Digital. The Top Ten Travel News Stories of the Week. Day In, Day Out

1. The CDC stated that people who’ve been vaccinated against #COVID19 can now gather indoors with other vaccinated people without the need to wear masks. This may be one of the best news for our industry as it opens scenarios of (almost) normality. In fact, hotels with fully vaccinated staff could welcome fully vaccinated guests just like they did in 2019. It seems to me just another reason to vaccinate people working in hospitality as soon as possible.
2. After months of beta testing, Google eventually added organic links to its metasearch product. On top of paid results, hotels can show prices organically. According to Google, the ranking of the free, organic links is based on an algorithm that takes into consideration variables such as prices, CTR, and landing page experience and not “commercial relationships, advertising and payment to Google.”
3. The Hotels Network launched BenchDirect, a free, real-time interactive analytics platform to help hotels compare their performance to the market.
4. Tripadvisor has opened its Tripadvisor Plus platform to hotels. Joining is free, and those that do receive a special badge on the site and increased visibility in TripAdvisor. In return, they have to provide discounts or perks to TripAdvisor Plus members.
5. Voyager Station is the name of the first space hotel. Constructions are expected to begin in 2026, and the hotel could be open by 2027.
6. Kayak, the metasearch engine owned by Booking Holdings, partnered with Life House to open its first hotel, the Kayak Miami Beach.
7. Ryanair launched an in-app health passport, so that passengers can prove their COVID-19 status before flying.
8. According to Canary Technologies, 68% of hotels are implementing contactless check-in processes.
9. Today is the last day of ITB Now, the digital edition of Berlin’s ITB. You can get all the info at itb.com.
10. After the success of “Hospitality Marketplace,” Hospitality Net and FunnelTV are coming back with a brand new series titled “The Revenue Manager.” Eight panels, eight masterclasses, and 70 international C-Level speakers. The show will start in April.

1. Booking Holdings has reported a 99% net income fall for 2020, compared to the previous year.
2. Trip.com revenue decreased by 49% in 2020.
3. Airbnb revenue decreased by 30% in 2020.
4. The FDA authorized Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. As discussed during the last issue of Digital., Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is only one dose and can be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures.
5. According to a J.D. Power survey, one-third of American travelers are eager to travel once they are vaccinated.
6. ITB Berlin 2020 will be completely digital, and it will take place from 9 to 12 March 2021. So far, more than 2,000 have signed up.
7. According to President Biden, The US will have enough vaccines for every American adult by the end of May.
8. Expedia Group and Booking Holdings invested $4.7 billion in marketing in 2020, a 60% drop compared to 2019, when they invested $11 billion.
9. According to analyst Jason Bazinet, TripAdvisor’s new subscription model, Plus, could draw 10 million members, “creating an additional $1 billion of high-margin revenue.”
10. Expedia Group is selling the Classic Vacations brand, a wholesaler specialized in luxury vacation, to Najafi Companies. According to Najafi Companies CEO, Jahm Najafi, “The luxury vacation business will see a rebound in the near future and Classic Vacations is well positioned to capitalize on that growth.”

1. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, “this will be a strong summer for travel to Europe — including inbound travel.”
2. The Greek government is considering opening its borders to vaccinated British tourists by May.
3. The FDA confirmed that Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine offers effective protection against severe cases of COVID-19. If approved for use, Johnson & Johnson expects to provide 100 million doses by summer.
4. According to a report by Harri, 29% of hospitality workers do not intend to take the COVID-19 vaccine to maintain their current employment.
5. Announcing results for 2020, Accor posted a loss of almost €2 billion.
6. Hilton reported a $720 million loss.
7. Marriott reported $164 million loss and forecasts a 6% growth for 2021.
8. Anthony Capuano, previously in charge of the global development division, is now the new Marriott’s CEO. Capuano will take the place of Arne Sorenson, who recently passed away.
9. During a recent episode of Joe Rogan’s famous podcast, Elon Musk stated that SpaceX will be making regular passenger flights by 2023. The full episode can be found on Spotify.
10. I wrote a piece on hotel technology and innovation during crises, available here: “Hotel Technology During Crises, Does it innovate?” https://www.hospitalitynet.org/panel/125000091/126000925.html

Marriott International CEO, Arne M. Sorenson, passed away

Google will pay a €1.1 million fine in France

lastminute.com has to pay £1M in refunds within the next seven days

Expedia Group has removed Vrbo from Google's vacation rental metasearch product.

Travel + Leisure Co. launched a new online booking platform called #BookTandL.com.

Tripadvisor revenue plummeted 61% in 2020.

Around half of Americans will be more likely to travel when a #COVID19 vaccine is widely available.

According to a Crypto Research report, #bitcoin will be worth $397,000 in 2030

Accor partnered with Microsoft to launch "All Connect."

I gave an interview to Startup.info on how #COVID19 affected our industry.

According to a survey from MMGY Global, 50% of Americans would take the COVID-19 vaccine immediately.

During its first day of trading, shares of Airbnb closed at a stunning $144.71, 113% above the initial public offering price of $68.

Google launched #hotelinsights, a new tool allowing hotels to “learn where interest for your hotel and your region is highest right now, explore booking trends, and learn about the digital tools you can use to attract new guests and grow your business.” Here’s an example for Ile-de-France: https://hotelinsights.withgoogle.com/global-insights/?region=ChIJF4ymA8Th5UcRcCWLaMOCCwE

Tripadvisor is about to launch a subscription service, called Tripadvisor Plus, providing members with deals and perks on thousands of hotels and attractions. “Think of it as a travel club,” CEO Steve Kaufer, stated. The service will cost $99/year, and you can sign up for early access here: beta.subs.tripadvisor.com/plus/. In the meantime, China banned Tripadvisor from its app store, considering it “illegal.” Tripadvisor did not comment on it.

Tripadvisor launched reco (https://www.helloreco.com/), a new platform that “matches travelers with a personal Trip Designer to simplify vacation planning [and] ensures travelers’ unique needs for their next trip are fulfilled, thanks to the expertise of advisors who know a destination best.”

The chatbot HiJiffy raised €1 million in funding, thanks to an investment led by Portugal Ventures.

Trip.com made a quarterly profit for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak.

Lonely Planet, known mainly for its travel guidebooks, has been acquired by Red Ventures.

Sad news for geeks like me: Uber decided to sell its driverless car unit. On the other hand, however, Amazon is ready to launch its Zoox vehicle.

The Federal Trade Commission and 46 states sued Facebook for social networking monopoly and could force the company to sell Instagram and WhatsApp.

2045: Visions and Previsions on Hotel Marketing By Simone Puorto - Founder & CEO @ Travel Singularity

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Simone Puorto: Transumanesimo e Hospitality. Valutazioni etiche sulle tecnologie del futuro.