Booking Picks Off Tour Startup + Expedia Digs In on Dining + Airbnb's Lost Opportunity

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

April 20, 2018

Editor's Note Booking Holdings' decision to buy FareHarbor, a tech company that provides the pipes to bring tours and activities providers online, and Expedia's announcement that the Things to Do tab on its homepage will soon offer dining reservations from Reserve are — taken together — a big deal. We've got both developments covered in stories below from Skift Travel Tech Editor Sean O'Neill and Skift Table Senior Editor Kristen Hawley. The big players, including TripAdvisor, too, are now heavily engaged in activities in-destination for locals and travelers, whether it be lining up a night at a trendy restaurant or skipping the lines at the Vatican. Booking, Expedia, and TripAdvisor are accelerating their drives to own the entire trip. Expect more consolidation in the space. GetYourGuide anyone? — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor The Inaugural National Business Traveler Day Launches April 24 Sponsored by Upside There are millions of U.S. business travelers driving the national economy forward, who have to navigate today's fractured travel ecosystem both online and offline. National Business Traveler Day is about acknowledging those people and the job they do amid many challenges. Read More Top Stories Just 6 Days Remain Until Skift Forum Europe Skift Forum Europe is days away, and though time is running out, there are a handful of seats left! Over 200 companies, 400 attendees, 20+ incredible speakers, and, of course, the Skift team will be there next week. Booking Holdings Buys Activities Distribution Startup FareHarbor Only a couple of years ago the CEO of family owned activities distributor FareHarbor said the company would never sell. But never say never. For Booking Holdings, this is further proof that the giant wants to be full-service. Reserve Is Expedia's Exclusive Restaurant Reservations Partner in the U.S. News out of Reserve has been relatively quiet since the hiring of the company's new COO last fall. But they're now doubling down on efforts to reach diners across many platforms, and this deal is no exception. Airbnb's New Events Tool Is a Major Missed Opportunity Airbnb has formally entered the meetings and events sector with a simple widget and landing page. It will be much more interesting when Airbnb decides to use its platform to sell actual meeting space to organizers, since a global race is on among technology platforms to crack the online booking market for small and simple meetings. How to Make Abu Dhabi a Real Destination and Not Just a Stopover Abu Dhabi has a long way to go to become a destination and not just a stopover. Here are some ideas. Skift Forum Europe Preview: Melia's COO on Achieving Global Scale In the tier below the big six hotel companies are a raft of others, jostling for position. Melia Hotels is one of the biggest players in Europe and it will be interesting to hear how it differentiates itself from the competition. Risking Jail Time for a Better Business Travel Experience Employees game business travel rules all the time. Now that Scott Pruitt has been outed for trying to take advantage of U.S. taxpayers, it's worth considering the fact that nobody really wants to fly in economy class or stay in a crappy hotel. Lindblad CEO Wants Expedition Travel to Stay Niche More people are visiting hard-to-reach destinations, and the travel companies that take them there are reckoning with the impact of the higher volume of tourists. How much growth is too much? We'll probably find out in the coming years. Popular Now Marriott Finally Reveals How It Will Combine All 3 of Its Loyalty Programs How much do we want to bet that the new loyalty brand that debuts next year turns out to be Marriott Preferred Guest? Or better yet, just Marriott Rewards? Homeland Security Facial Passenger Scans For U.S. Airports May Go Nationwide With the ongoing backlash against companies improperly sharing and using data in recent months, facial scans will be a tough sell to many travelers especially if they're implemented by the government. Booking Holdings CEO: We're on the Road Toward Going Full-Service Evolve or be crushed. That's CEO Glenn Fogel's philosophy about business in general and Booking Holdings in particular. But the move toward becoming more of a full-service online travel agency comes with the risk of losing focus on accommodations. No one ever said all this online travel agency stuff is easy. 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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