Yiming Woo and Richard Lough, Reuters
One sentence about an operator of sightseeing tours says it all: "Another six months of slow business may force him to quit."
2 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
You've heard other online travel companies talk about the "connected trip." But Tripadvisor focuses instead on the "considered trip" as its north star. CEO Steve Kaufer said engaged travelers, who use his brand to plan all parts of a trip, are his top target.
2 weeks ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
GetYourGuide's Johannes Reck is underplaying the Google threat in tours and activities. Sure, Google has much larger priorities, but how much will it cost to build the GetYourGuide brand with Google controlling the airspace?
2 weeks ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
With competitors like GetYourGuide, Klook, Airbnb and Booking.com strengthening their asrsenals, market leader Viator will enforce new quality standards that would make it more user-friendly and efficient. If these and other moves don't work, then look out for a new No. 1.
2 weeks ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
TUI/Musement's new strategic partnership with Booking.com has the potential to reshuffle the powers that be in tours and activities, especially in Europe. But TUI doesn't have a stellar track record in online offerings, and much of the promise will depend on its execution.
1 month ago
Carl Shepherd, Skift
It is highly risky for Airbnb to pivot to compete directly as an online travel agency, and it needs to seriously think about whether its sharing model truly extends to the activity, experience provider because in reality it doesn't.
2 months ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Operators of tours, activities, and attractions are taking a crash course in online classes, virtual tours, and digital souvenir sales. We doubt these efforts can fully replace the revenue of in-person experiences. Yet there are needs to fill. Many housebound people and remote teams could use the human connection, while many hosts are eager for income.
3 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Airbnb initially made a pro-guest decision on refunds, but it now realizes its policy and its outreach to hosts was clumsy and unsatisfactory. Hosts still won't be pleased, but the optics and financials aren't as bad as before.
3 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Whether building tours and activities or vacation rentals, acquiring companies soon find out that this stuff isn't as easy as it looked. From confidential internal documents obtained by Skift, it's clear Booking.com found out that scaling experiences on its own wouldn't be a cakewalk, and it's turning to Musement to kick off a preferred partnership strategy instead.
4 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
When Tripadvisor first started diversifying away from its hotel-auction business several years ago, it was mostly aspirational because its experiences and dining businesses were relatively small. Now there is a bit of revenue meat on those bones. Still, meaningful profits will be slow going in this competitive climate.
5 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Tripadvisor is trying to squeeze more revenue and profits out of its newly restructured tours and activities business. There's a danger, though, that well-funded rivals might undercut Tripadvisor's efforts.
5 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Question: At Tripadvisor, as a controlled company, what mechanisms did minority shareholders have to pressure Chairman Greg Maffei to make dramatic changes? Answer: Relatively few.
5 months ago
