Articles tagged “online travel agencies”

Tune in to hear Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans talk about how the company is trying to build products that meet higher consumer expectations.

Whether Ctrip overpaid or underpaid is irrelevant. They needed a meta site to position itself as a global player in online travel. The implications for the future of search and travel are huge.

Ctrip is anxious to expand globally and views the acquisition of Skyscanner as a means to expand Ctrip's international footprint in selling air tickets. Look for Skyscanner to increase its booking capabilities and to evolve beyond search under the Ctrip umbrella.

Next year will be a make or break year for TripAdvisor Instant Booking. Either the economics work out and consumers start treating TripAdvisor as a booking site or the company will have to pivot. It's a tough slog with much potential. TripAdvisor is playing the long game on this; let's talk next year at this time to see how the game works out.

With dozens of online sources available to consumers, travel consultants need the ability to clearly articulate the benefits of consulting an expert.

TripAdvisor stated earlier this year that its transition to transactions, or Instant Booking, would show progress in the second half of 2016. There is indeed a morsel of progress but not enough to satisfy investors and other critics.

When the U.S. election (presumably) concludes on Tuesday, companies might be able to invest in travel with a little more certainty about their return on investment. Vacationers will likely be looking to take a break from the tense political climate in the U.S., as well.

Financial quarters come and go but TripAdvisor CEO Stephen Kaufer says he will keep working on its Instant Booking initiative until the company gets it right. Can Kaufer really change consumer behavior and turn hotel-review readers into bookers on TripAdvisor? The sentiment is divided but he certainly is committed to doing so.

Our storytelling ambitions at Skift are growing bigger, and this year we've leaned into these big editorial projects in a big way. The key animating function for us is understanding the big picture around travel that you otherwise won't read in other travel or mainstream media. Expect deeper reporting from us over the coming year as well.

Smartphones continue gaining ground with online travel bookings, albeit slowly, and mobile web still outpaces what can be clunky mobile app user experiences.