The Amazon Factor + Kayak Buys HotelsCombined + EU's New Vacations Law

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

July 10, 2018

Editor's Note Skift recently offered a research report focusing on Amazon's potential entry into the travel business and what incumbents in the sector could learn from the Amazon model. The report was so popular that we decided to share more insights through a Skift Call. It's not too late to sign up for that call, which we titled "The Amazon Factor." It's being held at 1 p.m. EST today and is being facilitated by our Executive Editor Dennis Schaal and the author of our Amazon research report, Senior Research Analyst Seth Borko. See our story below for details and sign-up information. Stay ahead of your game by giving us just half an hour of your time today. We are sure you won't regret it. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor Video: How Travelsify Matches Travel Brand and Customer DNA Sponsored by Travelsify The future of brand engagement relies on connecting product attributes and customer preferences on a much deeper level than before. Hospitality and travel is finally catching up with other industries. We sat down with Travelsify CEO & Co-Founder Bruno Chauvat at Skift Forum Europe to learn more. Watch Video Top Stories Skift Call Today: The Amazon Factor Nothing quite gets the attention of travel executives these days like the mere mention of Amazon. Will it get in? Will it stay on the sidelines? We'll explore all the implications on Tuesday, July 10 at 1 p.m. EST on a Skift Call. Please join us for this all-important discussion. Booking Holdings Buys HotelsCombined as Kayak Expands Into Asia Pacific Booking.com is Booking Holdings' favored child, but with the addition of HotelsCombined, it is apparent that the parent company still sees plenty of opportunity for its Kayak unit in metasearch worldwide. This deal will help Kayak expand in Asia Pacific, and will give HotelsCombined additional resources as well. New Packaged Vacations Law in Europe Causing Confusion Despite the travel industry having had years to get used to the idea of new rules governing the sale of vacations in the European Union, there are still plenty of people scratching their heads over the changes. Travel Managers Should Get Used to Data Privacy Restrictions While Europe's new data regulations may only apply to one continent, they're expected to form the blueprint for similar legislation in other countries. Travel managers everywhere should get used to them. Airbnb Believes Homesharing Is Now for a Mass-Market Audience Our Skift Take Studio videos take readers behind the scenes at major events. In the first from Skift Forum Europe, Airbnb's boss in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa discusses the broad appeal of homesharing. Skift Table At Skift Restaurants Forum this fall, we're bringing our event expertise to the restaurant industry for the first time. Register now and join some of the restaurant world's smartest minds on stage — and in the audience. What the Tip Credit Really Means to a Restaurant's Operational Budget Multiple states are debating whether to eliminate the tipped minimum wage this year. The issue is confusing and contentious, and there are good arguments being made on both sides. Here, we look at how much money the tip credit is worth in New York, and why restaurateurs are so afraid to lose it. Chipotle's Move to California Results in Over 400 Job Losses in Colorado and New York It's a big blow for the majority of Chipotle's corporate employees who have called Denver home for decades. CEO Brian Niccol has a lot to prove as he uproots the company and takes a select number of people with him to Newport Beach. Shake Shack Shake-Up as 3 Top Executives Depart The recent departures offer an opportunity for Shake Shack to rethink its approach in various departments. Popular Now 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. What Mexico's President-Elect Could Mean for Tourism Amid Protectionism Worries At least Mexico's president-elect, López Obrador, has tapped someone intimately familiar with the travel industry and how it operates locally and internationally. It's more than the United States can say it's done for travel in the past year and a half. Video: Why AccorHotels CEO Wants Even More Brands "Anybody telling me you should be limiting the number of brands, I think it's bullshit," said AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin at Skift Forum Europe. We wouldn't be surprised to see him expand the hotel giant's portfolio of brands to at least 40, up from today's 32. 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.

Follow us Our address: 145 W 30th Street 5th Floor New York,  NY  10001  USA  Copyright © 2018 Skift, All rights reserved.

If you'd like to unsubscribe from this email, click here If you'd like to receive fewer emails, click here If someone shared this email with you and you would like to subscribe, visit our newsletters page on Skift