OpenAI just saved Booking.com
OpenAI's decision to scale back direct booking in ChatGPT benefits Booking.com by keeping AI platforms in discovery rather than transaction completion.
External Articles
The erosion of Booking.com
Analysis argues AI assistants threaten Booking.com's high-margin visibility business by moving travel discovery away from its platform.
Google’s Advice for Travel Brands: Forget Generic Keywords, AI Can Read Your Photos
Google's travel industry head advises brands to optimize for AI interpretation of images and reviews rather than traditional keyword strategies.
Barry Diller returns after 20 years! Hear what he says at The #Phocuswright Conference 2025
Barry Diller is one of business’s most candid and visionary strategists. Two decades after his last Phocuswright appearance, the chairman and senior executive of IAC and Expedia Group returns to the stage at a moment of massive transformation for travel and media alike. In this candid conversation, Diller shares his unfiltered take on where travel is headed, how technology is changing the game and the bold moves needed to stay ahead when the playbook is being rewritten in real time.
Social Search, Viral Inspiration with Reddit, TikTok, YouTube - The Phocuswright Conference 2025
Travel discovery has moved far beyond OTAs and metasearch. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Reddit are shaping how new generations dream, research and even book their trips—compressing the path from inspiration to transaction. With hotel booking pilots rolling out on TikTok and creator-driven content dictating destination demand, the rules of engagement are shifting fast. Join our panelists from three of the biggest players as they unpack how social platforms are rewriting the playbook—and what travel sellers must do to win the next wave of travelers.
Expedia Group outlines strategies for OpenAI partnership, highlights B2B strength
During its third-quarter earnings call, Expedia Group detailed priorities for its OpenAI partnership and its plans for artificial intelligence (AI) moving forward.
AI in Air Pricing: Why It Matters for Buyers
A few comments on an earnings call in July have turned into one of the summer’s more persistent aviation debates. As reported by businesstravelnews.com, Delta Air Lines president Glen Hauenstein noted that the carrier was testing Fetcherr’s AI-driven revenue management tools across part of its domestic network. What seemed like a routine update quickly escalated into a broader discussion about privacy, transparency, and the future of airline pricing.
How hotels should be thinking about their visibility on AI platforms
Travel companies’ ability to gain visibility in the travel discovery process has become more challenging as users across the globe move from traditional search tools like Google to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search.
longitude
If you own or operate a hotel, what business are you in? If you answered “the hotel business,” you might already be losing ground. The best hotels—the ones with deep loyalty, cultural relevance, and undeniable pull—aren’t just selling rooms. They’re selling stories.
Generative AI: What’s on the horizon for airlines?
This is a summary of an article recently published by PhocusWire that highlights how airlines are ramping up their exploration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance both customer-facing services and operational decision-making. Many carriers are adopting Large Language Models (LLMs) to create AI-powered booking assistants and recommendation tools in a bid to diversify revenue streams and improve the travel experience. KLM, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, and Air India are among those rolling out AI chatbots and platforms that guide travelers through booking processes in fewer steps and provide personalized recommendations.
Barry Sternlicht Brings Back Starwood Brand – Full Timeline
Barry Sternlicht, who built Starwood into a hospitality giant before selling it to Marriott for about $13 billion in 2015, is reviving the Starwood name.
skift and Starwood Hotels
Apple’s Latest iOS 18.2 Email Update: What Hotel Marketers Need To Know
Get ready for the latest Apple iOS 18.2 update to shake up strategies for hotel marketing with a redesign that affects how users engage with emails. As a digital marketing agency for hotels, we’ll remind you that iPhones make up over 50% of the share of smartphones in the U.S., so we don’t recommend ignoring this software update.
Revealing the 25 places to visit in 2025
A new year means new adventures, and just in time, Airbnb is unveiling 25 destinations for guests to visit in 2025. The list includes destinations that are surging in popularity, based on an increase in searches made by solo travelers, families, and group adventurers for trips in 2025 compared to the year prior.* It also includes the most wishlisted cities of 2024 we predict will continue to trend in the new year, including Vancouver and Houston.*
Are Airlines Spying On You? The Hidden Costs Of Surveillance Pricing And How To Avoid Them
Ever feel like flight prices are all over the map?
Booking.com wants AI to be like a human travel agent — but better
The internet made going to brick-and-mortar travel agencies a thing of the past. Generative artificial intelligence could once again transform the way people plan and book their trips.
The Ideal Mix For Hotel Distribution: Direct Bookings to Lead by 2030
By 2030, direct digital bookings are expected to reshape the landscape of hotel distribution, overtaking online travel agencies (OTAs) as the primary channel for global hotel reservations. Skift Research’s 2024 Hotel Distribution Outlook reveals that while OTAs currently dominate the market, hotels are increasingly focusing on direct digital channels to engage travelers more effectively and reduce dependency on intermediaries. This shift is projected to generate $409 billion in global hotel bookings through direct digital channels by the end of the decade, marking a pivotal transition in how consumers book travel accommodations.
Hotel CEOs Say Demographics Are the Future of Travel
Yes, AI is going to be everywhere one day, and yes, lifestyle hotels are the hot new thing. But if you want to track the future of travel, the answer lies in demographics.
How AI-powered search might impact travel discovery
There has been a lot of news recently about the impact of artificial intelligence in search and how it may or may not impact the future of Google.
Travel Trends 2025: What's Hot And What's Not In The Future Of Travel
In 2024, travel trends were a mix of escapism and edginess. While some travellers seized the opportunity to visit the shooting locations of their favourite Netflix shows, others tried to limit their dopamine sources to join the social media-fueled ‘raw-dogging’ bandwagon. As concerns about overtourism grew, travellers began seeking out lesser-known alternatives, embracing the ‘destination dupe’ trend. The year also witnessed a surge in interest in celestial wonders, with the aurora borealis putting on a spectacular show. As travel trends continue to shape our wanderlust, 2025 promises to be no exception.
Why Uber isn't buying Expedia, but I still think Amazon should
Today's story, which I will call a "banker rumor," regarding the potential acquisition of Expedia Group by Uber is a natural extension of both speculation around Expedia's future as well as the shared history of Dara Khosrowshahi.