Booking Holdings Buys HotelsCombined and 12 Other Digital Trends This Week


Skift Take

This week in digital news, Booking Holdings bought HotelsCombined for a trifling $140 million, MakeMyTrip and Despegar addressed some stumbling blocks, and innovation is top of mind after the GBTA Convention.

Digital Travel News Weekly Roundup

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.
>>Don't you just love those proverbial tuck-in acquisitions? Booking Holdings didn't break the bank for either HotelsCombined ($140 million) or FareHarbor ($250 million). Sometimes making smaller bets is a much smarter strategy than gargantuan deals, but only time will tell: Booking Holdings Bought HotelsCombined for Only $140 Million >>Investors are understandably focused on MakeMyTrip's ongoing operating losses. But in good news, the company is narrowing the size of those losses while maintaining its growth rates: MakeMyTrip Sees Gains From Its Loyalty Programs >>Lousy economies in key markets have hurt Despegar's profit. But deft management during the recent storms suggests the online travel agency has a promising future: Despegar Tripped Up by the Ailing Economies