Europe Weekend Review: EU Slaps Google + Zurich Reshapes Image

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

July 21, 2018 View in browser

Editor' Note "Is Google naughty or nice?" wrote my colleague Sean O'Neill, Skift's travel tech editor, in an article about the tech company's regulatory challenges published last year. It's safe to say Google falls into the naughty camp when it comes to the European Union, which this week fined Google a whopping $5 billion for antitrust violations relating to its Android operating system. Google is appealing the punishment, but you have to figure it won't be the last time it's hauled over the coals. Especially with European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager leading the charge. In the last year, there have been rumours and whispers that the EU would eventually investigate Google's travel services. Nothing has yet surfaced but if the EU was to get involved, there aren't many in the travel industry who would shed a tear. — Patrick Whyte, Europe Editor Did You Miss the Latest Skift Report? Sponsored by The Venetian When someone says "event design," a lot of meeting planners still think about table centerpieces and drapery. But event design is actually about how we structure events at every step of the creative process to achieve specific objectives. Download Now Top Europe Stories Are You Up To Date on Skift Research? Subscribers have access to our entire library. Want a sneak peak? Check out three key charts from select reports on Amazon, group travel, and the true meaning of consumer loyalty. $5 Billion EU Fine Against Google Brings Travel Back Into the Spotlight With another multibillion dollar fine handed down, we might be getting nearer to the European Commission taking a closer look at Google's travel products. Secret Escapes Raises $67 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week If he were around today, Gordon Gekko of the movie Wall Street would probably say, "Cheap money is good." A combination of factors has made it relatively more easy to obtain funding for startups in many countries. Scandic Hotels Delighted With Restel Integration as Profits Rise It sounds like the Restel deal has gone relatively smoothly for Scandic. Might the company now set its sights on other targets? Or will it become a target itself? Why Norwegian Air Doesn't Worry About Overtourism When It Chooses New Routes Norwegian Air CEO Bjorn Kjos doesn't care that some in Barcelona would prefer that the tourists stop coming. He can fill Boeing 787s at decent fares with Americans and Europeans who want to visit Spain. He has a business to run. Can we blame him for trying to maximize profits? How Booking Is Trying to Solve Travel's Pain Points Travel is full of discovery — sometimes not for the better. The CMO of Booking.com explains how the company is trying to ease some of those unhappy surprises. New Cultural and Business Hub Will Reshape Zurich's Tourism Image As we have seen in recent years, new multi-use developments can have transformative effects on under-utilized sections of major cities. Zurich is banking on The Circle to create a new reason for tourists to visit the city. Why Europe Needs to Make Long-Haul Travel Easier Europe has seen significant tourism growth recently, but there is still more the destination can do to encourage visitors to come from afar. Newly Named Air Italy Is Ready to Take On Troubled Alitalia We're not sure Europe needs another airline with global ambitions. But more capacity almost always means cheaper fares, so passengers should enjoy watching these competitive dynamics play out. Perhaps Air Italy will become Italy's national carrier if Alitalia stops flying. Or maybe they'll both go bust. Ryanair Believes Airline Apps Are Perfect for Last-Minute Upselling Ryanair's CMO believes airline apps can be a big help to travelers as they're preparing to get on a plane. And if those apps can also generate more revenue for carriers, all the better. Oral History of Booking.com In 2004 and 2005, few competitors were likely overly concerned when a second-tier online travel company, Priceline.com, scooped up a couple of European startups for a total of less than $300 million. But the pair of deals did much to create the $100 billion Booking Holdings machine that, in many respects, leads the online travel field today. Below you'll find our continuing coverage of The Oral History of Travel's Greatest Acquisition: Booking.com. Launching The Oral History of Travel's Greatest Acquisition: Booking.com This is the oral history of Priceline's two deals, the acquisitions of Active Hotels and Bookings B.V., that created Booking.com, and continue to shape the course of online travel and the competitive landscape today. The twin transactions were among the greatest Internet deals of all time, and their lessons are relevant to startups and dealmakers in any industry. Booking.com Catapulted Priceline From an Also-Ran to First The acquisitions of Active Hotels and Bookings B.V., which led to the creation of Booking.com, transformed parent company Priceline.com, and online travel history. Take a look at Priceline's fourth quarter of 2005 financial results, and you'll be able to see the journey in process. 6 Takeaways From The Oral History of Travel's Greatest Acquisition: Booking.com The stars were seemingly aligned when Booking.com made its move. The big U.S. players were too comfortable with their huge margins from the merchant model; Booking.com focused on independent hotels; and search engine marketing was on the rise. Still, it was the entrepreneurs and dealmakers who made it all happen. Rest of the World Norwegian Cruise Line Is Moving Its Built-for-China Ship to the U.S. Norwegian Cruise Line made a significant investment in China when it built a ship specifically for that market. But as executives like to say, ships are easy to move when necessary, and clearly Norwegian sees a brighter future in the U.S. JetBlue's Founder Confirms He'll Start a U.S. Airline With New Airbus Jets So much can happen between now and 2021. David Neeleman's new airline may never get off the ground. But let's hope for the best. The U.S. airline industry could use its first new entrant since 2007 to stir up competition. Airbnb Could Be Worth More Than Any Hotel Company The battle between Airbnb and Booking (and everyone else in online travel) is just beginning. Meet the Hospitality CEO Who Embraces Airbnb In addition to dreaming up new hotel brands, we're surprised more hotel companies aren't thinking of launching more of their own serviced residence brands — or buying up others. United Airlines Is Winning Over Some of the Doubters How fickle is Wall Street? Less than a year ago, investors weren't keen on United's stock. But a couple of quarters later, they're jumping back on the bandwagon. But not all that much has changed. For Gmail users: If you are using the tabbed inbox, Skift emails may be pushed to the 'Promotions' tab. To get updates from Skift direct to your primary inbox, drag and drop this email to that tab. You received this email because you are subscribed to Skift Daily Newsletter from Skift.

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