Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Surprise! Expedia CEO Is Uber's New CEO + Airline Fees Give Hotels Ideas + 6 Blockchain Takeaways

August 28, 2017

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Editor's Note

We tore up this morning's newsletter and headlines following a late-night story Sunday suggesting that Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi had been asked to be Uber's new CEO. Then he accepted and our lazy Sunday night went bye-bye.

While we'd like to say we saw it coming, we didn't. But luckily we've been talking to Dara, his peers, and industry leaders long enough to put it into perspective. Click through the special section, below, for insight from our editors and writers — who have the best perspective on Khosrowshahi you'll find anywhere.

— Jason Clampet, Editor-in-Chief

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Expedia CEO to Uber CEO

Uber's New CEO Is Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi

This pick came out of left field, but totally makes sense considering the path that Khosrowshahi has led Expedia along over the past decade and more.

Can Uber's New CEO Dara Khosrowshahi Turn It Around Like He Did Expedia?

There are five tons of heavy lifting to be done to reenergize and transform Uber — and it all has to be done in one of the brightest business spotlights that there is. Uber has made its selection — let's see how Khosrowshahi begins to handle it.

Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: Understanding Uber's New CEO Pick

Khosrowshahi has been reflective and honest as CEO of Expedia, taking ownership of his failures along the way. At Uber, the company will have a leader who has overseen both explosive growth and clever repositioning.

We've talked to Expedia CEO Khosrowshahi multiple times over the past five years. Here are four highlights.

Interview: Expedia's Comeback CEO on What It Will Take To Win

The online travel duopoly, The Priceline Group and Expedia Inc., remains in place. But as history and Expedia's turnaround show, the pecking order isn't necessarily going to stay this way over the long term.

Video: Expedia CEO on the Future of Travel Search

Voice search, along with other user experience changes, present challenges to the existing titans of online travel. The companies that are smart about handling that transition will prosper in a mobile-first world.

Expedia CEO Defends His Portfolio Despite Rivals' Recent Acquisitions

Expedia's CEO says his company has momentum moving into 2017, although we heard him express similar sentiments over the last two quarters and any surge wasn't particularly noticeable. This will likely be another transition year as Expedia's HomeAway gets more digital and Trivago feels its oats as a public company.

Deep Dive Into Expedia's Competitive Position In Travel

Expedia has a lot going for it in the short to mid term but shifts in technology and consumer tastes have disrupted the travel space before, and will do so again. Dara and team will need to stay vigilant in addressing numerous vulnerabilities, especially as they go up against the big platforms including Google, Facebook, Amazon and others.

Skift Global Forum is officially four weeks away. Today, Skift CEO Rafat Ali weighs in on how our Forums got their start, where we're headed, and why you can't miss our upcoming event in NYC.

Are Hotel-Fee Initiatives Inspired by What the Airlines Have Accomplished?

In some ways, perhaps … but one big difference between hotels and airlines is that hotels want their consumers to actually like (maybe even love) them. While with airlines, that might be a different story as some recent events would demonstrate (we're looking at you, United).

6 Blockchain Takeaways From Tour Operator TUI's Hotel Initiative

TUI's chief executive is nailing his colors to the mast when it comes to blockchain and its benefits for the travel industry. In theory the technology is great — and TUI has already identified an effective way to use it — but will the hype be justified?

10 Biggest Hotel Headlines of a Busy Summer 2017

So much for taking a summer vacation. This year, the hotel industry was busy making major moves and investments, as well as launching new brands, properties, and policies.

Travel This Week: ASTA Conference Opens at a Beleaguered SeaWorld

Responsible travel brands are taking steps to ban bookings of tourist attractions involving direct human interactions with animals. Given all the SeaWorld controversies that the film "Blackfish" uncovered, coupled with ongoing federal probes, couldn't ASTA have picked an alternative venue for its opening reception?

Historic Hotels Need to Flaunt Their Best Attributes

Historic hotels should do a better job in playing up what has occurred behind their walls. The hard-earned patina can be unique in a world that emphasizes the sparkling and new.

Airlines Cancel Thousands of Flights as Hurricane Harvey Brings Destruction

It will take United, Southwest and other airlines several days or perhaps even longer to get their schedules back in order once the destructive and lingering storm clears out. In addition to the human tragedy in southeast Texas, Hurricane Harvey will have a financial impact on airlines, and the Texas travel and tourism industry, as well.

We're still many years away from seeing a tipping point when more Chinese travel independently than with tour groups. But this data should be a wake-up call to destinations and travel brands that a shift is already happening in some places and for some segments of the market.

Interview: Ctrip CEO on Growth Strategies and Employee Empowerment

Ctrip dominates online travel in China and will benefit from the continued shift from offline to online bookings. Additionally, the company is pushing more into the lucrative outbound market. We discuss these trends and more with CEO Jane Jie Sun.

Disney Doesn't Own Its Tokyo Parks But Still Finds Them Lucrative

While much is written about the U.S. and Shanghai parks, Disney's partnership in Japan contributes high margin licensing fees and promotes the Disney brand.

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