Articles tagged “experiences”

TripAdvisor CEO Doubles Estimate of Attractions Business to $2 Billion

TripAdvisor CEO Doubles Estimate of Attractions Business to $2 Billion

Dennis Schaal, Skift

The tours and activities sector is not hotels 2.0. It's a massive business opportunity, though. TripAdvisor CEO Stephen Kaufer estimated it will be about half the size of the hotel sector, with similar take rates. That's indeed very substantial.

1 month ago

Traveler Behavior Is Still the Biggest Impediment to TripAdvisor’s Tours and Activities Business

Traveler Behavior Is Still the Biggest Impediment to TripAdvisor’s Tours and Activities Business

Dennis Schaal, Skift

Should there be TripAdvisor booths at big tourist attractions in Paris, New York, Las Vegas and Rome? It might not be a bad idea to explore to attract the business of travelers who like to book attractions offline. Would it scale? Expedia does it, but the numbers crunchers would have to figure it all out.

1 month ago

The 5 Big Themes Driving Travel in 2018: Lessons From Skift Forum Europe

The 5 Big Themes Driving Travel in 2018: Lessons From Skift Forum Europe

Dennis Schaal, Deanna Ting and Patrick Whyte, Skift

There is no set formula on how to do it, but it's clear that the most progressive companies in travel are intent on reinventing their businesses, and value propositions. On the other hand, certain things that still work, like customer service and personalized hospitality, will survive the cut.

2 months ago

TripAdvisor Buys Tours and Activities Tech Provider Bokun as Connectivity Race Heats Up

TripAdvisor Buys Tours and Activities Tech Provider Bokun as Connectivity Race Heats Up

Dennis Schaal, Skift

We said there would be more consolidation in the tours and activities space, and the ink was hardly dry when TripAdvisor announced the acquisition of Bokun. This enables TripAdvisor to provide an end-to-end solution without having to rely on third party vendors to bring tours and activities suppliers on board.

2 months ago

TripAdvisor Attractions Unit Will Rebrand as Experiences

TripAdvisor Attractions Unit Will Rebrand as Experiences

Dennis Schaal, Skift

And the winner is ... "experiences." It's a trendy way these days to refer to what formerly were known as tours and activities or attractions. Following Airbnb and Booking.com, TripAdvisor's new business unit will be called TripAdvisor Experiences. Breathing is an experience and living is an experience. Does the name du jour really reflect tour and activities offerings?

2 months ago

Mr and Mrs Smith Joins Tours and Activities Rush With SideStory Acquisition

Mr and Mrs Smith Joins Tours and Activities Rush With SideStory Acquisition

Patrick Whyte, Skift

Trips, experiences, tours, activities – you call them what you like, travel brands want a bigger piece of the sector. For plenty of companies, it's no longer just about the flight or hotel.

2 months ago

Tours and Activities Race for Dominance in 6 Charts

Tours and Activities Race for Dominance in 6 Charts

Seth Borko and Rebecca Stone, Skift Research

Viator leads in online tours and activities, as Skift Research's new analysis shows, but being in first also puts a target on its back. Rivals are working hard to close the gap and the race is far from over.

4 months ago

Onefinestay Launches Concierge Service With Loyalty Elements

Onefinestay Launches Concierge Service With Loyalty Elements

Andrew Sheivachman, Skift

Rumor has it that Airbnb is gearing up to announce a more personalized experience soon, and Onefinestay may have just beat its strongest competitor to the punch.

5 months ago

Ski Resorts Embrace Experiences as Millennial Interest Wanes

Ski Resorts Embrace Experiences as Millennial Interest Wanes

Bill Rozak, Associated Press

Ski resorts are turning to the turning to technology and new experiences to attract millennials. But if they don't like to ski or snowboard, it's hard to imagine them hitting the slopes as they age.

8 months ago

SAS Strives to Fulfill Passenger Dreams and Its Own With Experiences Program for Elite Flyers

SAS Strives to Fulfill Passenger Dreams and Its Own With Experiences Program for Elite Flyers

Brian Sumers, Skift

We're not surprised SAS frequent flyers love to take trips with the airline's head chef, though we're impressed the airline found 20 takers willing to spend $5,000 a piece (plus 100,000 points) for a five-day trip to Japan.

9 months ago

Airbnb Will Start Selling Travel Experiences Later This Year

Airbnb Will Start Selling Travel Experiences Later This Year

Emily Chang and Eric Newcomer, Bloomberg

Branded experiences beyond the room are all the rage this year, from Airbnb's new move, to those already taken by Hyatt with it's Unbound collection and Design Hotels' Original Experiences.

2 years ago