Weekly Roundup: Travel, Tech and Social Media

Happy Friday, everyone! We're glad you're here. This is the place where each week we bring you a short list of must read articles that will arm you with useful insights about what's going on in the hospitality world. Here are our favorite picks for the past week!

Happy reading!

Industry News

Direct Reservations Help TripAdvisor Book Profit Beat

Travel review website operator TripAdvisor Inc reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit as more users reserved hotels using a new system that allows direct bookings from its website.

Expedia Setting Sail to Monopolize US Travel Industry

As online bookings are less of a niche and the travel industry transitions to digital, Expedia will ride on the tailwinds of the growing trend as it will soon corner more than 75% of the domestic market for online travel.

Interview: Google on what Makes Google's Travel Ambitions Different

Google is already the dominant player in travel advertising but now, after four years of acquisitions and product development, the search giant is finally integrating its flight and hotel products and becoming the booking power some feared.

How Airbnb Is Quietly Positioning Itself to Disrupt the Meetings Industry

Greg Oates: "More meeting planners are considering Airbnb as a viable accommodation option, based on new partnerships and programs that dramatically increase the value proposition for themselves, their clients, and their attendees."

Trends and Insights

The Modern Day CMO: 7 Trends that Will Drive Digital Marketing Success

Content has become the cornerstone of digital activity, with more than 57 percent of CMOs planning to increase their content marketing budgets over the next two to three years. At the same time, CMOs are increasingly becoming more accountable for delivering results from their overall digital marketing and transformation efforts.

Digital and Mobile Channels Remain Driver of Hotel Bookings

According to new data from TravelClick, bookings through hotel company websites (Brand.com), online travel agents (OTAs) and in-person travel agents (GDS) experienced the most growth in bookings in the fourth quarter, continuing the online / mobile trend from earlier in the year.

Phones Now Indispensable to Travelers

A majority of travelers now view smartphones as the most important item to travel with, according to a recent survey from Expedia and Egencia.

What's Alternative Is Becoming the New Normal

Alternative-accommodations companies aren’t going away—they’re becoming more popular—so hoteliers should get ready.

Meet the New Travel Apps Your Guests Are Using

Today’s travelers are more tech-savvy. Armed with just their smartphones, people are planning itineraries, identifying interesting stops along their way, and checking room rates and availability in real-time. And as a hotel professional, it’s your job to know what they’re using to get their information, what they’re doing with it, and how to keep your brand on their radar.