Technology

There are so many technologies that can and will impact the travel industry, but it is hard to poke through all the hype and see what will fundamentally change the future of travel. Here are four technology buckets with the largest potential.

Legacy PMS vendors have for too long reaped the rewards without truly pushing the boundaries of what they could offer hoteliers. Now technology has passed them by, and they are playing catch-up. Cloud computing, open APIs, marketplaces, and middleware layers are shaking up this stale corner of hotel tech, and it’s crazy exciting.

Millennials have been in the travel industry’s spotlight for years already, yet they still remain somewhat of a mystery. As they continue to gain spending power, their successor generation, Gen Z, is hot on their heels. Thinking about these generational cohorts as a global collective however, risks painting the picture with too broad a brush.

Let’s place loyalty programs into a larger realm of technology which can improve and increase guest engagement and personalization, with all these tools working in parallel to achieve a truly loyal guest.

Revenue management is unquestionably becoming more important for hotels in an ever-more competitive market. Revenue Management Systems play an important role in automating pricing, but hotels should not see these as a one-stop solution to all their problems. There are bigger strategic questions that need answering.

There's a reason we love earnings season: lot's of interesting new company data points.

Analyzing startups helps us understand what the future of travel holds. The latest generation of startups promises innovation across many facets of travel: hospitality, tours, airlines, business travel, and more.

The role of marketing technology in the travel industry has passed the threshold of adoption, but significant attention is still required to bring the technology at work into its true and central role, industry-wide.

Amazon's influence over travelers is likely to grow. Perhaps it will be a direct competitor, or maybe an advertising partner. In either case, travel companies need to pay careful attention. Our limited edition e-book evaluates lessons, threats, and opportunities that Amazon presents for the travel industry.

The travel industry, no stranger to disruption, is experiencing a new wave of venture-backed startups. These businesses are generally larger than ever before and focused on bringing new customers and products into the digital travel fold. We expect this momentum to continue and for it have an impact on executives, founders, and investors throughout the sector.

The airline distribution ecosystem often gets unfairly labeled as being populated by dinosaurs. Our sense is that industry players are making genuine attempts to modernize, it’s just that it takes a long time to turn around such a titanic ship. We break down this complex and, at times, intimidating topic by reviewing the current landscape and inspecting four key fault lines in the space.

Airbnb continues to revolutionize the accommodation bookings industry while disrupting other sectors like tours and activities, restaurant reservations, and more. As the company heads towards a potential IPO, we tackle some of the key hurdles in its way including increasing regulation, impacts to housing markets, and its evolving role in both hospitality and distribution.