Hotels have clearly fallen out of favor with most business travelers, but they'll be back at some point. Monaker's focus on alternative accommodations may be a long shot.
With plenty of dinero within reach, Certares is in a position to latch onto companies that fit into trends that the PE firm believes will be at the forefront when a post-Covid travel recovery finally takes hold. G Adventures apparently fits the bill.
TUI managed to keep some hotels open last year, and while they weren't exactly full, it will have learned lessons operating during Covid which could help it snap back quicker than most.
Experienced travel consultants will inevitably have developed bonds with their clients, but for how long will the mega-agencies stand back and watch as they lose business?
While business travel platforms go after the expense market, expense platform Coupa’s move in the other direction would give it plenty of cross-selling opportunities.
Will it suffice for TUI Musement to focus on the partnership side of its business, as it does with Booking.com and major cruise lines, or does it need to master the uphill task of becoming a breakout consumer brand beyond TUI's existing customer base? Acquisitions could be part of the mix when the pandemic dust settles.
By 2025, it turned out employees were happy to give up the office, but they wholeheartedly fought to keep some kind of physical interaction with coworkers.