Dennis Schaal, Skift
TripAdvisor is leveraging its strengths — tours and activities, and restaurants — where it has leadership positions rather than choosing to devote the bulk of its energies in the crowded field of hotels and alternative accommodations. It is a wise choice to differentiate rather than be a mere clone of its competitors.
4 days ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Fickle investors, meaning those without a long-range view, didn't necessarily appreciate the breadth of the TripAdvisor platform in the past. The company isn't the biggest player out there, but its strong positions in tours and activities, as well as restaurants, is injecting momentum.
5 days ago
Patrick Whyte, Skift
It makes sense for hotels to step up their cultural programming, and for a certain high-end guest, it will provide an extra incentive to book.
3 weeks ago
Andrew Sheivachman, Skift
Creation is the new consumption, as travelers weary of commodity travel seek to have a more active role in curating their experiences, and digital platforms more seamlessly mediate in-trip discovery, increasing the opportunity for serendipity.
4 weeks ago
Sophie Alexander, Bloomberg
If your net worth is about $50 million — the supposed average net worth of members of luxury concierge service Quintessentially — you too can have some unique travel experiences. This shows how the "experiences" trend is becoming fairly pervasive in different shapes and forms, and for a variety of income levels.
1 month ago
Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau + Skift
New scientific research links getting out of your comfort zone with increased creativity. For meeting planners looking for the next big thing, that means smaller-scale venues and unexpected destinations should be top of mind.
2 months ago
Windstar Cruises + Skift
Travel providers need to step up the experiences they offer to compete in an increasingly crowded market –– and those in the cruise sector are no exception. With the recent announcement that it’s overhauling three of its ships, Windstar Cruises is one example of a cruise brand that realizes this.
2 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Google officials aren't losing any sleep over TripAdvisor spending a few million dollars less on paid search, but TripAdvisor's pullback, as well as similar moves by other large travel players, symbolizes a changing advertising climate and a long-term challenge.
3 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
TripAdvisor faces a quandary: It needs to have an alternative accommodations business to round out its hotel offerings, but rentals revenue declined and slowed the otherwise-positive trajectory of its non-hotels segment. While TripAdvisor is a market leader in experiences and restaurants, its rentals business is muddying up the works.
3 months ago
Airbnb + Skift
Travelers are prioritizing experiences that can teach them something new and open their eyes –– meaning that hospitality brands and accommodations need to shift how they attract and appeal to guests.
4 months ago
Dan Peltier, Skift
Tours and activities partnerships like the one between Atlas Obscura and Chase seem like a win-win. Card companies acquire knowledge about trends in the sector, and what travelers are demanding. Meanwhile, tour operators get access to loyal consumers willing to shell out for the trip of a lifetime.
5 months ago
Dan Peltier and Andrew Sheivachman , Skift
Vacationers want to experience something new and are tired of the same old tours and activities. While global tour operators are baking more customization into their products, digital distribution is changing the way local operators do business.
5 months ago