These Startups Want to Digitize the World’s Intercity Buses
Intercity bus travel isn't glamorous. But at least one company will drag this sector online and make piles of money along the way.
Sean O’Neill is Skift’s Senior Hospitality Editor. Sean’s forte is reporting, and he’s broken multiple hotel industry scoops. He has also conducted 1:1 interviews on stage with the CEOs of Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Wyndham.
Wyndham to Create Economy Extended-Stay Brand
Expect other big hotel companies to add more economy extended-stay brands. They'll wager that a business model that reduces labor costs will have staying power for the long-term.
Bookaway Buys Argentina’s Plataforma 10 in Intercity Bus Booking Rollup
Intercity bus booking may not be glamorous, but there could be a lot of opportunity in helping the multi-billion-dollar sector go online.
Travel’s New Constant Volatility Requires Smarter Embrace of Data
The pandemic may be fading in many markets, but the Ukraine crisis is a reminder that volatility in travel demand is here to stay. Airlines, hotels, and cruise lines need to draw faster insights from their data to thrive.
TravelX Raises $10 Million for Blockchain Tech: Travel Startup Funding This Week
This week, travel startups announced more than $115 million in funding. A few of the companies had very startup-y names such as Placemakr, TravelX, FutureStay, and Hoo.
Destinations Look Beyond Bad White-Label Tech to Drive Bookings Themselves
Destination marketers are skilled at helping travelers plan trips, but they're poor at encouraging transactions. Are they missing a trick by not driving more direct bookings and, thus, helping to level the playing field for the smallest travel suppliers?
Nonius Acquires Hotel App Startup Criton
Who needs telephones in hotel guest rooms? Hotels can instead have guests make and receive calls via their mobile apps. That's one of the outcomes made possible by this acquisition of the vendor Criton by Nonius.
Travel Tech Rollup Mondee Still Aims to Go Public Via $1 Billion Blank Check Deal
Interest in special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, has fizzled. The sell-off in market silliness could mean that investing in a profitable leisure travel wholesaler like Mondee via a SPAC is no longer a high-risk calculation.
Placemakr Raises $90 Million for Next-Gen Lodging Including Hotel Pop-Ups
What performs better financially than a hotel, on average? A hybrid model of lodging that mixes short-term and long-term stays, according to Placemakr. Is the startup genius? Or is it trying to do too much?
Short-Term Rentals Attract Private Equity Seeking New Asset Class
The smartest money appears to be warming to the emerging asset class of professionally managed short-term rentals and vacation rentals. But it's probably too soon to expect an "STR REIT," or short-term rental real estate investment trust, this year.