Booking Holdings CEO: We're on the Road Toward Going Full-Service

When the Priceline Group changed its name to Booking Holdings a couple of months ago, the company spun it as better portraying the global nature of its business, and enhancing the alignment of its six major brands, all of which perform bookings. But behind the scenes, the name change portends a deeper shift that Skift has been pointing to for months. Booking, which became a $102 billion company based largely on its hotel business, is headed toward becoming a full-service online travel agency with some parallels to Expedia Group and Ctrip. In an interview at Skift headquarters in New York City last week, Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel confirmed the company's strategic direction. "That's what we are driving to, yes," Fogel said. "What I would say, again, is what we are trying to create is a wholistic system that solves all issues of the trip." He added: "I can't give you a timetable, but I will say, we are on that road." This is the first of a two-part series featuring an interview with Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel. Tomorrow's story will cover a look at his tenure since taking the top job January 1, 2017, including his view on the volatile nature of the online travel agency sector. Like a travel agent of yesteryear Fogel pointed to the fact that the company's largest unit, Booking.com, offers tours and activities post-booking in 40 cities, and that the company is currently testing a restaurants tab, powered by its OpenTable subsidiary, on Booking.com's homepage. The top of that page already features flights, flights + hotel, car rentals and airport taxis sections, in additions to its core accommodations offering. He said it's possible that the company will expand its tours business so attractions can be booked at any point in time, like most competitors do. Booking has invested in