Digital Roundups

In digital news this week, Expedia Vice Chair Peter Kern sought to rally his workforce by saying it was time to focus and help the company's travel partners suffering in the wake of coronavirus. Plus, Trip.com Group said it would likely see a 50 percent drop in first quarter revenue but offered some hope that travel was slowly recovering in China.

This week in digital news, Airbnb had $276 million in losses in its fourth quarter — and that was before coronavirus struck. Not good news for a company that was hoping to go public this year. Plus, Tripadvisor is trying to offload its vacation rental businesses — will Expedia follow suit?

In digital news this week, Airbnb, Expedia, Tripadvisor, and others reached an unprecedented agreement with the European Union to share data. Will it shift the competitive landscape? Plus, coronavirus has wreaked havoc on global currency markets, which Latin American online travel powerhouse Despegar said could present big challenges.

Expedia Chairman Barry Diller is delivering on his promise to tighten up the company, with recently announced plans to lay off 12 percent of staff. Plus, the short-term rental market is one to watch as it continues to grow, with some predicting a new category to emerge that distinguishes between professional and host-run rentals.

In digital news this week, Google is so omnipresent that even a small tweak to the way that its searches work can have an impact on the rest of the travel industry. Plus, Skift talks with Booking.com's new chief marketing officer about his hopes for the company.

This week in digital news, Expedia Chairman Barry Diller led an eventful earnings call during which he tore into the company's work-life balance and bloat, but also admitted he was just beginning to understand the business. Plus, Skift Research explores Google's far-reaching impact on the travel industry.

This week in digital news, Google's dominance in the online booking realm is creating an environment where competing travel retailers gravitate toward tactics that pressure consumers into making purchases as opposed to building brand loyalty. Plus, how being a controlled shareholder company has caused problems at Tripadvisor.

This week in digital news, swiping a credit card to make a purchase suddenly seems dated. In a field rife with options, travel brands should take care to make sure customers can pay by their preferred method. Plus, a wave of new regulatory reviews of online travel platforms could reveal key business practices that were previously shrouded.

Tripadvisor — in a fight to maintain its share of the travel market — is beefing up Viator and will start treating the tours-and-activities booking agency as its own brand. Plus, after years of criticism for prioritizing its own travel products above others, Google is changing the way it monetizes its flight search.

This week in digital news, swiping a credit card to make a purchase suddenly seems dated. In a field rife with options, travel brands should take care to make sure customers can pay by their preferred method. Plus, a wave of new regulatory reviews of online travel platforms could reveal key business practices that were previously shrouded.