Traveling Blog: Weekend Review: Online Travel CEO Mashup + Marriott and AccorHotels as Luxury Kingmakers

December 23, 2017

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Note From the Editor

The travel industry sure has its influencers. The two we're thinking of aren't of the social media variety, but are a pair of Expedia alums who are now shaping the ridesharing industry. In a story today, we trace the 16-year interwoven career meanderings of Dara Khosrowshahi and Barney Harford, and how the duo — sometimes allies and often foes — reunited and came to occupy the number one and two positions, respectively, at Uber. You can't make it up.

Hopefully you can make up for some lost time in light of an exhausting 2017 by recharging your batteries over this long holiday weekend, and in the slowish week running up to New Year's. The Skift Daily Newsletter will take a break Monday for Christmas, and we'll see you Tuesday, as usual.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

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There were a ton of people who wanted the COO position at Uber, and it went to Expedia alum and former Orbtiz Worldwide CEO Barney Harford. The pressure will be on both Khosrowshahi and Harford to turn around the ridesharing company. As if there weren't abundant pressure already.

Marriott and AccorHotels Mega Merger Activity Created Luxury Powerhouses

Perhaps being bigger isn't always better, at least when it comes to luxury hotels. When you're bigger, the challenges can be, too.

Airbnb Is Getting a $200 Million Boost to Build Its Hotel-Like Apartment Business

Airbnb is getting into the very business it has spent the past decade disrupting. Will Niido Powered by Airbnb usher in an era of co-living residences that encourage homesharing?

Travel Companies Enthusiastically Back Tax Bill That Majority of Americans Oppose

Is the revamped tax code a "gift for hard-working Americans" as President Trump declared, or just a gift for corporations already reaping record profits? For now, travel executives seem way more excited than the general public.

25 Travel Moments That Mattered in 2017

In 2017, politics dominated the headlines, which were built out of travel bans in the United States and the UK confiding to the European Union that the divorce would indeed proceed. Kick back for the upcoming holidays. We'll all need plenty of energy for 2018.

Hospitality

The Modern Concierge Is Too Skilled to Be Made Redundant by Technology

It would be easy to dismiss a concierge as a relic of another time. But concierges are the secret weapon of the educated traveler, and when the job is done well, it is vital.

Choice Hotels to Buy WoodSpring Suites in Extended Stay Market Play

It wouldn't be a proper end of the year in hospitality without at least one more merger or acquisition, right? Choice Hotels' purchase of WoodSpring Suites makes some sense as it bolsters its position in the midscale and economy extended-stay space.

HomeAway to Hike Rates for Rental Owners Despite Talk of Blowback

HomeAway's fee hike spotlights the shifting economics of the vacation rental business. Property owners are weighing how much of a cut technology companies deserve when making it easier for them to put heads in beds.

Flying

Virgin Atlantic Builds an Igloo on a Deck at Heathrow — Airline Innovation Report

Most high-value customers choose airlines based on two factors — price and schedule. But on the margins, airlines like to use marketing strategies to attract customers. Maybe Virgin Atlantic's outdoor igloo at London Heathrow will help it win some new fans.

Video: Lufthansa Strives to Become as Data-Savvy as Netflix

Like many airlines, Lufthansa worries that other companies could disrupt parts of its business like Netflix did with movies. To prevent that, it has launched a data-based offensive.

Digital

Brands Must Rethink Engagement With the New Digitally Connected Traveler

Widespread digital connectivity has created a generation of travelers who are more impatient, demanding, and savvy than ever before. Travel brands must adapt to meet those needs.

WeChat Debuts Tools to Make It Easier for Tourism Boards to Create Microsites

Many tourism boards now have entire teams dedicated to China and WeChat. It's a very complex task for foreigners to get the content right, but it appears as though WeChat parent Tencent is trying to make the platform more accessible for tourism boards.

AccorHotels Copes With the Airbnb Factor in Australia

With the sharing economy accounting for almost one in three vacation beds in Australia, the impact of Airbnb and Stayz is being widely questioned. But with hotel occupancy levels and room prices still rising, hotels and lobbying groups' efforts to restrict private rentals seem like an overreaction.

Business Travel

Corporate Travel Got Even More Complicated in 2017

Business travelers coped with a range of surprises, including disruptive natural disasters and sudden shifts in government policy. Expect more uncertainty.

Lufthansa Joins EU Carriers in Adopting Spend-Based Loyalty Program — Business of Loyalty

With the change by Lufthansa Group, travelers in Europe will have to adjust to the new normal in loyalty programs.

Travel and Events Are Becoming a Potent Blend — Meetings Innovation Report

Backed by technology and out-of-the-box thinking, integrating travel management and meeting functions is becoming a thing — if territorial impulses don't get in the way.

Cruise

MSC Cruises Takes Next Step in Major Global Expansion

As MSC Cruises embarks on a rapid global expansion, it makes sense for the privately owned operator to focus on the popular Caribbean cruise market. The key will be figuring out the best way to make its products stand out in a field crowded with names that are far more familiar to North American consumers.

New Luxury

Luxury Travel's Next Phase Could Be in Vacation Rental Consolidation

Luxury travelers are increasingly looking to vacation rentals for a different type of experience. This presents opportunities for both established players and newcomers.

When Being Boutique Can Be the Answer — New Luxury

Scale definitely helps hotel companies, but it comes at a cost. With multiple brands, differentiation is difficult, leaving plenty of room for smaller operators.

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