SkiftX

Chinese New Year is big business for the travel industry. The country's travelers are expected to take more than three billion trips during this year's festivities.

One of the dirty "secrets" of digital advertising is that companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft purchase ads on their own platforms, essentially competing with other buyers for the top placements. The news should give any marketer spending top dollar to try and earn high-ranking search results cause for concern.

Between their digital advertising tools and deep knowledge of consumers, there's virtually no tech company on earth (other than Google) that can match Facebook and Instagram. The launch of Instagram's new "Stories" feature should make advertising competitor Snapchat very afraid.

It's clear there is going to be further consolidation in online travel in Europe after Ctrip swooped in and acquired Skyscanner. Momondo would be a nice addition – not a game-changer for Kayak – and a deal could happen if the number-crunchers on both sides have a meeting of the minds.

We're putting a focus on travel technology at Skift, and to be the best we can be about it, we're bringing in one of the best in the business.

Wearable technology offers plenty of upsides for travel brands. But it also involves lots of complex, behind-the-scenes moving pieces to make it run smoothly. Assuming they can pull off the logistics, Carnival's Ocean Medallion program seems like a good move both for passengers and the company's bottom line.

We hope you enjoy reading these as much as we liked writing them.

Given how much time we all spend at airports, it's a sector of the travel industry that's ripe for technology innovation and disruption.

Love it or hate it, the online travel industry would arguably not exist without the promotional firepower generated by paid digital advertising. As more online consumers choose to avoid this advertising using ad blocking tools, it's raising some difficult questions about how travel companies should proceed.

Location-based marketing is the future of the travel industry. The companies (like Google, Apple and Baidu) that control access to location data via map applications will hold a huge competitive advantage over competitors.