Skift Take

This week's digital news was all about new frontiers. Snap bets on visual-first searching; augmented reality gains traction at events, and there's a whole crop of apps devoted to easing travel anxiety.

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.

>>Lola’s push into business travel makes sense given the needs and booking frequency of experienced road warriors. But as Upside has experienced, attracting the right kind of users is a big challenge when travelers can just book trips themselves: Lola Pivot to Business Travel Is All About the App

>>The fare-filing clearinghouse ATPCO needs to adapt to airline distribution’s rapid changes. Much depends on whether its new CEO can boost the organization’s metabolism: Airline Data Powerhouse Needs to Evolve as Fast as Airfares Have

>>The online travel agencies — as the Apex Predators and beneficiaries at the top of the current distribution scheme — aren’t likely to rush in to invest in a technology that democratizes access to travel content: Why Online Travel Agencies Will Line Up Against Blockchain Adoption

>>If a new report is any indication, travel companies have a long way to go to enhance their brand value among consumers: Travel Is Still Absent From Interbrand’s List of Best Global Brands

>>Musement’s only likely way to return a decent multiple to its investors would be to get acquired by a big online travel player. But it would have to vastly increase its brand awareness and business-to-business foothold to make something like that happen: Musement Buys Triposo in a Still-Crowded Tours and Activities Sector

>>Move over virtual reality, there’s a new reality taking over at meetings, conferences, and events. Augmented reality has the potential to change the way people see events — literally: How Augmented Reality Will Impact Meetings and Events

>>It won’t be enough to attend a meeting anymore. Conference attendees are going to need to see events in a whole new way — even if that reality is augmented: Immersive Experiences Are the Future of Events — Meetings Innovation Report

>>The messaging app bets it can leap into becoming a platform for discovering places and hotels. Odds are against the company. But odds are in favor of visual-first search becoming widespread: Snap’s New Feature for Hotels and Destinations Shows the Promise of Visual Search

>>Mapbox’s funding shows that Google will once again face competition for location-based data, which is good for market dynamics: Location-Data Specialist Mapbox Raises $164 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

>>Permanxiety is now a sad fact of life. But you may be able to stress less if you lean on a handful of smartphone apps that can help you avoid health risks, security threats, and other potential travel snafus: 14 Apps to Calm Your Travel Mind

>>Like a book or movie you’ve decided to take in for a second time, we’ve discovered there is a lot of value in viewing these videos even if you attended the Skift Global Forum in person. In many of them, there is an abundance of insight to absorb: Skift Global Forum 2017 On-Stage Videos Are Now Live

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Tags: digital, Travel Trends, trends roundups

Photo credit: Snap has a new tool called context cards. Snap

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