Skift Take

This week in digital news, TripAdvisor reported fourth-quarter earnings and we dug into their TV advertising strategy, which involves leaning away from online marketing — bad news for Google.

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.

>>Shiji is a Beijing-based company that provides hotels and restaurants with operational software and hardware. It was already on an overseas acquisition spree before this new funding. Global leader Oracle Hospitality should be on guard: What’s Behind Alibaba’s $486 Million Investment in Hotel Tech Giant Shiji

>>Buying tickets to our forums this year has become even easier with our newly designed and mobile-optimized Skift Forum website: Announcing the New Look and Feel for the Skift Forum Website

>>The global travel industry wonders when Chinese companies and investors will play a bigger role. Restrictions on foreign investment are getting tighter. On the other hand, maybe they’re just not that into us: Travel Megatrends 2018: Ctrip Branches Out as Rivals Focus on Domestic Growth

>>Duetto has raised more money to ramp up its operations and continue to develop its hotel revenue management platform. The space is crowded, but powerful software-as-a-service tools are needed desperately by hotel revenue managers: Duetto Raises $80 Million to Give Hotel Booking an E-Commerce Makeover

>>The Los Angeles tourism board is one of the few in the U.S. that could launch a campaign like this and have it ring true to travelers from around the world. Its original “Everyone Is Welcome” message likely had an impact on how other destinations addressed the drop-off in international visitors: Los Angeles Takes Its New Tourism Campaign to Hulu

>>TUI seems to have found a good use case for blockchain technology, and the implied cost savings would help boost profits. But could TUI achieve the same result with an alternative? TUI Is Relying on Its Blockchain to Help Boost Profits

>>Google execs are not losing any sleep yet, but they are likely aware that some of their largest travel advertisers are starting to favor commercials on TV instead of sponsored search engine links. The big spenders’ new strategies will have a rippling impact across other metasearch companies, as well: TripAdvisor Has a TV-Heavy Marketing Strategy That Competitors Are Trying Too

>>Consolidation has been expected across corporate travel, but it was surprising to see American Express Global Business Travel emerge as a buyer so soon after its integration of KDS. As business travel has gone increasingly global, the combination with Hogg Robinson would be in a good spot to service clients across the world: Big Merger Puts Amex GBT in the Expedia and Priceline Neighborhood

>>WeTravel finds itself in a competitive payments market. The company had a good first year, and expanding to larger travel companies is likely on its to-do list: WeTravel Raises $2 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

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Tags: digital, Travel Trends, trends roundups

Photo credit: TripAdvisor just reported its fourth-quarter earnings from 2017. A TripAdvisor booth in Madrid, Spain, on January 20, 2012. Turismo y Visitas Virtuales / Flickr

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