Weekend Review: Uncomfortable Travel Truths + Booking Downplays Paid Search

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

August 11, 2018

Editor's Note Since we first posted it on Wednesday, our founder and CEO Rafat Ali's declaration of the 21 uncomfortable truths he has learned about the travel industry has been our most widely read story at Skift. No surprise. Ali, like the media company he created six years ago, is not one to hold back. The feedback on the 21 truths has been extraordinary, with, as you might imagine, plenty of negative reaction from the industry. The intention was not to have you agree with every point. We want you to disagree. More importantly, we want to force you to think about the pre-conceived notions that are so often allowed to stay in place without ever being questioned. If you haven't had a chance to read the story, we are sharing it again today. Take a look. Have an opinion, and remember the list next time you think it's time for the travel industry to wake up and make some changes. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor New Skift Research! The State of Online Travel Agencies Part II: Supply What does the future hold for online travel agencies as they shift to a one-stop-shop model for travel? Skift Research examines the inventory and supplier evolution of the two giants of online travel: Expedia and Booking Holdings. Learn 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. Amadeus Buys Hotel Tech Firm TravelClick for $1.5 Billion With this deal, Amadeus Hospitality finally has a chance to start selling its enterprise software after years of perfecting its platform-based offering. What It Means to Be an Emerging Destination in New Europe: A Sofia Deep Dive While destinations with overtourism issues are getting a lot of attention, other cities are emerging as new frontiers for tourism. Sofia, Bulgaria, is one of those cities with a unique opportunity to declare to the world what it wants to be as a destination, and to define a vision and strategy for how tourism can develop sustainably. Airbnb Is Quietly Borrowing Ideas From the Hotel Industry to Build Up Its Inventory A classic case of the innovator's dilemma. Norwegian Air to Rent a Superjumbo as It Sorts Out Rolls-Royce Engine Issues Norwegian is likely paying a lot more to a rent a gently used Airbus A380 than it did for Wamos Air Boeing 747. But passengers hated the antiquated 747, and Norwegian took some criticism for flying it from New York to London. This is probably a better approach. Editor's PIcks 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. Is a Smarter Car Rental Industry Emerging From Its Funk? Rumors of the car rental sector's demise may have been greatly exaggerated. Fundamentals have improved for Hertz and Avis, while partnerships with ridesharing companies and autonomous vehicle innovators bring potential for sustained growth. 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. Free Beer Is Helping SeaWorld Recapture Some of Its Crowds SeaWorld is rebounding, with higher attendance and revenue than a year ago. Will it last? And how much free beer will the continued recovery take? 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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