23rd October 2024: Here are some of the stories that caught our attention over the week with some of our takeaways.
DMA impact on hotels: 0.8% loss of direct reservations: Mirai The tragedy continues for Google Hotels within the European Union, sinking its share as a “source of reservations” from 13.4% to 8.9% (-4.5% in absolute numbers).
How an Uber-Expedia merger could redefine the travel experience: Phocuswire Is Dara getting the band back together? I’ll let the analysts dig into the financials of this potential Uber-Expedia merger. But I’ll say this: if my company’s stock multiple was higher than Nvidia’s and Tesla’s, and I could increase my EBITDA 60% in exchange for a 15% dilute, I’d use that stock like a billionaire with a black card buying up Twitter.
Hotel Member Rates: Should They Stay or Should They Go?: Triptease in Hotel News Resource It’s time to move away from relying on price as the main lever for your loyalty program. Instead, adopt a more strategic approach to discounting rates. Hoteliers running loyalty programs often use member rates as an incentive to attract more guests. However, with Online Travel Agents (OTAs) continuously undercutting hotels across all regions and offering highly popular loyalty schemes of their own, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to compete cost-effectively. Large, blanket member discounts of 10% (or more) have become common.
Turkey overtakes Spain in ‘seismic’ summer package shift, On the Beach claims: Travelweekly Turkey overtook Spain as the top overseas package holiday spot this summer as consumers held out for last-minute deals, according to On the Beach. The OTA reported an 18% year-on-year rise in bookings to the eastern Mediterranean country.
Kylie fever hits UK hotels as bookings and ADR surge ahead of 2025 Tension tour: Siteminder in Hospitality Net Hotels in cities across the UK are experiencing a significant boost in bookings and average daily rates (ADR) as Kylie Minogue’s 2025 Tension tour approaches, according to new data from Siteminder.
