Expedia News

Direct booking is not really a war where one side must lose. Both the large hotel chains and online travel agencies could wind up better off if they act rationally on pricing.

If publicly traded companies such as Google are bound by fiduciary duties to shareholders, then Google, which already has one of the largest travel businesses in the world, larger than the Priceline Group, TripAdvisor and Ctrip combined, would be foolhardy to shoot its advertising business in the foot to become an online travel agency.

Google is getting disrupted on a number of fronts and the emergence of Facebook as a viable advertising alternative -- or supplement, actually -- for Expedia and other big travel advertisers is part of it.

Voice search, along with other user experience changes, present challenges to the existing titans of online travel. The companies that are smart about handling that transition will prosper in a mobile-first world.

Critics of Expedia Inc.'s 2014-2015 acquisition spree appear to have had a valid point: These sorts of mergers and integrations can be very distracting and complex. Expedia has felt the pain now in the second and third quarters and could be in for some more until it get can get things back on course. Expedia's competitors will take advantage.

It's not around the corner but you can expect China's Ctrip to set up shop to compete against online and offline travel giants in the U.S. Breaking in through acquisition would be an obvious strategy although it's unclear whether that's actually part of Ctrip's seemingly very active strategic plan.

Expedia is seeking to gain even more influence in the hotel industry while the big chains are trying to limit online travel agencies' clout through the hotels' direct-booking campaigns. As Expedia's recent Marriott Vacations and Red Lion deals, along with the needs of smaller hotels, show, there is substantial upside for Expedia.

Prepare for a fast-paced, idea-rich session with some of the smartest minds in travel.

Sometimes you have good luck and sometimes you have good timing. And sometimes you have both. Visit Britain's campaign already makes sense since the U.S. is the UK's most valuable source market. But many Americans were probably already mulling a UK trip because of the great exchange rate without the coaxing of a tourism board.

Whilst tech-innovation and hotels direct booking campaigns bring new challenges to the OTA world, Expedia has kept a solid growth over the past years and has a steady eye on upcoming disruptions.