Weekend Review: Brands as Experience Platforms + TripAdvisor Fights Off Activities Rivals

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

January 20, 2018 View in browser

Note From the Editor It used to be that airlines were all about selling seats on a plane, but now some are taking their highest-spending passengers on exclusive meet-and greets with celebrity chefs. Hotels, meanwhile, are buying spas, and serving as places where locals can drop off and pick up their dry-cleaning. In other words, travel brands are branching out beyond travel, and you can read below how many are striving to become "experience platforms." We hope your weekend will be filled with many experiences, all of them good. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor New Skift Research: Venture Investment Trends and Startup Opportunities in Travel 2018 Last week we launched a deep dive into venture investment trends in travel startups. We predict expansion, experimentation, and perhaps the biggest disruption the travel industry has seen since the rise of online travel agencies. Buy Now Megatrends The Megatrends Defining Travel in 2018 From brands as experience platforms to strategic mergers, diversity messaging and beyond: These are the Megatrends in travel we're watching closely in 2018. Travel Brands Want to Be Experience Platforms Travel Brands Want to Be Experience Platforms If we received a penny for every time a travel industry executive talked about how consumers are looking for "experiences," we'd be billionaires by now. But in all seriousness, there's a definitive strategy behind travel brands' desires to play an even bigger role in travelers' experiences. Brands Embrace Diversity Message Amid Rising Neo-Nationalism Travel brands no longer get political at their own risk — they avoid politics at their own risk. With so much at stake in the Trump era, remaining on the sidelines about multicultural acceptance isn't an option. Top Stories TripAdvisor Is Fighting to Keep Its Lead in Attractions: The Inside Story The attractions booking sector is TripAdvisor's to lose, especially given its recent success. But unless it pushes faster on mobile innovation, rivals like GetYourGuide and Klook might overtake the company. United Airlines Will Add Premium Economy to Match Delta and American United is lagging behind its competitors in launching international premium economy. But this is something it needs to do, if only because of competitive dynamics. Hyatt Eliminates CMO Position in Strategy Aimed at Accelerating Its Growth Just a hunch, but does this mean more acquisitions are in the works over at Hyatt? United Will Begin Giving Passengers Details About Why Their Flights Are Delayed Airline passengers don't like being late. But what they probably dislike more is being late and not knowing why. Over the next few weeks, United will give some customers detailed information about the reason for delays. That could make passengers less anxious, which is a good thing. British Airways Finally Improves Its Catering — Business of Loyalty After so much bad news for passengers flying on British Airways, there's finally a bit of improvement coming to the airline — but only for international travelers. Hospitality Airbnb Follows HomeAway's Lead By Not Requiring Full Payments in Advance As the professionalization of homesharing progresses, adding a payments feature such as this makes a lot of sense. Interview: Nihi Hotels CEO on Creating a Cult Property That's Distinctly Luxurious It takes old-school hospitality expertise and new-school marketing hustle to create a cult property from scratch. Nihi Sumba Island seems to be the culmination of both, plus it has the right capital and vision. Wyndham Worldwide Is Buying La Quinta for $1.95 Billion Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti wasn't kidding when he told us he had big plans for 2018 at last year's Skift Global Forum. Digital Smart Speakers and Hotel Rooms Aren't an Easy Fit Technology companies are embedding smart speakers into all kinds of household devices, ranging from toothbrushes to refrigerators. A strong use case for hospitality, however, has yet to emerge. Expedia Could Find a Silver Lining in Trivago's Woes As a sage songwriter once said, "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." Trivago CFO Axel Hefer knows that, and he said current headwinds are obviously harder to manage than tailwinds. But if Trivago can work its way out of the mess it's in, it may emerge as a stronger company. Priceline Group CEO Expects Mobile Payments to Catch On Like They Have in China It's no surprise that Priceline's CEO expects mobile use for everything in travel to increase. The question is what the online travel company plans to do about it. Flying The Airport Lounge Conundrum — Airline Innovation Report Airline lounges are rarely as opulent as the promotional pictures suggest. Yet passengers seem to love them. Why? Will they persist forever? Frontier Airlines Will Codeshare With Mexico's Volaris in a Unique Arrangement Passengers should cheer news that Volaris and Frontier will codeshare, as it should help Americans visit many more Mexican destinations at cheap prices. But will Volaris and Frontier cooperate enough to make the process seamless for passengers? We'll soon find out. JFK Airport Is Getting an American Express Centurion Lounge Insiders often say airport real estate is some of the most expensive in the world. This is likely a massive investment for American Express, but the company has probably calculated it's worth it. People love airport lounges, and American Express knows it needs to keep its customers happy. Tourism European Tourism Had One of Its Best Years While U.S. Had One of Its Worst Europe's 2017 tourism story is nearly the opposite of its 2016 downward twists and turns. It wasn't a perfect year and some destinations on the continent are still struggling, but it's also a sign that many Europeans are choosing to travel closer to home to stick to their budgets. The Rise of Luxury Outposts on Mainstream Cruise Ships Will a traveler who only expects the finest ever decide to board a mass-market cruise ship? Well, the marketplace has spoken and it says, "Maybe, but only under certain conditions." Yotel Expands Into Branded Residences With an Extended Stay Element We have our reservations (pun intended), but if the popularity of pod-like hotels is any indication, perhaps this might just work for YotelPad and its experiment in reviving the condo hotel concept. Restaurant Megatrends 2018 The Megatrends Defining Restaurants in 2018 These are the ideas that will shape the year ahead in restaurants from tech to design to finance and beyond. Design Has a 'More Is More' Moment Distinctive elements will dominate in restaurant design through 2018. Bold color choices, stand-out patterns, text-heavy neon signage, and witty branding will shape identities for new spaces, and the perceptions of those who experience them— virtually or otherwise. Restaurants Use Experiences to Fight Delivery Boom The in-restaurant experience is changing, and it's a direct result of new technologies aimed at making our lives simpler. Sometimes the tech creates a threat, as has happened with delivery. And sometimes it creates opportunity, as we see in the ways smart restaurants are addressing said threat. 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