2017 Archives

The way to Chinese travelers' wallets may be via their stomachs. Availability of food amenable to the Chinese palate is a top concern for Chinese business and leisure travelers, and catering to needs such as hot, potable water can make a difference in their choices of airlines and hotels.

While influencers help many brands break into communities they want to reach, travel brands shouldn't forget that ordinary travelers also post millions of photos and videos that help people decide where to book their trips.

This is a decent exit for the investors in ReviewPro and a wake-up call to a Western hotel industry ignoring China's tech scene. But it is also a validation of ReviewPro's particular approach of giving hotels actionable analytics on guests for sales and marketing, and revenue management -- and not just monitoring TripAdvisor ratings.

Conference organizers are developing more multidisciplinary programming that pulls from both the business and creative industries, creating a new convergence of experiences that help brands plug into business events in more ways.

As Fathom prepares to enter its new chapter, the brand needs to clearly identify its mission and experience to connect with the right travelers. If "social impact" wasn't a clear enough description, will "participatory" do the job?

CES 2017 this month in Las Vegas marked the emergence of Artificial Intelligence-integrated connectivity and voice responsiveness into the mainstream, especially in terms of smart cars and smart homes. We will soon all be basically living and driving inside our mobile phones.

Signs of HomeAway becoming more aggressive about Asia expansion are evident but there is much to do. Putting in place a new leadership team is just the beginning.

Disney's unique theme park experience gives the company strong pricing power in the U.S., allowing Disney to consistently raise ticket prices above the inflation rate while growing attendance at the same time. By owning hotels on its properties, Disney is able to maintain an immersive experience, leading to high occupancy rates and steady growth in spending per room. The theme parks feed the hotels with guests and the hotels reinforce the park experience. This has, and will continue to be, a lucrative cycle for Disney.

These are the digital trends we were talking about this week.

You don't need to be climbing Mt. Everest for it to be wise to take advantage of a few think-ahead travel services.