Booking's Direct Relationships + Behind the Belmond Sale + Europe's Summer Slump

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

August 10, 2018

Editor's Note Aside from the vaunted few who can fly private and stay at five-star accommodations, corporate travel is pretty much hellish. The technology and other advances that have made leisure travel more palatable in recent times have not crossed over to business travel, for many reasons. But people are trying to solve the problem. That's why Business Travel Editor Andrew Sheivachman proposed a new interview series, aptly named the Skift Future of Business Travel Series, to highlight the forward thinkers in this space. The stasis in corporate travel can be mind-boggling, so reading about fresh ideas, and potential solutions, should be of interest to any company that sends its people out on the road. Sheivachman talks to Serko CEO Darrin Grafton for his first installment. Learn about better travel shopping experiences, and then keep an eye out for the next interview in our series. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor How Customer Data and Dynamic Inventory Can Deliver Better Travel Buying Experiences Sponsored by Switchfly Today's travel consumer faces a needlessly complex online shopping experience. There are too many choices, and offers are not customized to address buyers' unique needs. To solve this problem, travel brands must use what they already know about their customers to simplify, streamline and personalize the purchase process. Read More Top Stories The 21 Uncomfortable Truths That I Have Learned About the Travel Industry Never accused of holding back on what we think, what we have learned and unlearned. My lessons from six years of Skift and eight years exploring the travel industry. Booking Holdings Says Half Its Customers Now Come Direct: Will It Be a Game Changer? Some hotel groups will be jealous of Booking Holdings' ability to have one out of every two of its customers booking travel on its brand sites and apps without having to buy online ads to acquire them. What You Need to Know About the Possible Sale of Luxury Hotelier Belmond Shareholders are no doubt elated, but luxury travelers are concerned. They don't want Belmond to become another Ritz-Carlton, and get folded into another mega-hospitality giant. Interview: Bringing a Consumer Experience to Corporate Travel One of the biggest challenges for companies is simply getting their travelers to book how they're supposed to. The problem seems to be getting worse. Useful personalization and a more consumer-friendly experience will go a long way toward changing that. Tourism Giant TUI Group Bears Up Under European Heat and Maintains Sunny Outlook Just like Ryanair in the airline industry, TUI's relative strength means that it is able to weather external factors much better than its rivals. Norwegian Cruise Line Wants Passengers to Keep Spending More at Sea Cruise lines keep loading their ships with things for passengers to buy — Starbucks latte and a game of laser tag, anyone? With consumers feeling confident, no one seems to mind spending money on extras. But if the economy takes a turn for the worse, will that change? Booking Holdings Sacrifices Growth for Profit The online travel titan faces a reality check after years of extraordinary growth. Booking Holdings forecast that third-quarter growth in its accommodation room nights booked rate would be between 6 percent and 9 percent, well below the 20 percent range typical in the past. Video: Why Travelers Don't Trust Airlines on Personalization Some sophisticated travelers like it when airlines embrace sophisticated personalization strategies, particularly when it means an airline will make a reasonably priced offer for something the customer values, such as an upgrade or a change to an earlier flight. But more casual travelers might find it intrusive. Regardless, personalization likely is here to stay. Investors Bet Millions More in China: Travel Startup Funding This Week China's travel startup scene is less well-covered in Western media due to the language barrier, but is nonetheless just as vibrant as the West's. Popular Now Luxury Hotelier Belmond Considers Putting Itself Up for Sale Now the question is: Who will buy it, and does the company name happen to end with "riot"? Marriott Still Working Through Starwood Integration Two Years After Deal Can Marriott hold onto hotel owners and SPG elites? That was the underlying question on many analysts' minds during Marriott's second-quarter earnings call. After all, the bigger you are, the harder you have to fall, right? But the world's largest hotel company, not surprisingly, doesn't see things that way. Why Did Qantas Hire a Jet Lag Expert? Few airlines take marketing and public relations as seriously as Qantas. The airline should be commended for its efforts to persuade passengers they want to spend 17 hours on a plane, when they have other options. 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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