Priceline's TV Advertising Surge + Air Canada Restarts Loyalty + Hotel Industry Blind Spots

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

January 31, 2018 View in browser

Note From the Editor The planet's largest digital marketer in travel — the Priceline Group — is downplaying search engine marketing a bit, and going big on TV. We took an exclusive look at the TV spend numbers. On the other hand, hotel executives say there are several huge issues that their peers are failing to look at adequately. These areas include recruitment, technology, loyalty and property owner buy-in. They're enough to keep hoteliers up all night. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor Colombia's Natural Wonders Attract a New Generation of Luxury Travelers Sponsored by ProColombia Tourism in Colombia has surged in recent years, partly thanks to the fact that tourism leaders are positioning the country as a leading destination for nature and outdoor adventure experiences. Read More Megatrends 2018 Cities Navigate the Clash of Visitor and Local Economies City leaders in government, tourism, and economic development are collaborating more strategically to grow their leisure and business travel sectors in alignment with the interests of their local communities and industries. Hit List Dining Changes the Game Where to eat is important — but suggestions of what to eat are even more influential these days. But chasing after one famous and photogenic dish means you might miss out on all the rest. Top Stories China Super-App WeChat Is Essential for Travel Brands Breaking Into the Market China's number one super app, WeChat, has helped its parent company, Tencent, become the most valuable social network company in the world. With this upward momentum, the app shows great potential for travel brands looking to enter the China market, as long as they formulate a thoughtful strategy going in. Priceline Group Revamps TV Strategy With Whopping Spending Hikes The Priceline Group's new emphasis on TV is unpleasant news for metasearch enterprises such as Trivago, Google, and TripAdvisor. The TV ads are an online travel agency version of a direct-booking campaign. Why Air Canada Is Starting From Scratch With Its Loyalty Program Like most airlines, Air Canada knows a lot about its customers. But in 2020, once it launches a new loyalty program, it will have more flexibility to slice and dice data to deliver personal offers to passengers. Let's hope customers don't find it creepy. Issues the Hospitality Industry Will Ignore at Its Own Peril The answers vary but there's at least one overriding shared sentiment. Even if times are good, there's always room for improvement in any industry. Wellness Activities Will Have Strong Ties With Luxury Travel in 2018 The luxury travel market is often a starting point for themes that may, on first glance, seem a little bit out there. But given that some crazes withstand the test of time, it's worth assessing which ones might have staying power. Critic Q&A: Dining as Tourism in America Creating a comprehensive "best of" list is a complicated and Herculean task. Few are better suited to comment (and rank!) the state of American dining than Eater's national critic. The Definition of Luxury Is Being Reshaped by Changing Consumer Behavior Luxury is in the midst of a metamorphosis. While luxury once meant the most expensive or most well-known product or experience, today it's become a way of being or moving throughout the world. Popular Now Travel Megatrends 2018: New Online Travel Agency Leaders Reshape Their Companies Anyone who thought the three new online travel agency leaders — Jane Sun, Glenn Fogel, and Mark Okerstrom — intended to be mere caretakers of their predecessors' policies and legacies would have been mistaken. To a large degree, they are stepping out into new territory. The U.S. Hotel Industry Is Optimistic About the Future But What Comes Next? More conservative folks might talk about being "cautiously optimistic," but positivity is the prevailing sentiment this year in the hospitality industry. Ryanair Signals Its Hotel Ambitions With New TV Ad Campaign Behind the usual Ryanair bluster there usually lurks a sensible business idea. If the airline offers a better accommodation product to customers, then that should persuade some to stay away from Booking.com. 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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