Food tourism is the new black, or rock’n’roll, or something… apparently. And attempting to seize on that trend is FoodieTrip, a New York, US-based startup. The company has created a marketplace for tourists to find “extraordinary food-focused experiences”, with content in the form of more than 200 tours coming in…
Travel is one of the biggest – as well as the most interesting and diverse – businesses around. In the US alone, travel accounts for over 10% of the country’s GDP, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. But it is a hard business for tech companies and,…
Nearly four out of five of all hotel reviews are from guests that have had a satisfactory or better experience, data from 70 million reviews has shown. The Global Hotel Reputation Benchmark Report from Revinate, analysing items of feedback over the last two years from review sites around the…
In an age of the promises of Big Data, can travel brands finally win the hearts (and spend) of customers? Chris Nurko, global chairman of FutureBrand, believes that as hospitality brands gather volumes of data on traveler preferences they must analyze and apply that knowledge in an empathic and…
Growth strategy specialist agency Vivaldi has analysed the performance of 11 airlines in terms of their “social currency”, a phrase it introduced in 2010 in an attempt to quantify how effectively brands “fit into how consumers manage their social lives in today’s digital and mobile age.” Southwest comes out…
Travel comparison site Trivago emerged with strong 2016 numbers as Expedia reported its final quarter and full-year 2016 results. The Germany-based service, which completed its IPO in December, finished the quarter 65% up on the same period in 2015. Trivago had reported a revenue increase of 57% in Q3. The…
Dutch airline KLM has started a pilot project to see if facial recognition software would make boarding any easier and quicker for passengers. The “biometric boarding” technology has been designed so that passengers do not have to show their passport or boarding pass at the gate. The system has been installed…
Ctrip’s purchase of Skyscanner is by far the biggest travel tech deal to come out of China this year, but it’s not the only one. This January, Chinese hotel IT specialist Shiji bought an 80% stake in Spain-based online reputation management platform ReviewPro for $28 million. Alibaba, China’s biggest…
Certify‘s 2017 Expense Management Trends report reveals the disconnect between travel policy compliance and enforcement. Compliance with policy is a recurring issue for corporations and, despite the options that tech provides for businesses to get a grip on maverick road warriors booking the Taj rather than the Travelodge, many…
The ‘Internet of Things’ is easily dismissable as just another buzz-phrase. However, as any travel professional with their finger on the pulse should recognise, this technology will impact every single corner of the travel industry in a relatively short period of time. NB: This is a viewpoint by David…