Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Travel Agency Storefront Boom + Black Travel's Moment + Skift Talks Expedia

September 1, 2017

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Note From the Editor

The Expedia-CEO-to-Uber storm has finally calmed, and we're thankful for the pause as we head into a holiday weekend in the U.S. But we'll have more insight next week in a new form: a conference call with Skift experts who know Expedia inside and out. Mark your calendars for Thursday at 1 p.m. EST.

Also keeping us busy this week was Chinese travel giant Ctrip, which made some news during its conversations around earnings. Travel tech editor Sean O'Neill reports that the company's acquisition of Skyscanner is beginning to reap benefits, and he explains how Ctrip is making big moves to open brick-and-mortar travel agencies in China. From old-school to new-school, we've got your travel news covered.

— Hannah Sampson, News Editor

Featured Speaker at Skift Global Forum

Travel and dining out go hand in hand, and at this year's Skift Global Forum we'll explore this intersection during a session with René Redzepi, Chef and Co-Owner of noma, as he discusses the business of restaurants. Secure your spot before it's too late!

Skyscanner is boosting Ctrip's margins, and Skyscanner's new instant booking service shows promise as a way to propel future growth.

Black Travel Movement Gets Even More Relevant

The Black Travel Movement becomes all the more relevant as the NAACP issues a travel warning domestically, and destinations question what Confederate monuments say to visitors. Take a look back at our coverage of this $48 billion market.

Skift Call: Expedia Under New Leadership

Expedia Inc. moved quickly to name a successor to departed CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, but the group of brands including Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotwire, HomeAway, and more will have challenges ahead. Understand them better by listening to our experts.

India Hotel Network Treebo Raises $34 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Travel startups raised more than $72 million this week. The most promising of these is Treebo, which is banking on branded hotel networks as a niche in India.

Ctrip Makes Offline Store Push in China as Its Profit Margins Rise

Ctrip is betting on 6,000 franchise shops to take aim at cities where most travel shopping happens offline. At the same time, it hopes to increase its operating margins to Priceline-like levels. The two initiatives don't necessarily collide since Ctrip doesn't own the real estate or pay labor costs for the offline shops.

Tech Adoption for Event Organizers Is Spotty

Increasing competition in the event sector has attracted more technology companies to provide solutions for current bottlenecks.

Expedia's Loss Is Uber's Gain — Skift Corporate Travel Innovation Report

Will Uber, under Khosrowshahi, continue to push even deeper into corporate travel as he attempts to turn the company around? Seems likely.

Suddenly former Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi walks away from substantial unvested compensation. Becoming CEO of Uber may have been a once in a lifetime opportunity for Khosrowshahi, but we expect that Uber had to compensate him for his treasure trove of unvested options to pry him away.

Google May Finally Face a Showdown With Regulators Over Its Evolving Travel Tools

Google now prods its users to try to cut their travel costs by considering alternative airports and other tricks. Yet the incremental moves may not appease a European watchdog that may question its broader business practices in travel.

Most Hotel Apps Still Need a Radical Overhaul

If mobile is increasingly becoming a more popular channel, not only for booking and search but also for in-destination travel experiences, this report is proof that hotels have a lot of work to do when it comes to their apps.

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