Already this week, travel news seems a bit on the up-and-up with positive looks at WTM London, as well as great financial news from players like Priceline. I know we are thinking; “Is tourism coming out of the woods here? Regardless, here’s some positive news bits.
online travel
Travel Tech Leftovers: rome2rio & More
In leftover tech news for travel, several bits of merit come into view today. From Carlson Wagonlit’s $20 million acquisition of WorldMate to Stayz buying YesBookit, the digital space is lively this week.
Expedia Runs Away With Lion Share of Q3 Profits Online
Last Thursday Expedia Inc. announced their Q3 profits beating analyst projections. According to their release (PDF), the world’s biggest OTA’s hotel revenue propelled the unexpected winnings. Shares of Expedia too an appropriate jump, closing up more than 15 percent. According to Expedia hotel revenue increased some 20 plus percent on gross bookings of some $9 […]
Investors Eagerly Await TZOO Q3
Travelzoo Inc. (NASDAQ: TZOO) will hold a conference call next Thursday October 25th to discuss their finances for Q3 of 2012. A press release reporting results will be issued just prior to market opening of that day.
Carlson Wagonlit Travel Goes Online in China
Last week Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) announced their having launched their online booking tool CWT Online for China based business travelers. According to the company, the launch is an industry first OBT available in China. Powered by TravelSky, the tool is designed to make booking easier for pros in the region.
Big OTAs and Big Hotels in Price Fixing Lawsuit
A federal lawsuit naming the likes of Expedia, Orbitz, Booking.com, Travelocity, Trump International Hotels Management, Intercontinental, Kimpton, Sabre Holdings, Priceline, Marriott, Starwood, and Hilton alleges the companies conspired to fix hotel room prices. According to the news from Reuters, the suit claims the travel giants did so in an effort to fend off competition from smaller online retailers.
Carlson Names Veteran Trudy Rautio CEO
Global hospitality firm Carlson has announced Trudy Rautio (at left) as the new president and CEO after Hubert Joly steps down. The move makes Rautio on the 5th head of the company in its 74 year history. The family owned business includes the brands Radisson Hotels, T.G.I Friday’s, and Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
Tucan Travel Tags London’s LeadGenerators
British – Australian run Tucan Travel has just named LeadGenerators to manage their ongoing search marketing strategy, according to news from the adventure travel company. The award winning tour operators tapped the London based firm for their SEO savvy and SEM successes.
Gstaad Palace Offers Exclusive Jardin des Monts Skincare
Guests staying looking to indulge themselves during their Alpine break could do worse than check out the Gstaad Palace this spring. The Swiss Alps’ landmark hotel has just introduced an exclusive new treat for its guests – a therapeutic spa and massage program featuring 100% organic skincare from Jardin des Monts.
Global Online Travel Market Snapshot
yStats.com, the secondary market research firm established in Hamburg, Germany, has recently launched its “Global Online Travel Report 2012” – an objective analysis of the International travel market, based on statistics, business reports, journals, company registries and new portals.
Expedia Profits Slow: Shares Drop
The financials are in from Expedia. According to the reports, wile quarter 4 revenue was up by 6.7% at $787.1 million compared with the previous year, expenses took their toll virtually eliminating and growth for 2011.
1000 More Hotels Join Global Hotel Exchange
In online travel agency (OTA) news, the California Lodging Industry Association (CLIA) and the Independent Lodging Industry Association (ILIA) have added a thousand plus independent hotels to upstart booking platform Global Hotels Exchange (GHX). Even prior to the official launch of GHX, it appears many hotel owners and support organizations are willing to flock to the new channel.
Who’s the Big Bad Wolf of Hotel Marketing?
Just out, the Distribution Channel Analysis study via the American Hotel Lodging Association (AH&LA) and STR, has been released. The detailed study, supposedly aimed at helping “all” hoteliers better understand hotel room distribution, discusses distribution channel mix, among other salient hotel profitability instances. But, is the study really meant for all hoteliers, or just the fat cats?
Ready or Not -Travel Republic Acquired
In online travel news, Travel Republic has been bought by a subsidiary of Emirates Airlines. The deal finalized December 29 was first reported on Reuters telling of Dnata World Travel’s acquisition for an undisclosed sum.
OTA CEOs: Part III
Continuing our series on decision makers in the online travel world, Argo jumps back in to an interesting Q & A session between reporters from USA Today and leading CEOs. Veronica Gould Stoddart and Roger Yu caught up with 6 top bosses at the recent PhoCusWright conference in Hollywood, Fla. We take up where we left off, analyzing answers to some key tech trend questions.