Weekly Roundup: Travel, Tech and Social Media
Happy Friday once again! It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas, doesn't it? It's not long now after all! This week, our office has already been in full Christmas mode, but before we all take off on our holidays, here's a look at some of this week's stories and top travel trends to watch in 2016 in an end of the year roundup!
As we'll be on a short break over Christmas, we wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a spectacular new year!
Industry News
Some of the Key Drivers Expected to Fuel Expedia's Growth in 2016
Expedia had been demonstrating solid performance in 2015 and the company looks well-equipped to continue along the same lines in 2016.
Booking.com Shares Insights for Adapting to the On-Demand Traveler
According to Todd Dunlap, Managing Director of the Americas at Booking.com, to meet the needs of the traveler of tomorrow means making the accommodation the destination and designing complete experiences when it comes to travel.
Airbnb Set to Top One Million Guests in a Single Night on New Year's Eve
Airbnb has over one million guests booked for this upcoming New Year’s Eve, up from 550,000 last year. It will be the first time the room sharing company has ever booked one million people in a single night, surpassing the previous record on August 8, 2015, which was just shy of seven digits.
Booking.com Embraces Google's Dynamic Mobile Ad unit Magic Banner
The chief marketing officer of Booking.com, which is reportedly the largest spender of advertising on Google, says his company is working intensively to test Google’s dynamic mobile ad unit — dubbed the Magic Banner — and will likely announce a deeper partnership with Google in the new year.
Comparing the Marriott and Accor Deals
The same list of motivators spurred Marriott International’s planned acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide as AccorHotels’ planned merger with FRHI Holdings Limited, but the deals come with different deal structures.
Tweet at Sheraton if Your Flight Is Delayed and You Could Win a Drone
Through the end of December, Sheraton wants travelers to tweet with the hashtag #delightdelaysweeps to its Twitter account for the chance to win a bevy of prizes. It's a holiday endeavor, attempting to appeal to folks who get stuck in airports in the U.S., Mexico, the U.K., Dubai, France and Germany while trying to visit family and friends.
Trends and Insights
The past year was a wild and successful ride for the hotel industry. A banner year in terms of occupancy, 2015 was also a year of big consolidation and continued increases in guest acquisition costs. When it comes to reviews, it was the year that “wondering if you were doing enough to manage online reviews” became “trying to determine how to do it better than anyone else” in order to gain a competitive edge. And competition is the name of the game in 2016. Here are 5 trends for hotels to keep close tabs on in the coming year, and a few suggestions about how to do it.
25 Moments that Mattered in Travel in 2015
While everyone is either looking ahead to 2016 or just to some relaxation at the end of 2015, Skift is looking back a bit on the year we’re soon to leave behind with their annual 25 Moments that Mattered in Travel feature.
Fun 2016 Forecasts and a Star Wars Infographic
Will you be a trendsetter or a follower when it comes to 2016’s most interesting hotel industry trends? Plus, don’t miss this week’s Star Wars-themed infographic.
3 Tips Hoteliers Can Learn from Expedia
Expedia opened its annual partner conference this week in Las Vegas and shared data that can benefit hoteliers’ bottom lines. Here are three top-level tips Expedia speakers shared during the conference that can benefit hoteliers!
Travel Trends to Watch out for in 2016
By 2020, two out of every five travellers are expected to be Asian and will account for nearly half the global tourism expenditure. As the year draws to a close, Divya Sathyanarayanan reports some trends that shaped the travel industry this year and the ones to watch out for in 2016.
2016 Offers More Opportunities for Indies
Independent hoteliers talk about what’s on tap for them heading into 2016, including distribution, financing and labor.
7 Instagram Tips for Hoteliers
A picture is truly worth 1000 words; or 400 million users in Instagram’s case. The popular photo sharing platform has experienced phenomenal growth since Facebook acquired it in 2012, with 75% of users located outside the United States. For hoteliers, Instagram represents a great opportunity, with engagement rates typically exceeding most other social networks and 80M + photos shared per day.
