Richard Whiddington, Jing Travel
As Chinese outbound travel continues to rise, this high-spending segment is increasingly appealing to destinations worldwide. Deploying WeChat, China's No. 1 superapp, may be key for travel brands and destinations looking to unlock this market.
1 month ago
Andrew Sheivachman, Skift
It will be fascinating to see whether consumers embrace booking various elements of travel using Google Assistant. Perhaps more interesting is the way that Google Maps has become an all-purpose superapp in recent years.
1 month ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Consumers in the West reach almost reflexively for the Google Maps app as the service becomes a nearly ubiquitous utility despite a dearth of messaging and payments. Whether it evolves into the next superapp may depend on whether users really want a do-everything app and the mood of regulators seeking to break up big tech.
2 months ago
Eric Newcomer, Bloomberg
It doesn’t look good for SoftBank. The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment has immense power under President Trump and has been cracking down on foreign investment. This puts overseas investors in a very uncertain position, which could lead to fewer international business deals.
2 months ago
Lucca de Paoli and Manus Cranny, Bloomberg
Vista is getting bigger, as more and more companies realize it’s way easier to rent a jet rather than own one outright. Now, this most recent acquisition makes booking seats even easier, but who knows if it will catch on with luxury travelers.
2 months ago
Hannah Sampson, Skift
Travel companies are honing their own technological innovations even as Silicon Valley acknowledges the dangers of tech overload. Travelers must find a balance.
3 months ago
Thomas Seal, Bloomberg
Brexit would have a steep price, and no longer escaping mobile roaming charges for Brits traveling to the UK, and for European Union citizens traveling to the UK, could be one of the components. Were leave voters thinking of that?
4 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Hotels and other brands would welcome a tool that enables them to accurately tally the number of bookings that can be directly attributed to various influencers. But it remains to be seen how effectively Six Travel can deliver on its promises.
4 months ago
Frank Jordans, Associated Press
The app sounds like a good idea, but it remains to be seen whether all of the incumbent transit systems, with their vested interests, will hop along for the ride.
4 months ago
Raini Hamdi, Skift
A bigger chunk of online travel bookings will be made through mobile in Southeast Asia and players need to improve the user experience fast. Learn from Expedia, which has been anointed the guru of mobile in the region by a Google/Accenture study.
4 months ago
Eric Newcomer, Bloomberg
As the company prepares for its IPO, it wants investors to know that its ambitions are big. But it's hard to imagine scooters becoming wildly popular, and it's an expensive investment, especially at a time when growth of its core business is slowing.
4 months ago
Eric Newcomer, Bloomberg
Lyft has earned a reputation for being the nice guy, but that can't last long if it wants to be number one in a cutthroat industry.
5 months ago