Jeremy Kressmann, Skift
Many companies — especially in the hotel sector — aren't doing enough to encourage mobile purchases.
12 months ago
Facebook is challenging online advertising heavyweight Google by offering innovative products that target travel brands (and other sectors). Expect the social network to seize some market share but how much remains to be seen.
Technology-driven innovation has done wonders for airline industry stock prices. But is that innovation also doing wonders for passengers? Right now the answer seems to be no.
1 year ago
For many travelers, loyalty programs increasingly feel like gambling in a casino — where the house is stacked against you. Adding flexibility to programs can help brands regain travelers' trust.
Today, the travel industry is mostly applying artificial intelligence (AI) to power chatbots and dynamic pricing tools. But a time-traveling cyborg tells us more innovation is coming.
Most Western travel brands are still in their infancy when it comes to understanding China's digital platforms and marketing norms.
Travel brands need to check that their digital effort is in sync with their offline service.
Jeremy Kressman, Skift
The key question for travel marketers is no longer "Does location-based marketing work?" but "When does this start to get creepy?"
Airbnb tends to get most of the credit when consumers talk about "alternative accommodation." But ultimately it may be efforts undertaken by online travel agencies like Expedia and Priceline that truly bring short-term and whole-home rentals into the travel mainstream.
Every travel company wants to be known as innovative. But creating the right culture for innovation can be challenging. That's why travel incubators seem like such a great strategy: access to outside partners, ideas and talent with minimal risk.
Does National Geographic's push into original scripted TV signal that the industry is shifting away from bland travel reality shows and snooze-worthy programming about cruises and Las Vegas? We sure hope so.
Overtourism is a growing problem, so it's heartening to see Booking.com taking on the problem of sustainability in an innovative way. That said, it's still too early to tell if this is a genuine commitment to sustainability, or just a "feel-good" move to create PR headlines.
