Unlike researching and booking an exotic trip, you receive neither the aspirational effect nor a dopamine rush when you research and purchase a travel insurance policy. In short: nobody buys travel insurance because it’s fun! NB: This is a viewpoint from Steve Sherlock, CEO of Pablow. When you purchase…
The Momondo Group has sold to the Priceline Group, owner of rival travel search service Kayak, in a $550 million deal. The deal will see the two brands within the group, Momondo and Cheapflights, “roll under” the Kayak division. Regulatory approvals are needed to close the acquisition, a statement…
Marriott International has revamped its mobile application in a bid try and be more relevant to guests… at the right time. Developments include design improvements, personalisation and better tie-in to the loyalty programme which is being updated to enable easier ways to spend points. George Corbin, the hotel giant’s senior…
HotelBeds Group is making a move to consolidate the travel wholesaler business with a deal to buy US-based Tourico Holidays. Terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed and the deal is subject to approval by regulators. The deal includes the entire Tourico business, covering its wholesaler service and technology…
India-based travel agent marketplace TravelTriangle has brought in another sizeable funding round – $10 million – to help accelerate its expansion as a company. The company has wooed RB Investments to back the company with the Series B round, with participation from SAIF Patners and Bessemer Ventures returning for support. The…
Another noteworthy move in the ground transportation sector this week as Marcou Transportation Group buys two parts of the ecosystem to bolster its position. GroundLink and Limo Anywhere will both become part of the Boston, US-based group, joining Marcou’s existing business Dav El-Boston Coach. Both deals have been carried out for…
GV and Tenaya Capital have joined the latest Series B round for on-demand travel service Lola, bringing the total in that investment to $25 million. The initial announcement of a $15 million round came four weeks ago, in a deal from new investor Charles River Ventures. CEO and co-founder…
Airline marketers and revenue managers are under tremendous pressure to grow revenues while maintaining low costs. That’s why many are turning to techniques that engage each customer more personally for higher conversion However, the path to personalization can be expensive and risky, with options ranging from buying all-in-one complex…
Google is increasingly relying on machine learning to order search results, increasing concerns among travel brands about how they’ll continue to be ranked. Sure, Google’s use of machine learning might not be anything new, but understanding how it’s using this technology is vital for the sector which can sometimes struggle…
Yatra.com‘s first quarterly earnings release since joining Nasdaq in December shows a 20%+ increase in booking volumes from its air and hotels business. In the Oct-Dec period, Yatra handled 1.8 million air passengers, up by 23.7% compared with the same period in 2015. Revenue from air was up by…