificial intelligence: Behind the Rise of Chatbots in Meetings and Events

>>If bots can generate fake reviews that pass as real, the entire online review system will be completely useless. This is our future: Chefs+Tech: Will Artificial Intelligence Make Restaurant Reviews Obsolete?

>>In 2017, SXSW, IMEX, BizBash and other event companies all rolled out new chatbot platforms, which leverage artificial intelligence to customize messaging. This is how we'll engage with all brands in the future: Chat Is the Future of Everything at Events — Meetings Innovation Report

>>Oracle Hospitality doesn't fold sheets, bus tables, or stock shelves, but its software does keep hotels in order. It's taking a few years for the company to get itself in order, too: Oracle Hospitality Stumbled in Micros Integration But Says It Has Recovered

>>Airline chiefs are more likely to moan than talk optimistically about leaps in artificial intelligence. But a new SITA survey suggests they're realizing that it can be the bedrock of their futures: Artificial Intelligence Is Becoming a Priority for Airline IT Chiefs

>>Expedia has famously grown by acquisition. Will Expedia-controlled Alice also try to do the same for its hospitality operations software business? If any concierges know, contact us. We'll tip well for answers: Hotel-Tech Startup Alice Acquires Smaller Rival GoConcierge

>>Despite the initial denials, we always knew Concur would bring Hipmunk into business travel. It'll be interesting to see how the Hipmunk brand changes once it becomes known for more than just leisure travel: Hipmunk Goes After Unmanaged Business Travel Market

>>Startups in India and Turkey have benefited from investment by venture capital firms located outside those countries. That's a trend that's a mixed blessing: Package Vacation Platform GoFro Raises $10 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

>>Expense providers, which have typically connected with clients and their travel management companies, are moving deeper into the business travel booking arena: Certify Buys Booking Tool in Latest Travel and Expense Tie-Up