Latest news with #ExpediaGroup
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Expedia Group Unveils AI-Powered B2B Platform Enhancements, New API Capabilities at EXPLORE Event
Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) is one of the 11 most profitable NASDAQ stocks to buy now. Earlier in mid-May, Expedia Group announced advancements to its B2B technology platform, which emphasized AI-powered innovations and new API capabilities to enhance travel experiences for both partners and travelers. These updates were revealed at the company's premier EXPLORE event. The expansion includes new B2B APIs designed to scale Expedia Group's Private Label Solutions. These next-gen APIs provide partners with access to expanded travel inventory and capabilities, such as a Car API offering inventory from 110+ brands across 190 countries, an Activities API with 170,000+ bookable experiences worldwide, and an Insurance API for trip protection integration. People interacting with a travel website, searching for the perfect destination. Using GenAI, Expedia Group is redefining travel discovery with innovative traveler experiences. This includes Expedia Trip Matching, which is a first-of-its-kind feature set for beta release in June, that converts Instagram reels into personalized travel recommendations. Travelers can share reels and receive AI-generated itineraries and tips. Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) is an online travel company in the US and internationally. The company operates through B2C, B2B, and trivago segments. While we acknowledge the potential of EXPE as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Globe and Mail
13-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Why American Express Stock Flopped on Friday
Sturdy payment card mainstay American Express 's (NYSE: AXP) stock was looking a bit rickety on the last trading day of the week. The company's shares lost more than 3% of their value on Friday following a report in a top financial newspaper regarding the potential defection of an important customer base. By comparison, the S&P 500 index only fell by slightly over 1% that day. Potential instability in stability That morning, The Wall Street Journal published an article stating that some of the largest American retailers are considering how to use stablecoins in their businesses. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to a fiat currency, such as the dollar, and typically buttressed by cash or relatively liquid securities. Citing unidentified "people familiar with the matter," the newspaper wrote that influential companies in the sector, such as Walmart and Amazon, are even considering whether to issue their own stablecoins. The Journal also flagged sprawling online travel agency Expedia Group as a business exploring such an option. The attraction of payment instruments like stablecoins is that, if implemented well, they could save retailers vast amounts of money in fees. A key source of revenue for card payment companies is the small charges they impose on merchants accepting their cards, hence the negative AmEx investor reaction to the news. A Genius idea How far such efforts go will depend on the fate of the Genius Act, a proposed law making its way through Congress that would erect a regulatory framework for stablecoins. If it successfully makes it through the legislative process and becomes law in some useful form, stablecoins could indeed become a money-saving instrument convenient for U.S. retailers and their customers. Should you invest $1,000 in American Express right now? Before you buy stock in American Express, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and American Express wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $655,255!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $888,780!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is999% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to174%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Hospitality Net
13-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
How Hotels Can Win at eCommerce & Drive Direct Bookings
Independent hotels have a competitive edge in their DNA – offering rare, remarkable experiences that guests want to talk about, post about, and relive. According to Expedia Group's Unpack '24 report, more than 90% of travelers say the vibe of a hotel is important when booking. Additionally, 67% of travelers would pay more to stay at a hotel that aligns with their preferred vibe, highlighting the significance of personalized and unique experiences in the hospitality industry. While the unique vibe sets independent hotels apart, success in today's digital marketplace depends on how effortlessly guests can discover and book that experience online. As consumers grow increasingly tech-savvy, how can independent hotels put their best foot forward in the digital marketplace? This article goes back to basics in terms of online usability, and highlights practical tools and strategies to bring eCommerce to hotel websites and drive more direct bookings. Hotel eCommerce starts with usability Danish usability pioneer Jakob Nielsen once said: The first rule of eCommerce is that if you cannot find the product, you cannot buy it either. Back in 1994, he developed his renowned 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design, which are still highly relevant for websites across all industries, including hospitality. In fact, a recent study by Forrester shows that websites with all usability principals applied have up to 400% higher conversion rates than those that don't. Today's guests are increasingly tech-savvy, digital natives who expect a fast and seamless transition from browsing to booking. Adding another layer of complexity for hotels is that the digital world is overflowing with glitzy website design agencies and shiny tech solutions which can make it difficult to know what works best for your brand, your website, and, most importantly, your guests! Hotels with a strong brand and story already have a powerful advantage in the online marketplace. The next step is usability, and a good exercise to evaluate how user-friendly your hotel website is would be to benchmark it against Nielson's principles. Hotel Website Usability Checklist: Availability, rates, and booking confirmation are clearly displayed at every step. Language and visuals match how guests talk and think—clear, friendly, and intuitive. Guests can change dates, room types, or restart a search without losing progress. Design, branding, and tone are consistent from homepage to confirmation. Inputs and prompts help prevent common errors (e.g., invalid dates or empty fields). Key booking info (room details, pricing, dates) stays visible during the journey. Navigation is smooth for both new and returning guests, across desktop and mobile. Layout is clean and focused, with visuals and calls-to-action that guide, not distract. Clear, friendly error messages help guests understand and fix problems easily. Support like FAQs or live chat is available during critical booking steps. Aesthetics alone won't drive bookings. A beautiful website that lacks clear offers, prominent booking buttons, and compelling calls-to-action is just expensive décor. 5 Practical Ways to Bring Hotel eCommerce to Your Website & Drive Direct Bookings In hospitality, inspiration sparks interest—but it's a smooth, intuitive booking journey that turns that interest into revenue. From the moment guests land on your site to the final confirmation screen, every step should feel seamless, relevant, and easy. Here's how to bring eCommerce best practices to your hotel website to boost direct bookings and reduce drop-offs. 1. Deliver a Seamless Website-to-Booking Experience Guests feel confident and comfortable when they can explore, select, and book without leaving your site—creating a seamless journey that reflects your unique brand and values. Imagine a guest browsing your photo gallery, captivated by your beachfront suite—and then clicking 'Book Now' only to be redirected to a page that looks completely different, with a different URL. That disconnect creates doubt. Instead, ensure that the booking flow feels like a continuation of the website experience—same design, same branding, same domain. This consistency builds trust and keeps guests from bouncing. Why it matters: 75% of consumers admit to judging a business's credibility based on its website design (Stanford Web Credibility Research). Any break in that design can break their trust. 2. Let Guests Book While They're Inspired Think of a guest exploring your romantic getaway page and seeing the perfect suite for their anniversary. If there's no easy way to check availability right there and then, they may leave to 'come back later'—but often, they don't. Allow guests to check dates and prices directly from your homepage, gallery, or room descriptions—so they can act when excitement peaks. Why it matters: 70% of travelers expect to book directly after being inspired, especially on mobile (Google Travel Insights). Make sure the path from inspiration to action is short. 3. Reduce Abandonment with Timely Nudges Let's say a guest has selected their dates and room but pauses to compare prices. Before they leave, show a gentle message like 'Only 2 rooms left for these dates' or 'Your selection is still available—complete your booking and get a free welcome drink.' You can also invite them to leave an email to save their selection or follow up with a tailored offer. Why it matters: 87% of travelers abandon bookings before completion (SalesCycle). Timely reminders and gentle prompts can recover up to 30% of those lost opportunities. 4. Make the Booking Experience Feel Personal If a guest visits your site in French from Paris, why force them to navigate in English and see default offers for the U.S. market? Today's travelers expect digital experiences that adjust to their needs—whether that's recognizing a returning visitor, displaying content in their language, or highlighting relevant deals based on where they're browsing from. Why it matters: 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands that offer personalized experiences (Epsilon). Booking journeys should feel intuitive, not transactional. 5. Meet Guests on their Preferred Device—and Add Value Picture a group of curious young adventurers planning a summer vacation from their phones, until they find a link to your hotel website on Instagram. If your website loads slowly or doesn't adapt to their device, you've lost them. Ensure your site and booking experience work seamlessly on mobile, are discoverable on travel platforms, and offer simple add-ons—like airport pickup or a family picnic package—that enhance the stay and generate revenue. Why it matters: 72% of mobile bookings happen within 48 hours of a last-minute search (Sojern). And upsells can increase revenue per booking by 18% on average (Skift). Success in Hotel eCommerce comes from putting the Guest First Independent hotels have something no algorithm can replicate: unique experiences that guests crave and want to boast about to their friends or across social networks. But that value only translates into direct bookings when the guest journey is thoughtfully designed from the very first interaction—not just at the check-in desk, but from the moment someone lands on your website. Prioritizing direct relationships starts long before the booking. It begins the instant a potential guest interacts with your brand online. The tone of your content, the clarity of your offers, and the ease of making a reservation all contribute to whether a guest feels confident booking directly—or decides to look elsewhere. Hotels that have invested in usability and guest-first design are seeing measurable results: doubling direct bookings and making them the majority contributor to overall revenue. When your website reflects the same care and hospitality guests experience in person, it builds trust, drives conversions, and reinforces brand loyalty from the outset. If your goal is to build stronger guest relationships and drive direct bookings, your website must work as an extension of your hospitality—clear, helpful, and focused on making every interaction count towards achieving those goals. About GuestCentric GuestCentric is a leading provider of cloud-based digital marketing software and services that help extraordinary hoteliers promote their brand, drive direct bookings and connect with customers on all digital platforms. GuestCentric's all-in-one platform provides hotels with the only unified solution for managing their guests' online journey: award-winning, high impact websites; an integrated, easy-to-use booking engine; social media marketing and publishing tools; a GDS chain code and a channel manager to offer rooms on Amadeus, Expedia, Galileo, Google, Sabre, TripAdvisor and hundreds of other channels. GuestCentric is a proud provider of solutions that maximize direct bookings to hotel groups and independent hotels from collections such as Design Hotels, Great Hotels of the World, Leading Hotels of the World, Relais & Chateaux, Small Luxury Hotels and Small Danish Hotels. GuestCentric is featured on Skift Travel Tech 250, a list of the top 250 travel tech companies shaping the modern-day travel experience. Melissa Rodrigues Content Manager +35 196 157 3854 GuestCentric Systems View source
CNA
09-06-2025
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Trending: Top travel destinations for June include Japan and Australia
CNA938 Rewind It's been over a week into the June school holidays – that's when we typically see Singapore families pack up to go somewhere overseas and spend quality time together. Recently, a list of the top 10 trending destinations among Singaporeans for the period this year was published online. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak with Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia Group travel expert.
WIRED
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- WIRED
Barry Diller Invented Prestige TV. Then He Conquered the Internet
Jun 6, 2025 10:00 AM The mogul behind Fox, Expedia, and Tinder opens up about Steve Jobs—and his close friend Sam Altman. Barry Diller attends a conversation with Anderson Cooper at 92NY on May 20, 2025, in New York City. Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Photograph:Of all the egomaniacal lions who ruled Hollywood during the 20th century gatekeeper era, very few made a brilliant pivot to the internet. The exception is Barry Diller. After leading programming at ABC, running Paramount, and supercharging Fox by launching its broadcast network in the late 1980s, Diller no longer wanted to work for anyone else. Either you are or you aren't , he said of independence. As a free agent he quickly grasped the power of interactivity and built an empire that includes Expedia Group, almost the entire online dating sector (Tinder, Match, OkCupid), and an online media lineup that includes People, which wrote a hit piece on him early in his career titled 'Failing Upwards.' In his absorbing memoir, Who Knew, the third act of Diller's career gets short shrift, as the road to becoming an internet billionaire is dispatched in a few dozen pages. The bulk of the book weaves his life as a not-quite-out gay man (who nonetheless passionately loves his iconic wife Diane von Furstenberg) with a deliciously dishy account of his Hollywood days. So as a WIRED kind of reader, I start our interview by calling him out on the tea shortage regarding his life in tech. With Diane von Fürstenberg in the Dominican Republic. Courtesy of Simon & Schuster 'What do you mean?' growls Diller, a notorious suffer-no-fools guy, who two weeks after publication is undoubtedly getting tired of book promotion. When I tell him I just wanted to hear wonderful details from his tech days, like the ones he shared about his earlier acts, his demeanor changes, and he cheerfully agrees with me. 'I did whiz by it,' he says of his internet triumphs, citing time constraints. (Note: the book was 15 years in the making.) 'It is something I should have done and I didn't do.' This is an essay from the latest edition of Steven Levy's Plaintext newsletter. SIGN UP for Plaintext to read the whole thing, and tap Steven's unique insights and unmatched contacts for the long view on tech. I try to make up for the omission in our conversation. To get things started, I remind him of a 1993 Ken Auletta New Yorker profile titled, 'Barry Diller's Search for the Future.' It describes Diller's quest for a post-Hollywood third act using the metaphor of his newly found obsession with an Apple PowerBook. A decade into the PC revolution, the idea of a media mogul actually using a computer was a novelty, and Auletta acted as if Diller had invented public key cryptography. But the PowerBook was critical, says Diller. During his first job, as a 20-year-old working the mail room at William Morris, he buried himself in the archives and tried to read every single file and contract to understand the nuances of the business. In every subsequent job, he set out to absorb voluminous information before making critical decisions. It was his superpower. With the Apple laptop now he could have all this data at his fingertips. 'I could do everything myself,' he says. 'Tech has basically rescued me from my own obsolescence.' In the early '90s—the perfect time to learn about the digital world, just before the boom—he went on a high-tech listening tour that included visits to Microsoft and the MIT Media Lab. 'My eyes were saucers,' he says. 'I ate every inch up.' He also met Steve Jobs on his tour, who showed him the first few reels of a movie he was working on called Toy Story . 'I've never had an aptitude for animation—I don't like it,' Diller says. 'Of course he was right and I was wrong. He pounded me to join the Pixar board, and I just didn't want to do it. Steve doesn't like to be turned down.' Diller describes his relationship with Jobs thereafter as tension-packed. He marveled at Jobs' business savvy but despised his scorched-earth tactics. 'The idea of having a 30 percent tax on going through the Apple store was, and is, an absolute outrage. It was pure Steve. But it's breaking apart now,' he adds, referring to recent antitrust litigation that he's clearly following. When the internet took off, Diller went on a buying binge. Some prizes are mostly forgotten—CitySearch?—but others were inspired. He convinced Microsoft's Steve Ballmer to sell him Expedia, and it became the centerpiece of a travel group that now includes Orbitz, and Vrbo. The total valuation of his companies is now over $100 billion. He credits most of it to 'luck, circumstance, and timing.' The book provides evidence that there's more to Diller's success than happenstance. Even before becoming his own boss, Diller operated like a founder. He joined ABC in his mid-twenties as a woefully inexperienced nobody, and bucked decades of tradition by arguing that the network should show films in prime time—and the ratings blockbuster Movie of the Week was born. Then he pushed ABC to make its own movies, and even created the mini-series, notably Roots . He invented prestige TV! When I tell Diller that this feat seemed to presage Netflix's entry into original content, he agrees, and adds a bit of commentary to Hollywood's current struggle with tech giants. 'The incumbents stood by while Netflix took their business away from them,' he says. Meanwhile, he says, Apple and Amazon started their streaming services with different business incentives—the former to keep people in its ecosystem, the latter to keep customers signed up to Prime. 'It's hard to compete against that,' he says 'It's not that these old media companies aren't going to survive. It's just they're never going to be the dominant player anymore. That's just gone.' Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier on the set of Love Among the Ruins, 1973. Courtesy of Simon & Schuster Attempting to shut down Diana Ross's Central Park concert amid thunderstorms, 1983 Courtesy of Simon & Schuster He writes that while the people he knows in the 'algorithmic' movie business are even richer than the ones he hung out with earlier in his career, 'I don't know anyone who is having any fun.' In our conversation, he extols the satisfying process of creating a narrative film and bringing it to market. In comparison, the best tech has to offer is something like Tinder. When he first saw its nascent form—it basically adopted the 'hot or not' format to a dating app—he saw great possibilities, and snapped up the team. Then came months of technical development. 'The result was something thrilling, but it pales in comparison to the creation of content,' he says. Diller, of course, is on top of the AI revolution. 'It's going to change so many things,' he says, comparing it to the shift from analog to digital. 'Do you know Sam Altman?' I ask. I should have known better. The man who just wrote a book dropping the name of every Hollywood royal of the past 40 years says, 'Sam is one of my closest friends, and has been since before he became Sam Altman.' Until recently, Altman sat on the Expedia board and helped the company integrate AI into the app. I mention that if ChatGPT had existed when Diller first worked in the William Morris mailroom, he wouldn't have had to painstakingly read every file. He could have simply uploaded the trove into a large language model and asked it questions. Anyone who did that would have Diller's superpower! 'I think you're right,' he says. 'That's why I think the future is unpredictable.' Unless, as Alan Kay once said, you invent it. With Calvin Klein and Doug Cloutier in Malibu Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
