Marketing

📱 Expedia Group introduced Travel Shop, a digital showcase for DMCs, tourism bodies, media outlets, digital creators, and influencers, currently available exclusively in the United States and the United Kingdom via a mobile app. Businesses and organizations can feature travel tips and itineraries, earning commissions on bookings made through the platform. Travel Shop aims to bridge the gap from inspiration on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok to booking travel.

🏢 Civitatis collaborates with over 30,000 travel agencies worldwide, aiming to strengthen ties with Italian travel agencies through various activities in Madrid. In 2018, the company worked with just 260 agencies, but their B2B channel is now the fastest-growing. Events included a traditional flamenco evening, private Madrid tour, and guided Italian tour of the Royal Palace. CEO Alberto Gutiérrez highlighted Civitatis' commitment to high-quality services and selected activities. The growth of the Italian market, similar to the Spanish market, was underscored.

⚽ ACI blueteam joined the Lario Business Club as a member, associated with the football team Como 1907, which was recently promoted to Serie A. Their branding will be displayed on the field's LED boards at all Como 1907's home games at Sinigaglia. Roberto Bettinelli, CFO of ACI blueteam, states the partnership aims to build a network of local collaborations, thereby generating value for the territory and gaining visibility during significant international sporting events.

💍 "Amo il Mondo," a tour operator, targets honeymoon travel with a new campaign. The initiative will debut across the operator's digital channels, including social media, their official website, and matrimonio.com, as well as through email and banners. Participating couples will receive special reductions on a broad selection of travel packages, ideal for honeymooners.

📌 Global Gsa has launched a new b2b booking portal aimed at travel agencies, featuring a free tool to boost their social media presence. Manlio Olivero, President & CEO of Global Distribution Sales & Marketing, highlights the portal's simplicity and innovative services like Global2Share. Users can access booking services and content through a single login at www.global-gsa.com using their agency email. Real-time assistance is available via online chat with the help desk.

🏨 Skift Research highlights a shift towards direct bookings over Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), with travelers using OTAs for research but 50% booking directly on hotel websites, a phenomenon known as the “billboard effect”. OTAs like Airbnb, Booking Holdings, and Expedia Group, in response to the 2024 trend, are diversifying their advertising investments, with Expedia using AI "Romie" for personalization, Booking Holdings refocusing on social media, and Airbnb increasing ad spend by 21%. Hoteliers are urged to enhance online presence, offer local experiences, improve loyalty programs, and use quality booking engines like Simple Booking by QNT to compete effectively.

🏕️ Valle d'Aosta giunta approves strategic marketing plan acquisition to develop, market, and promote the regional tourism system. Stakeholders to be actively involved, with aims at innovation and territory valorization. Source: ansa.it.

✈ Ryanair is entering into a partnership with Omio, a booking platform for trains, planes, buses, and ferries. This collaboration allows travelers to book Ryanair flights directly through Omio. Veronica Diquattro, President B2C Europe at Omio, highlights the partnership as a milestone that provides customers with more options and accessibility to Ryanair's extensive flight offerings at affordable prices. Dara Brady, CMO of Ryanair, emphasizes the transparent pricing and booking access benefits of the agreement. The partnership aims to bolster Omio's global presence as a leading multimodal transport platform.

🗺 The Maldives, through Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal, has announced a $25 million budget increase for tourism marketing. The goal is to attract markets like Russia and China and to highlight new developments such as the opening of Velana International Airport and the operations of the Maldivian national carrier with its large aircraft fleet. The Maldives anticipates a plausible estimate of 2.2 million total visitors by the end of 2024.

💰 Travelport's 2024 Report on the state of modern retail reveals that direct booking overwhelms consumers. Travel offers have surged from 500 in 2010 to over 10,000 in 2024, a 1900% increase. 58% of travelers find the choice excessive; 56% say airline offers are harder to understand compared to a decade ago. 71% occasionally doubt getting the best deal post-booking, while 80% agree fare comparison is time-consuming, and 69% feel information is often limited. Travelport suggests travel agencies provide comparative shopping expertise, easing traveler anxiety.