Weekend Review: Google Travel at $100 Billion + What’s Next for Airbnb

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

September 23, 2017 View in browser

We are thick in conference programs, posters, magazines, and random furniture at Skift HQ while we prepare for our Forum on Tuesday and Wednesday. Still, our edit team this week managed to crank out interviews with top CEOs, break news about Airbnb's newest expansion, and cover IPOs and natural disasters. Oh, and we even launched a news and research smartphone app as well as our expansion into covering the business of dining out: Skift Table. It's been busy, to say the least, and we're sure it's like this for our readers too as you all put the summer behind you and dive into work. So here's to the weekend (if you can take some time off) and here's to getting back to business. — Jason Clampet, Editor-in-Chief Skift Global Forum is Near Sold Out 2017's largest and most inspiring travel conference starts next week, and this is your absolute last chance to register! Save $525 now when you register with code RAFAT at checkout. See you soon! Register Now Top Stories Google Travel Is Worth $100 Billion — Even More Than Priceline While some may disagree, we believe that Google is not becoming an online travel agency. It certainly could do so, but its travel business is already massive and highly profitable. We estimate it will generate around $14 billion in revenue in 2017, and will grow at over 20 percent per year for the foreseeable future. JetBlue CEO Blasts Big U.S. Airlines for Wielding 'Anti-Consumer Power' These are fighting words from JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes, who does not like the tight control the largest U.S. airlines have over domestic and international markets. Interview: Expedia CEO Sees an Opening With Chatbots to Loosen Google's Grip on Travel The online travel environment is transitioning at a hectic pace when you consider mobile and artificial intelligence. Expedia's new CEO, Mark Okerstrom, will have to find a way to chart his company's evolution at an appropriate speed to keep up. It won't always be smooth sailing. Introducing Skift Table: The Business of Restaurants Five years in, Skift is ready to take on a new challenge. But we aren't about to do this on an empty stomach. This Is What Airbnb Should Do With Resy Can Resy do more than just restaurant bookings for Airbnb? Our answer is a resounding yes. Rooms Avid Hotels Is the Name IHG Gave to Its New Midscale Brand After a 3-Month Wait Time to play another game of "Is it a boutique hotel or a condom brand?" We won't go that far here, but we wonder if IHG will be willing to inject a bit more personality and more of a story into its newest brand. Booking.com Could Narrow the Gap In Vacation Rentals Booking.com has long experimented with vacation rental inventory. Its inventory has been growing rapidly, but vacation rentals still remain a small part of Booking.com's business. Montage Resorts' New Luxury Brand Goes Urban and Local We've heard many of these talking points before by hotel brands seeking to do exactly this. Consumers will respond if the product is good, not if it's "young" and "local." Tech Priceline May Be Spending Less on Trivago and Changing Hotel Metasearch Dynamics Booking.com is pulling back from its advertising spend on Expedia-controlled Trivago. But we must await third-quarter financial data and any company pronouncements on the topic to know all of the implications. Despegar Hints at Its Latin American Travel Strategy After Successful IPO With its IPO on Wednesday, Despegar became the world's seventh-largest online travel company by market cap. Its bosses talk a good game. But its major markets may have near-term hiccups ahead. The European Union Is Preparing to Get Tough on Data Protection With privacy and data protection becoming bigger issues for consumers, it's not a surprise to see the European Union step up its regulation. Travel companies all over the world should be paying attention. Rethinking the Current State of Hotel Technology [SPONSORED] Sponsored by Cenium Using a single integrated platform to manage operations can help hotels keep up with the competition and consumer demands. Read More Flying Ryanair's Pilot Drama Threatens to Undo Its Goodwill Push Just before this pilot issue broke, Skift went to Europe to speak with Ryanair's chief marketing officer about how he improved the airline's customer service. Recent events will almost certainly set Ryanair back, but we think it can recover — if only because people like cheap fares. Interview: SpiceJet Founder Rescued an Airline and Has Big Ambitions for Indian Aviation Unless you're obsessed with aviation, you probably don't know SpiceJet. But you might someday. India is a fast-growing aviation market, and SpiceJet has nearly 200 Boeing 737s on order. Someday, it might even fly long-haul jets to London or beyond. SAS Strives to Fulfill Passenger Dreams and Its Own With Experiences Program for Elite Flyers We're not surprised SAS frequent flyers love to take trips with the airline's head chef, though we're impressed the airline found 20 takers willing to spend $5,000 a piece (plus 100,000 points) for a five-day trip to Japan. Biz Travel U.S. Business Travelers Embrace Technology but Also Fear Its Impact U.S. business travelers want the technology tools to make their trips easier. The rest of the world, however, doesn't necessarily see technology as the solution to service problems. Business Travel Priorities Divide Corporate Leadership Different corporate departments have varied goals for business travel. What they can all agree on is that enabling mobile booking has gone from a luxury to a necessity. Meeting Planners Are Experimenting With New Tactics to Avoid Last-Minute Registrations Event overload is causing attendees to register later than ever, and early-bird discounts are so yesterday. It's time for planners to get innovative. Tourism 5 Top Theme Park Trends Dominating the Season From water parks to overseas investment, theme park operators are coming up with new ways to grow their business. One common thread: Find brands that have a built-in customer base and use them to attract new visitors. Potential Visa-Program Cuts Have Travel Industry Alarmed The J-1 visa program is an invaluable resource for many travel industry businesses. It's clear that any cuts to the program would be detrimental to the travel industry and the broader U.S. economy. Visit Florida Is Planning Ways to Get Tourists Back After Hurricane Irma Florida's tourism industry was already having a turbulent year before one of the most active and destructive Atlantic hurricane seasons in years began playing out. Getting travelers to come back will require unified marketing efforts — and that's currently in jeopardy. 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