Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Booking Disses Competitors + Tours and Activities Arrive + SeaWorld CEO Shakeup

February 28, 2018

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Note From the Editor

The fourth quarter earnings of Booking Holdings, the company formerly known as the Priceline Group, was notable because it showed that there is not an across-the-board online travel malaise, as many had feared last year. Booking did fairly well in the December quarter, and it is Expedia that is bogged down with the costs of integrating HomeAway, and saddled with Trivago's woes.

Still, even for Booking, it is clear that the competitive landscape has changed. Room night growth was less than 17 percent in the fourth quarter compared with 31 percent a year earlier. Airbnb is ramping up boutique hotels and making gains. Google is chipping away in hotels and flights. The competitive landscape has always been tough, but today there are no easy wins.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

The digital revolution has finally come for tours and activities. Our latest Research Report dives into challenges for this fragmented sector as it shifts increasingly online and to mobile, but highlights the potential market opportunity for a very diverse, experiential space.

Booking CEO: Here's Our Edge Over Expedia and Airbnb

Executives at Booking Holdings, formerly the Priceline Group, feel aggrieved that the company isn't getting the credit it deserves in alternative accommodations. In a lot of ways, its battle with Airbnb is over business models. As Airbnb ramps up hotels, we'll have to see who blinks.

Thought Leadership Conferences Target High-End Travelers

Nowadays, luxury travel is all about discovering new frontiers. It's not just about expanding physical and geographic boundaries. The travel cognoscenti are "brain dating" around the world in order to stretch their minds.

SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby Resigns After Turnaround Effort Flops

This was probably inevitable. Joel Manby tried to turn the company around, but his efforts failed to do the trick. Executives say they plan to continue his strategies, but we wonder how much will change once a permanent new CEO is named.

Skift Table: Outside the U.S., the Fine Dining Business Is Just as Challenging

At home or abroad, the fine dining experience is driven by excellent food quality and impeccable service — which makes operating this type of restaurant a delicate balancing act.

Oh, how times have changed. Instead of feeling threatened by Airbnb, some hotels are being wooed by the company. Online travel agencies, on the other hand, are about to get a taste of what it feels like to be disrupted by the likes of Airbnb.

Skift Forum Europe: Thomas Cook Is Reinventing Mass-Market Tourism

Thomas Cook is an old dog in the travel industry that has definitely learned some new tricks. From Thomas Cook Money to offering the ability to book a specific hotel room, the company is personalizing the travel experience for the future.

Interview: Argentina Tourism Minister Dreams of Visa Free Travel Across the Region

Argentina is breaking from the past and hopes that its diversity of offerings attracts new types of travelers. The tourism minister comes from the private sector and he's bringing new energy into tourism promotion efforts.

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