Jeremy Kressmann, Skift
Many companies — especially in the hotel sector — aren't doing enough to encourage mobile purchases.
2 months ago
Facebook is challenging online advertising heavyweight Google by offering innovative products that target travel brands (and other sectors). Expect the social network to seize some market share but how much remains to be seen.
Technology-driven innovation has done wonders for airline industry stock prices. But is that innovation also doing wonders for passengers? Right now the answer seems to be no.
For many travelers, loyalty programs increasingly feel like gambling in a casino — where the house is stacked against you. Adding flexibility to programs can help brands regain travelers' trust.
3 months ago
Today, the travel industry is mostly applying artificial intelligence (AI) to power chatbots and dynamic pricing tools. But a time-traveling cyborg tells us more innovation is coming.
Most Western travel brands are still in their infancy when it comes to understanding China's digital platforms and marketing norms.
Travel brands need to check that their digital effort is in sync with their offline service.
Every travel company wants to be known as innovative. But creating the right culture for innovation can be challenging. That's why travel incubators seem like such a great strategy: access to outside partners, ideas and talent with minimal risk.
4 months ago
Jeremy Kressman, Skift
Overtourism is a growing problem, so it's heartening to see Booking.com taking on the problem of sustainability in an innovative way. That said, it's still too early to tell if this is a genuine commitment to sustainability, or just a "feel-good" move to create PR headlines.
Even the digital marketing world couldn't escape the Trump factor this week. Travel brands would love an opportunity to move on to business as usual.
5 months ago
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.
