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Mergers and Acquisitions

A collection of Skift’s articles covering a wide range of deals, from technology partnerships and acquisitions to those involving hotels, airlines, and booking sites. The articles provide a comprehensive resource for those interested in tracking the latest developments and trends in the rapidly evolving travel industry. Whether you’re a travel industry professional, investor, or simply a curious traveler, we hope you find this archive informative and useful. Browse our collection to stay up-to-date on the latest mergers and acquisitions in the travel industry.

Hotels

Airbnb’s Grand Travel Ambitions Could Be Taking a Detour

Airbnb could be in the initial stages of getting into property management. While such an initiative has its risks in terms of criticism from current property management partners, it seems like a much smarter strategy than expanding into very complex and difficult areas such as flights.

Airbnb’s Grand Travel Ambitions Could Be Taking a Detour

Mergers and Acquisitions

Michelin Guide Owner Buys Tablet Hotels to Build a Travel Business

Tablet Hotels found itself a world-class strategic buyer to propel its growth. Tablet as part of Michelin will face huge marketing hurdles, and the challenge of trying to reshape Michelin's legacy guide offerings.

Michelin Guide Owner Buys Tablet Hotels to Build a Travel Business

Mergers and Acquisitions

Expedia CEO Insists That Online Travel Agencies Aren’t Over

The biggest knock on the online travel agencies these days is that the competition is intense and that their golden years are done. Expedia's Mark Okerstrom counters that his company has a single-digit share of a $1.6 trillion market, and he's going wide and deep to pick up more. The jury is still out.

Expedia CEO Insists That Online Travel Agencies Aren’t Over

Mergers and Acquisitions

Expedia CEO: Mergers and Acquisitions Are Always on the Table

An Expedia acquisition of Thomas Cook? While problematic on many fronts, including buying all of those offline agents, it isn't out of the question. Consider that Expedia would gain access to a customer base in Europe that it hardly touches. Expedia's Barry Diller has made a ton of acquisitions. He and Okerstrom are hardly done yet.

Expedia CEO: Mergers and Acquisitions Are Always on the Table

Hotels

Vacation Rental Network RedAwning Buys Leavetown to Enroll Multi-Unit Properties

RedAwning's acquisition of Leavetown suggests that marketing and distribution technology built separately for rentals and hotels may one day blend into all-purpose software for all types of lodging.

Vacation Rental Network RedAwning Buys Leavetown to Enroll Multi-Unit Properties

Mergers and Acquisitions

Expedia Is Growing Alternative Accommodations Faster But Booking Isn’t Slowing Down

Booking sites are offering more types of travel products and services on their platforms. Of these verticals, alternative accommodations are a highly contested space where Booking and Airbnb lead for now.

Expedia Is Growing Alternative Accommodations Faster But Booking Isn’t Slowing Down

Mergers and Acquisitions

Booking Holdings Bought HotelsCombined for Only $140 Million

Don't you just love those proverbial tuck-in acquisitions? Booking Holdings didn't break the bank for either HotelsCombined ($140 million) or FareHarbor ($250 million). Sometimes making smaller bets is a much smarter strategy than gargantuan deals, but only time will tell.

Booking Holdings Bought HotelsCombined for Only $140 Million

Mergers and Acquisitions

Oral History: Booking.com Catapulted Priceline From an Also-Ran to First

The acquisitions of Active Hotels and Bookings B.V., which led to the creation of Booking.com, transformed parent company Priceline.com, and online travel history. Take a look at Priceline's fourth quarter of 2005 financial results, and you'll be able to see the journey in process.

Oral History: Booking.com Catapulted Priceline From an Also-Ran to First

Mergers and Acquisitions

6 Takeaways From The Oral History of Travel’s Greatest Acquisition Booking.com

The stars were seemingly aligned when Booking.com made its move. The big U.S. players were too comfortable with their huge margins from the merchant model; Booking.com focused on independent hotels; and search engine marketing was on the rise. Still, it was the entrepreneurs and dealmakers who made it all happen.

6 Takeaways From The Oral History of Travel’s Greatest Acquisition Booking.com

Mergers and Acquisitions

Booking Holdings Buys HotelsCombined as Kayak Expands Into Asia Pacific

Booking.com is Booking Holdings' favored child, but with the addition of HotelsCombined, it is apparent that the parent company still sees plenty of opportunity for its Kayak unit in metasearch worldwide. This deal will help Kayak expand in Asia Pacific, and will give HotelsCombined additional resources as well.

Booking Holdings Buys HotelsCombined as Kayak Expands Into Asia Pacific