Check out the great reads we put together for you this week!
OTAs and hotel chains are at it again, and this time Marriott's CEO Arne Sorenson plans to lower the commissions it pays to online travel agencies - starting with Expedia Group Inc. Read how Marriott plans to renegotiate with OTAs in the upcoming negotiations, which will be the first ones since the company's merger with Starwood Hotels in late 2016. Digital travel sales are expected to reach $198 billion USD in 2018. Thanks to MDG Advertising, we can easily see the top five trends to look out for this year in the eye-catching infographic they created highlighting the digital trends for hospitality marketing in 2018. From the importance of smartphones, desktops, and search engines to creating valuable visual content and loyalty programs, check out the second read's infographic to learn more about what hoteliers need to be aware of in 2018. In early 2018, Airbnb announced their plan to launch "Airbnb Plus," which provides users with homes that have been verified by the company through a 100-point checklist for home inspection and professional photography session. With such a bold plan to essentially commercialize Airbnb's strategy, Skift analyzes the new program's details and outlines the many risks that potentially could arise for the company, which you can find in the third read.
Happy reading.
Marriott Aims to Cut Commissions for Online Agencies: CEO
Marriott International is looking to lower the commissions it pays to online travel agencies starting with Expedia Group Inc when it renegotiates its contract with the company later this year, Chief Executive Officer Arne Sorenson told Reuters recently on the sidelines of a press conference in Bengaluru.
Hospitality marketing is in a state of flux in 2018. The continued growth of online platforms, increasing ubiquity of mobile devices, and shifts in U.S. demographics are fundamentally changing. Take a look at the overview below, as well as MDG’s new infographic, Hospitality Marketing in 2018: 5 Digital Trends to Watch.
When Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced that “Airbnb is for everyone” in February, it was more than just a company slogan. It was a statement about the evolution of the sharing of homes that’s becoming more professionalized, more standardized, and in some cases, a lot more like a hotel. Airbnb Plus represents the missing piece of the puzzle that Airbnb feels it needs to take homesharing into the mainstream. However, some see it as a symbol of creeping commercialization that’s taking away from the image that Airbnb has cultivated for itself over the past decade.
