Travel Megatrends 2018: New Online Travel Agency Execs Reshape Companies
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Skift Megatrends 2018
In January 2018 released our annual travel industry trends forecast, Skift Megatrends 2018. You can read about each of the trends on Skift, or download a copy of our magazine here.There’s been a changing of the guard at the top echelons of online travel leadership, and the CEOs of the three largest companies are reorienting their companies to meet head-on what they perceive to be challenges of today and tomorrow.
Until relatively recently, Jane Sun had been Ctrip’s co-president, Glenn Fogel had headed the Priceline Group’s worldwide strategy and planning, and Mark Okerstrom had been Expedia Inc.’s longtime chief financial officer. But in a rapid-fire series of events starting in late 2016, all three ascended to the CEO slot at their respective companies.
Sun became CEO in November 2016, Fogel took office on January 1, 2017, and Okerstrom started calling the shots in September 2017.
To a great extent, the three are starting to shape the companies in their own images.
Arguably the biggest changes to date have come from Fogel at the Priceline Group and Sun at Ctrip.
In a stunner, Fogel recently told investors and analysts that the Priceline Group, which is Google’s largest travel advertiser and grew into its current size nurtured on digital advertising, is rethinking its online advertising strategy and plans to put more emphasis on brand advertising — meaning TV commercials.
