Trivago and Kayak Split Over Travel Metasearch's Future

Germany-based Trivago is trying to diversify beyond its core hotel comparison-shopping feature to inform locals about things to do in their hometowns, and also to inspire travelers with upcoming concerts and exhibitions in destinations they might visit in a bid to increase overall engagement with the company. That's been a startup and leisure travel dilemma for decades: How can companies keep the cash flowing when potential customers might only vacation a couple of times per year? Trivago recently debuted a local inspiration product in the UK that includes categories such as concerts, kids' activities, theatre and comedy as it tries to offer products  further up the proverbial booking funnel toward the discovery phase. When asked about Trivago's moves, Steve Hafner, the co-founder and CEO of U.S.-headquartered Kayak, a Trivago rival, said his company will keep its concentration instead on travelers ready to book. "It's an interesting move to go upper funnel," Hafner said of Trivago's moves. "I hope it works for them. But at Kayak, we intend to stay focused on high intent