Hospitality

Disney’s success with its theme parks, hotels and cruise products is directly attributable to a highly-sophisticated marketing program that leverages cross-monetization of its different media businesses. It’s a case study for travel and hospitality companies on how to think and look outside of travel, when building globally successful businesses and brands.

The complex issues and questions being raised by alternative accommodations providers are proof that these businesses are no longer in their infancy, or startup stages. Despite the challenges, the sharing economy is here to stay. The almighty consumer will ultimately decide the ebbs and flows of how the business of short-term rentals plays out.

Many of Latin America's hotel chains have successfully grown their footprint in the region, despite Zika and a sluggish economic outlook for certain markets. A rising middle class and steady business traveler demand (particularly to secondary cities) are keeping accommodations demand interesting enough to keep planned expansion initiatives rolling through this period of economic and political transformation.

The world of hotel technology software, or the “tech stack” as it’s often called, has long existed as a fragmented puzzle of competing platforms, competitors and solutions. Now, growing signs of consolidation loom as big players from both inside and outside the category vie for a bigger piece of the pie. What solutions and strategies will be most important to help hotel owners stay competitive, and profitable, in the years to come?

Travel booking is transforming the mobile-first ecosystem. Messaging technology is replacing face-to-face and voice-to-voice commerce with a screen-to-screen conduit that stands to drive returns and open interactions to new levels of customer context and continuity that the travel industry has seldom, if ever, experienced before.

Why are brands like Apple, Disney and Nike are among the world’s most valuable? Because they’re able to embody a lifestyle, offering consumers access to an emotional connection that goes well beyond their product offering. As more travel companies look to redefine their offerings around the lifestyle brand concept, often with limited resources to do so, what strategies will they use to grow and thrive?

Messaging technology is expanding at a rapid pace across the online commerce ecosystem, across categories. This report addresses the marketing operations side of the messaging technology equation among travel companies. A companion Skift report will focus on bookings and messaging tech.

Hotel loyalty programs are facing a period of dramatic change, driven by recent devaluations of member points and picky travelers that are less loyal than ever. What strategies are hotel brands using to adapt and thrive in this changing loyalty landscape?

Weighing in at three times the size of our standard reports, this expanded trends report offers exclusive insight into new Google travel products launched on November 19, 2015, as well as exclusive interviews conducted at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California this fall. In addition, it includes industry analyst notes that are otherwise only available to clients and banks.

An in-depth look at the trends that are driving booking via smartphones and tablets, the challenges holding the market back, and strategies for businesses in the travel and hospitality industries.

Driven by shifting consumer profiles and a demand for personalized discovery, luxury travel is evolving beyond its traditional parameters. Luxe travel brands are meeting these needs by developing more nuanced options for immersive destination experiences so consumers can customize their entire travel journey.

Social media plays an increasingly central role in the customer service efforts of hospitality brands, requiring a hotels and airlines to respond more quickly, personally and publicly to customer issues. Successful brands have embraced social care, not just to solve problems, but to elevate the travel experience.