London’s Mobile Gaming App and 9 Other Digital Trends This Week

>>Many travelers are glued to their phones, so why not put them to even greater use? That’s what London tourism officials are hoping to do, but whether this will actually help disperse tourism throughout the city rather than generate revenue for already crowded attractions remains to be seen: London Uses Mobile Gaming App to Help Tackle Overtourism

>>Hyatt’s new World of Hyatt credit card launched Thursday does a better job of targeting younger and thriftier travelers. Big spenders, on the other hand, may be unhappy with some of the new perks: Hotel Credit Card Wars Heat Up as Hyatt Relaunches Its Chase Card

>>A curious number of airport restaurants have started partnering with Priority Pass in the last two years. More options are a good thing: Priority Pass Shifts to Restaurants and Airport Suites as Demographics Change

>>Oracle Hospitality is the market leader in selling hotel tech software. But the company has made some missteps. It is adjusting course, and two weeks ago it appointed a new top boss, Greg Webb. The industry will watch his moves closely: Interview: Oracle Hospitality’s New Boss Looks to the Cloud for Growth

>>Proving return on investment in the meetings and events space is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a difficult challenge, providing metrics for a host of areas from net revenue to attendee satisfaction. Yet planners are under growing pressure to meet the challenge: Meeting Planners Still Struggle to Prove Return on Investment

>>Making money is important for most events, but it isn’t everything. Happy attendees and successful business outcomes can help move the needle for companies, even if an event itself isn’t a huge moneymaker: How Events Can Demonstrate Strong Return on Investment

>>TV ads can be the hippest type of marketing. But the personal brand of Booking.com’s chief marketing officer Pepijn Rijvers is tied up in a data-first approach that instead emphasizes paid ads in search engines: Video: Booking CMO Says Brand Marketing Has Limits

>>The vast majority of tours and activities are still being booked offline the old-fashioned way, so theoretically, the digital players can each have their piece of the pie: Video: GetYourGuide Is Playing the Long Game With Activity Booking

>>Do hotels really need to be flagged under a big brand if online travel agencies are most effective at selling rooms? Hotelbeds’ Joan Vila thinks hotel chains may be forced to wind down some brands that aren’t succeeding in the marketplace: Video: Hotelbeds Executive Chairman on Fallout From the Online Booking Battleground

>>TourRadar stands apart from other online sellers of activities with its rare, leading focus on multiday tours. Meanwhile, Triptease, the hotel direct booking specialist, and Chowbotics, a maker of food service robots, also announced funding: TourRadar Receives $50 Million for Multi-Day Tour Sales: Travel Startup Funding This Week