Traveling Blog: Airbnb Meets Corporate Lodging + Southwest's Pre-Dawn Pain + TripAdvisor Claims Influencer Status

April 12, 2018

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Editor's Note

Is there a data and privacy reckoning ahead? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's grilling by Congressional committees this week is just the beginning of a discussion that could dominate the headlines in coming years. A European Union initiative, its Data Protection Regulation, is already out front on the issue. We have a story today that gauges the implications for companies conducting conferences in Europe. But make no mistake — all travel companies should be on top of this now.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

Announcing the Skift Forum Europe Mobile App for Attendees

Did you know Skift Forum Europe has its own mobile app? Available only to registered attendees, the app is both comprehensive and user-friendly so attendees can connect with ease. Sign up and join us in exactly two weeks in Berlin!

If you don't know what a serviced apartment is, you're likely not alone. And that's probably one of the biggest problems this lodging sector faces as it tries to grow beyond catering solely to corporate travelers.

Why Southwest Has So Many Flights That Leave Before 6 a.m.

Southwest added a bunch of flights earlier this year departing before 6 a.m., and passengers didn't seem to like them. But fear not. It's a short-term thing.

ComScore Study Claims TripAdvisor Is Top-Visited Travel Site Before Booking

Mirror mirror on the wall, which is the most-influential travel company of all? TripAdvisor still has a strong grip on travelers from a trip-planning standpoint, and that's its most-appealing asset. But the landscape is fragmented and there are lots of sites, including search engines, for travel advertisers to consider when establishing their favorite clients.

Skift Forum Europe Preview: How Club Med Is Reimagining the All-Inclusive Resort

Since 2004, Club Med has tried to change the perception of all-inclusive resorts. Part of this is a move upmarket but it has also meant targeting new nationalities and destinations.

What Europe's New Data Protection Law Means for Meetings and Events

U.S. meeting planners expect the EU's General Data Protection Regulation to have a major effect on how they manage data. While the giant meetings firms are prepared to comply with it, smaller companies and related meetings vendors may lag behind.

Luxury Hotels Aim to Get Smarter About Which Ads Work Best

Sometimes it's the small financing deals that reveal cutting-edge trends in investment and technological opportunity. Curacity must hope that's true of this funding, given that its progress to date has been a slow burn in a promising sector.

Nor1 Buys Stay Delightful as More Hotels Upsell Guests on Text Chat

It's old news that many hotels are enabling guests to text requests to the front desk. But it's still early days for them to piece together the tech systems in a way that will let them successfully upsell guests on additional services via chat.

International visitor data reporting began to run amok before President Donald Trump took office and destinations are left wondering what data they can trust. The Trump administration has worked to spread disinformation, but this is a new level of concern for the travel industry.

Booking Claims It Beats Airbnb With 5 Million Alternative Accommodations Listings

Booking.com may be marginally ahead of Airbnb in the listings race, but for practical purposes you can call it a draw. It's game on, though, pitting Booking.com's renowned demand aggregation and marketing resources versus Airbnb's brand advantages, and the resources it would gain by doing an IPO and becoming more comprehensive.

Marriott and Hilton's Group Commission Cuts Put Pressure on Industry

As hotel chains have shifted their business models over the last decade, keeping owners happy has become the priority. Slashing group booking commissions for intermediaries saves owners money, so it's easy to see how the largest U.S. chains will follow the example of Marriott and Hilton in the near future.

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