Skift Global Forum Video: Investing in the Traveler Experience of the Future

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Skift Take

In this brand talk from Skift Global Forum 2022, we hear from Steven M. Elinson, managing director of travel and hospitality at AWS, and Rick Fast, senior vice president of experience engineering at Expedia Group, on why travel brands are deepening their commitment to digital transformation.

In this video:

  • A more flexible and scalable future: A look at how travel companies made nearly overnight adjustments during the pandemic — and the importance of maintaining that nimble approach for continued success.
  • Opening the doors to Open World: How Expedia’s Open World initiative is driving an already-digital company forward with new personalized upselling options for customers and a la carte backend offerings for partners.
  • Leaving legacy behind without overthinking: Confronting the initial challenges of breaking up with old systems to unlock new possibilities and diving into building a new digital strategy without trying to plot a perfect, bump-free, five-year ride.

Digital transformation is more than a buzzword or a process to hand over to your IT department — it’s a complete cultural shift for your entire team. As travel companies invest more money and time to modernize their systems, the results are a better traveler experience through delivering more flexibility for industry partners, more convenience for customers, and more upselling opportunities.

In this video from Skift Global Forum 2022, we hear from Steven M. Elinson, managing director of travel and hospitality at AWS, and Rick Fast, senior vice president of experience engineering at Expedia Group, in conversation with Dan Marcec, research editor at SkiftX, on how travel brands are recognizing the importance of embracing a fundamentally different approach to organizational structure and operations to chart the course forward.

For more insights on how your business can keep up with the rapid pace of change, download the 2022 Digital Transformation Report from AWS and Skift.

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