SKIFT THE VERSUS ISSUE THE FAULT LINES OF DISRUPTION IN THE GLOBAL TRAVEL INDUSTRY
SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 T:7”
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K LETTER FROM SKIFT CEO
n your hands is the second issue of the Skift Mag- the cross hairs of these four pillars, you have fu- azine. Away from our usual timely coverage of the ture-proofed yourself. I business of travel, we are taking a step back with this package, looking at what we are calling The Fault Don’t get swept up in the headlines all around you, Lines of Disruption in the global travel industry. build around larger trendlines emerging.
These fault lines manifest themselves in the form of Be fanatically focused on the changing consumer old versus new, consumer versus business, east versus behavior. west, left versus right, and many other such clashes. We aim to decipher these clashes with this package, which also serves as a stage setting for the Skift Global The greatest danger in times of turbulence Forum 2015, our flagship conference defining the “is not the turbulence; it is to act with future of travel on October 14-15 in New York City. yesterday’s logic. The core of the magazine is a package of stories and essays called "Versus" where we juxtapose some of — Peter Drucker. these central conflicts to consider. We don’t aim to be ” judges on which of these clashes happening will win Happy Skifting! out, or which of them are good versus bad, but that the opportunities for disruption in the industry lie in under- Rafat Ali standing and capitalizing on these clashes. The answer, Founder & CEO, Skift. in some cases, will be completely new industries that have the best mix of old and new.
The new reality in the travel indus- try could very well be the constant emergence of new faultlines as old ones settle, as we see in other big global sectors sectors like technol- ogy, media, and finance.
As we have always maintained here at Skift, there are few ways to future-proof yourself against being consumed by these fault lines:
Marketing/Tech/User Experience/ Design: As long as you are in
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6 SKIFT LETTER FROM SKIFT CEO
Here is a prescriptive list of 30 different fault lines We here at Skift are watching, and we have addressed some of these in the pages ahead.
+ Customer Service vs. Customer Experience + Alternative Accommodations vs. Traditional Lodging + Car Hailing vs. Car Rentals + Packaged vs. Unbundled Travel + Low-Cost Airlines vs. Full-Service Airlines + Corporate Travel vs. Business Traveler + Hate Selling vs. Love Selling + Cruise Industry vs. Non-Cruisers + Cities for Locals vs. Cities For Tourists + Pervasive Connectivity vs. Mindfulness + Advance Planning vs. Last Minute Booking + Design vs. User Experience In All Phases of Travel + Millennials vs. Post-Millennials (Generation Z) + Crumbling Americans Airports vs. Traveler Demands + China vs. Rest of the World + Sustainable Travel vs Consumer Apathy + Global Seamless Mobility vs. Visa Regimes Built For Security + Closed Mobile Apps vs. Embedded Mobile Services + Search Box vs. Messaging For Consumer Queries + South & Southeast Asia vs South America vs Africa + Growth of Travel Globally vs. Vacationless Americans + Iconic Destinations vs. Young Experiential Travelers + Fragmentation in Tours & Activities vs. Aggregation Platforms + Conversion Marketing vs. Brand Building + Geopolitical Upheavals vs. Billion Plus Travelers + Travel Startups vs. Repeat Usage By Travelers + Loyalty Programs vs. Brand Fanatics + English Language vs Global Languages Reaching Travel Customers + Non Diverse Travel Executives vs. Global Diversity of Travelers + Direct Booking vs Online Booking Sites (OTAs) + Priceline/Expedia vs. ??
SKIFT 7 8 SKIFT INSIDE THE SKIFT MAGAZINE
11 First Glance — How to Solve Hate Selling
16 Q & A — How Hotels Use WeChat to Reach Guests in Asia MASTHEAD
18 Q & A — The Golden Age of Smarter Seating Design FOUNDERS FOUNDER & CEO / RAFAT ALI 21 CEO Insights — The Business Case for More Diversity in Travel CO-FOUNDER & HEAD OF CONTENT / JASON CLAMPET
23 Chart — Business Travel Expenses: Uber Vs Taxi EDITORIAL TEAM 25 Bright Ideas — Customer Experience is the New Customer Service NEWS EDITOR / DENNIS SCHAAL SENIOR EDITOR/ GREG OATES 31 Skift Mini-Manifesto REPORTER / DAN PELTIER REPORTER / ANDREW SHEIVACHMAN Fault Lines REPORTER / ALEXANDRA PETRI Fault Lines: Conflicts Determining the Future of Travel / 37 GRAPHIC DESIGN Global Travel Growth Versus Vacation-less Americans / 38 GRAPHIC DESIGNER / PING CHAN Corporate Travel Versus Business Travelers / 40 Packaged Versus Unbundled Travel / 43 ADVERTISING & SALES Low-Cost Versus Full-Service Airlines / 46 VP, SALES / ANTHONY DERICO Ride-Hailing Versus Car Rentals / 48 SALES EXECUTIVE / DANIELLE HAIGH Alternative Lodging Versus Traditional Hotels / 52 BRANDED CONTENT STRATEGIST / MATT HEIDKAMP Travel Agents Versus Travel Consultants / 54 SALES SUPPORT / WILL MATALENE Meeting Expertise Versus Meeting Experience / 56 ENTERPRISE TRENDS SPECIALIST / DANIEL CALABRESE Brands Versus Booking Sites / 58 Cities for Locals Versus Cities for Tourists / 62 MARKETING SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR / NATALIE BONACASA
Skift Global Forum 2015 DEVELOPMENT / TECHOLOGY / JOHNATHAN ROSS Skifties 2015 Social Media Awards / 66 DEVELOPER Skift Global Forum Sponsors / 69 Skift Global Forum Speakers / 70 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT / KIRSTIE JIONGCO Skift Global Forum Sponsor Workshops / 74 OPERATIONS MANAGER Skift Global Forum Schedule of Events / 76 CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER / MICHAEL CUNNIFF
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How to solve hate selling
BY Jason Clampet Hate-selling is a symptom of unbundling services and selling the industry’s ongoing conflict them a la carte, consumers are Travel’s unique relationship with between increasing revenues faced with a constant upsell hate-selling — a combination of and making travelers happy. on horrendously designed car high-pressure sales and fear of rental booking sites, over-ag- missing out — puts travelers on As airlines, hotels, cruise lines, gressive airline sites promising the defensive when they’re just online travel agencies, and oth- humane treatment for just a few about to make a big purchase. ers find more and more success more dollars, hotels asking for
SKIFT 11
FIRST GLANCE
a few extra dollars to prom- Here’s are four ways the indus- TALKING HEADS ise non-smoking rooms, and try and consumers can better This spring Skift began recording the “buy-now-or-else” false-sense- get along: Skift Podcast from our New York office. of-urgency prompts on online We’ve welcomed a broad range of guests booking sites. Don’t make the cheap option who have shared insight on subjects as diverse as tourism through gastronomic feel like a penalty: Delta and hubs, to mobile room check-in, to build- Fees aren’t always bad, but the JetBlue’s approaches are excel- ing smart tourism business, to the role combination of FOMO and con- lent examples of the contrast- of fashion in luggage. Below are quotes from our guests. stant begging for money leaves ing approaches. The former a bad taste with customers. This uses pop-ups on its website New podcasts can be found at is what happens when you let to warn consumers that the podcasts.skift.com conversion marketers run amok cheap fare they are buying is a + “Now is the easiest time that there ever has with customer experience. They really, really bad idea. Instead been to start a small business.” made it a science, but forgot of a list of what you get with -Nick Gray, founder of MuseumHack about being human. the fare, the focus is on what
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See how we can help you. Visit criteo.com FIRST GLANCE Our travel solutions you don’t get. Over at JetBlue, messaging, and payments in + “With the change to all the carry ons, small body bags are very popular now for travelers. Everyone its new fare classes read more a few flicks of the finger. They needs everything right at their side.” like a feature list for an iPhone, even made surge pricing pain- — Brad John, co-founder of travel retailer Flight 001 make every going from a base model to one less to accept (the pain comes that’s fully tricked out. Sure, later). They can do this because + “[The Travel Channel] in the past year has made a big effort to create shoulder content to our linear the cheap option doesn’t have they only have one consumer shows that can go into the social platforms and all the bells and whistles of the use case, and it’s mobile. Travel get passed around. In the past six months we have connection. gained half a million followers by doing that, so it is pricey one, but you’re not left brands need to narrow their really important, and certainly to reach the younger worrying you just doomed your use cases to what power users viewers you have to be in that game.” — Ross Babbit, family to a terrible trip because want, and give the fringe cases SVP Programming at Travel Channel you didn’t pony up $20 for a other ways to book that don’t seat reservation. interfere with the other 95% + “Fewer and fewer [millennials] are choosing to drive as a way to get around. More of them are of users that just want a room, embracing public transit, biking and walking, and Talk like a human: The cost flight, ride, or ticket. they really want this flexibility. People are choosing a better experience. It is a way they are taking control of car rentals can be quite of their own transportation destiny in a way.” confusing: local taxes and fees For every fee you add, add a — Dani Simmons, director of communications and government affairs at Motivate associated with airport versus perk or freebie: Are you a hotel city pickup, mileage fees, car manager charging a dreaded + “You have to be able to sell a story, not just classes, and other differen- resort fee? Then drop the Wi-Fi tell a story, and you have to be able to do it in ten different ways in five seconds. We used to talk about So you can convert any customer journey. tiating factors aren’t easy to charges, deliver free bottles the 30-second elevator pitch, and now it’s the five explain. So don’t. Renters of sparkling or flat water to second sound bite, the 140 character Tweet.” — Jennifer Maguire, Things tend to move fast in the travel industry. That’s why Criteo don’t need to know the precise guests’ rooms, and ban tips to president of Jennifer Maguire Communications offers specific targeting and message capabilities including: breakdown of every single item, service staff. Travelers don’t they just need to know what always hate fees, they just hate + “More so now than ever, given the competition, we’ve got some disruptors in the market to the • Automated segmentation against variables including they’re going to pay at the end being nickel and dimed. business and to the culture that are unlike anything departure dates, destination and price bands of the day. If you show $23 a we’ve seen before. The Airbnb’s of the world are really starting to change the way we look at the • Real-time availability feeds for dynamic display ads day for a Hyundai on page one Don’t be punitive: Southwest business from a foundational level down to the Dynamic ads individually optimized to convert sales and present them with $62.50 Airlines has a few fees, but it core: the way we hire and retain people so that we • compete not just against our own industry but other at the end of the process, doesn’t screw over passengers businesses that have found more blue ocean out the renter doesn’t feel more when it comes to changing there to explore. ” That’s in addition to our reach which includes: — Josh Fluhr, knowledgeable about rental car flights or checking a bag. It COO of Morgans Hotel Group • +8500 clients globally pricing and policies, they feel stands in stark contrast to Unit- • Premium ad inventory with more than 10,000 publishers and like they just got swindled. ed, which charges for every- 1.1 Billion unique users per month worldwide thing, and then charges more Think mobile all the time: Uber when things go wrong. has managed to combine very complicated fleet tracking, Jason Clampet is Skift’s Co-Founder on-demand car hailing, user and Head of Content. reviews, GPS, mapping, instant
See how we can help you. Visit criteo.com SKIFT 15 Q&A
How Hotels Use wechat to Reach Guests in Asia
All social networks are not created equal, and all markets are not the same. Perhaps the best example of this is how hotels in Asia have embraced the chat smartphone application WeChat to communicate with guests and potential guests. Skift’s Daniel Peltier spoke with Reto Klauser, VP and General Manager of the Shangri-La Hotel in Singa- pore, to understand how the property has fit the app into its daily operations.
16 SKIFT Q&A
WeChat vs. Facebook Marketing on WeChat 5 QUOTES ON THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL MEDIA “For a hotel, WeChat is a great “There are few targeting platform to engage in conver- options with marketing on + “There’s still a lot of experimentation. Look at what Marriott is doing. They’re playing in every sations with our followers and WeChat. It is still a very private space possible. At the end of the day not everything guests, as well as to run tactical channel that has limited options is going to be productive but they’re trying to see what’s going to work. They’re publishing a magazine, campaigns as it is a direct book- for promoting a brand account. they create feature films, they’re on Snapchat, ing platform that is convenient Followers can be targeted they’re on Medium, they plan to partner with Reddit. You wonder what’s a hotel company doing on Reddit and relevant to our followers. based on gender/age/account when they’re not selling hotel rooms, but they want We use WeChat to share hotel type and location; however, the to be part of the conversation.” — Veronica Stoddart, Percepture news in very much the same location can be inaccurate as it way we use Facebook; however, hinges on the account regis- + “The great thing about digital is numbers. We can where Facebook tends to be a tration and not the physical see what’s performing and what time of year. The numbers don’t lie. If you’re looking at a P&L you’re purely social space (with users location of the user.” looking at the numbers, and then it all makes sense.” veering away from hard sell — Arabella Bowen, VP and editor-in-chief, Fodors offers), WeChat differs slightly “WeChat marketing options as the platform combines both such as the ads that are + “I’m competing with the nightly news and the social and commercial functions displayed at the bottom of kids’ soccer game and everything else going on. It’s our challenge to keep a foot in the past to remind which allow dining and accom- subscription messages (often people what we’ve always been, but also to remind modation bookings to be made. ignored) or in Moments (a people to keep stepping forward.” — Maggie Zackowitz, editor-in-chief, We began to receive booking WeChat function to share your National Geographic Traveler inquiries soon after our launch.” thoughts or photos), can be expensive, meaning the ROI + “Practically every destination and major brand we work with is now asking for aerial video in the Other Ways WeChat is Used tends to be low. What tends to branded content we produce for them.” be more effective is to engage — Ross Borden, co-founder and CEO of the Matador Network “Some existing guests of our with WeChat KOL(Key Opin- hotel have also turned to this ion Leaders) to act as a brand + “Potential advertisers or new airline partners ask platform to ask for travel and advocate and to grow your own us, ‘What is the engagement really like? Do people read the magazine given all the other things they sightseeing guides. We are now following in that manner. Pro- could be doing?’ In fact, they do. They go one step using the platform as a guest motional WeChat campaigns further and share what they’re reading.” — Michael Keating, CEO of Ink Global service as well, and we have as- such as what we ran when we certained that users find it more first launched our account can personal and convenient to also be very powerful in boost- plan for their trip via direct text ing your following.” messaging. Content marketing remains one of our key strate- gies to engage with followers.” Daniel Peltier is a Reporter at Skift.
SKIFT 17 Q&A
the Golden Age of smarter seating design
Anthony Harcup, an associate when getting on an aircraft people actually prepared to pay with Acumen Design to travel overseas was once a for? The majority of economy Associates in London, worked privilege of just a handful of passengers will often opt for on Etihad’s revolutionary fairly wealthy individuals. The the cheapest possible fare. In “Reimagined” interiors relative expense of an airline view of this, it is no wonder program as part of the Etihad ticket in 1960 which delivered that low cost air-lines have Design Consortium. He gives a memorable and hospitable flourished—the market has Skift Aviation Editor Marisa experience would likely be demanded and the industry has Garcia his takes on what’s comparable to a business responded. The lower the cost right, what’s wrong, and class or first class ticket in of the ticket, the more seats what’s to come in aircraft today’s money—however, back will be required in the cabin, cabin design. then, there was no low-cost and the less leg room can be comparison to benchmark expected for the passenger.” Luxury against. The divide in offer is more clearly illustrated to Putting the Premium in “In the commercial sector, today’s economy passengers by Economy it’s companies like Etihad the on-board juxtaposition of that own the loyalty of high the flat-bed seating products “I believe premium economy net worth passengers who placed tantalizingly close to the is an area of opportunity for are prepared to pay for an moderately-priced seats in the an airline to differentiate. exclusive experience, and so back.” Premium economy lacks true that is what Acumen have differentiation as an offer. helped them to accomplish. The Old Seats vs. New Seats Often, Premium Economy is difference in approach between sold and is only a standard top-tier airlines and their “Seating has not got worse, economy seat with extra pitch. lower-end competitors is the it’s that more people want to It is a tricky proposition for an ‘Hospitality’ experience versus travel, and they are prepared to airline, as if you make it too the ‘Transport’ experience. compromise their experience good, you diminish the benefit Hospitality is one of the key to cut costs. Choice has never of business class. Perhaps a signature elements of the been greater for the traveler. good Premium Economy seat ‘golden age’.” They can choose anything from should offer an ability to sleep a no-frills short haul flight to more comfortably—albeit in a The Golden Age a luxurious intercontinental semi-recumbent position.” experience with a chauffeur “It’s interesting to look back to the airport, private lounge Putting Design to Work at what is now referred to as access and a butler on-board. the ‘golden age of air travel’ The real issue is what are “I think designers, airlines and
18 SKIFT Q&A
seat suppliers are working very a single aisle in First Class for explored by various airlines, hard in a competitive market the Etihad A380 to create a yet it has untapped potential to provide the best possible whole new canvas for the cabin to offer more choice and experience for passengers and layout—this was a huge step differentiation. This principle is [to] differentiate their brand. for everyone involved. That’s used to good effect by low-cost Airlines also have to balance this the kind of thinking we need carriers to monetize over-wing ambition with the commercial to shake-up economy, but it exit seats and bulkhead seats. realities of creating a viable requires collaboration with the There are many different types business model and seating airframe manufacturers to say: of passengers with different enough passengers. ‘How can we make this aircraft environmental requirements more flexible?’ Then maybe we which could be addressed That said, I think there could can give passengers more of without the need for large-scale be real scope to innovate in what they want.” investment in new product.” economy if it’s dealt with in the right way. The fundamental What’s In Store for Marisa Garcia is the Aviation Editior canvas of aisles and seat- Tomorrow? at Skift. tracks is well-ingrained. But perhaps there is another way “I think that cabin-zoning is a of doing things. Acumen put concept which has been lightly
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Underline_Ad_Skift2015.indd 1 9/1/15 5:27 PM CEO INSIGHTS
The business case for more diversity in Travel Leadership
Carnival Corporation CEO If you do not innovate over time “You have to be proactive in Arnold Donald oversees one you will be displaced or become your intervention to engineer of the most valuable travel obsolete. You have to innovate. the diversity. In our case a lot of companies in the world. He’s Innovation by definition means it happened naturally because also one of the few people of thinking outside the box. we go to so many places in the color in a leadership role at world and we recruit from so a major travel brand. Skift’s “If you want diversity of think- many different places for our Jason Clampet recently spoke ing, having diverse workers and ship board personnel as well as with Donald about what the diverse leadership and diverse our shore side personnel. At the industry needs to do to make management doesn’t guarantee top we have to force that inclu- sure its executive ranks are as diversity of thinking, but you sion and that focus on diversity. diverse in the United States have a far greater probability of it as the destinations that they if you have diversity in your ranks “We now have four women visit. Here is a sampling of Mr. than if you don’t. It is a business presidents of our brands. We Donald’s quotes: imperative. What anybody needs have an LGBT president of to do if they want diversity is they a brand. We have an Afri- “Here’s the deal: Businesses sus- have to proactively intervene can-American who’s the pres- tain success over time through to create that diversity because ident of a brand. My security one common feature. It’s called human beings naturally cluster. officer is African-American. My innovation. You have to innovate. It’s our nature. general counselor is Hispanic.
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22 SKIFT CEO INSIGHTS
“You want your team very personally in engineering teams different from each other and diverse, so as they’re working that way and continue to do so all that. They speak differently. together they’re bringing all here at Carnival. That’s the spiel. You need that.” those different perspectives. You’ve got to proactively inter- vene, you have to think about “That’s been my personal diversity broadly, and you have experience in all the different to think about diversity in the business and not-for-profits basic concept, too, of just get- that I’ve worked in. I’ve had ting people who really are. They some significant breakthroughs look different. They grew up
CHART
Business travel expenses: Uber Vs. Taxis
100
Taxis 80
Uber
60
40
20
0
Jun. 2015May 2015Apr. 2015Mar. 2015Feb. 2015Jan. 2015Dec. 2014Nov. 2014Oct. 2014Sept. 2014Aug. 2014Jul. 2014Jun. 2014May 2014
Source: Certify SpendSmart Report, April 1, 2015 - June 30, 2015
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MA196-sk-0915 BRIGHT IDEAS
Customer Experience is the new Customer Service
BY COLIN NAGY dant? The feedback channels someone at Spirit Airlines. The for companies to deal with this former has been highly trained When customer service is done friction may have become more to react to fluid situations with exceptionally well, it’s in part complicated thanks to social empathy, and in the case of the due to the predictive skills of media, but generally speaking, Ritz-Carlton employee, given the particular customer service the operational protocols are a daily stipend to make things representative. It’s like a game the same: common situations right for guests. The latter has of checkers: understanding that have been workshopped to read from a static script or fairly predictable outcomes and by CSR trainers to arrive at a decision tree with the “no” but- always trying to think a step or customer-friendly resolution. ton close at hand. two ahead. They way someone is treated But even at its finest, customer Customer service exists to help at the Ritz-Carlton or a Danny service is merely one piece of alleviate friction. Need help Meyer restaurant when some- the entire puzzle. with a booking decision? Had thing goes wrong will generally a disrespectful flight atten- differ greatly from treatment by Customer experience is 3D
SKIFT 25 Possibilities for a connected traveler. Digital | Cloud | Analytics | Social
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26 SKIFT BRIGHT IDEAS
chess. It is the aggregate of They takeaways are simple in MILLENNIALS CHANGING thousands of micro experiences theory, but difficult in practice: BUSINESS TRAVEL a customer has with your Given the rapid development of technology over the brand and it presents countless • Anticipate needs last 20 years, brands have been forced to quickly adapt to a new generation of connectivity and opportunities to engender loy- • Flexibility accessibility. alty. There are myriad variations • Understatement “Millennials travel differently than other generations and outcomes, all of which need do,” says Scott Kerr, executive director of business to be thought out and steward- These tenets of customer ex- insights and analytics at Time Inc. “Hospitality brands have to understand that millennials approach ed appropriately. perience also inform the digital travel with a unique agenda anchored in a tech- sphere: data, targeting, UX. -native, socially aware, experience-oriented and thrifty mindset. They’ll seek out virtual resources to In hospitality, this now means Principles that haven’t changed plan their trip — relying more on feedback and user examples such as how a guest in a 1,300-year-old ryokan comments than their older counterpart. They’ll also share their real-time adventures with friends and interacts with your media might just be the Rosetta Stone family.” (beautiful native ad or inter- that governs an overarching As on-demand services continue to grow and gain ruptive banner?), digital touch digital and real-life customer traction, more travel providers will need to take points, mobile and social con- experience today. advantage of their capabilities to lure the Millennial business traveler. Already, the Andaz Liverpool tent, and the booking process. Street in London is offering room service directly It extends through check-in, “To draw meaningful conclu- through its smartphone app. Some 46 of Marriott’s properties allow for “special services” to be ordered experiencing the product or sions from user actions seems through their apps. Virgin’s hotel app even allows service, and sharing an experi- the [primary] motenashi chal- guests to order on-demand movies. Iterations on that concept are limitless. ence with the wider world. lenge of today,” Blanchy says in the article, citing how Google Mobile technology will be the center of this development. “I think that the younger generation When the customer experience Now attempts to anticipate just expects that this is the primary channel through is fragmented or choppy, the your search queries and recal- which they’re going to buy most things in life,” explains Luke Schneider, CEO of Silvercar. culprit is often a hopelessly culates your driving directions siloed organization —“It’s not when you change your mind. Read more about how millennials are changing business travel at: my job.” But when it works, ev- products.skift.com/trends erything is harmonious between All of the data in the world is the online and “live” experienc- much more powerful when es, and friction is removed. placed in the hands of a well- trained, empathic person that Fast Company recently un- can anticipate, be flexible, and earthed an old academic paper help steward a cohesive expe- from interaction designer rience. Kerstin Blanchy on what the discipline can learn from the Colin Nagy is Executive Director at The key principles of Japanese hos- Barbarian Group. pitality, or omotenashi.
SKIFT 27 The WHat, WHo WHERE & WHY of WHAT HOMESTAY Homestays involve renting a private space when the host is present
47% under WHERE 30 21% Top 5 30-39 Homestay WHO 15% Cities By Bookings: London Dublin Havana Toronto Edinburgh 40-49 Fastest-growing cities: Millennials 11% Lisbon, Chicago, Barcelona, Buenos Aires and Bangkok are leading the way: 50-59 47% of Homestay 6% over WHY guests are under 30 60 Travelers want Enjoy a home authentic environment local experiences Location 40% = Europe Value of 28% = Asia Pacific money 12% = North America 10% = South America 8% = Middle East Top 5 2% = Africa Reasons for booking Local experience
29% 6% Learn about different cultures 64% Top 5 REASONS FOR HOSTING groups pairs solo travelers
36% 25% 19% 14% 14%
$77k+ Extra enjoy having learn about hosted meet new aNNUAL household income of Shared Space Renters in the U.S. AND U.K. money guests cultures students people
28 SKIFT SPONSORED ESSAY Homestays vs. Empty Rentals
Homestays represent a growing category within alternative hospitality as more travelers seek to connect directly with locals while saving on rooms.
As more travelers are looking to as a cultural exchange, while shared space renters in the U.S. act more like locals than tour- Airbnb has bred multitudes of and U.K. have an annual house- ists, homestays—home rentals “micro-entrepreneurs”—some hold income above $77,000. where the host is present—are offering up entire homes and an increasingly popular hospital- others renting rooms. Compa- Homestay.com mentions the ity choice. nies such as Homestay.com, value proposition—on average, featuring listings from 50,000 the global price of a homestay These travelers seek out au- hosts, are now focusing solely on night in 2014 was $46—but the thentic and unique experiences, the people-to-people space. emphasis is more squarely on embrace the sharing economy, people-powered experiences. and practice responsible tour- Last year, nearly 1 in 10 travelers The idea is to “discover faces, ism. As these interwoven trends in the U.S. and U.K. rented a not places.” A 2015 Homestay spread among global consumers shared space, compared with 1 survey of 2,500 of its guests across generations, homestays in 5 who rented whole homes. found that 37 percent had represent an enormous oppor- Expect this proportion to expand booked a stay because they tunity for growth. In the U.S., the as travelers move away from pre- wanted a local experience, shared-accommodation sector dictable tourist routines to pur- whereas 14 percent cited value expanded from 3 percent of the sue more personal connections for money. private-rental market in 2012 to to places and greater immersion 9 percent in 2014. in unfamiliar cultures. Another trend likely to drive interest, given the social nature Traditionally, hosted travel was Interest in homestays crosses of homestays, is the rise in solo limited mostly to students and generations—the market isn’t travel. The 2015 Visa Global arranged offline. The rise of digi- solely a Millennial or a bud- Travel Intentions Study, which tal tools to connect hosts and get-conscious one. A majority polled travelers across 25 coun- guests is fostering wider partic- of shared-space renters are 35- tries, found that 24 percent had ipation. Early on, Couchsurfing plus, and 22 percent are 55 and traveled alone on their most built a community around the up, according to Phocuswright recent overseas leisure trip, up idea of no-fee hosted stays research. And nearly half of all from 15 percent in 2013.
SKIFT 29 Stay connected to what matters most
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To find out more, visit us at gogoair.com
©2015 Gogo LLC. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
15GO_269_SkiftAd_v1.indd 1 8/28/15 4:05 PM SKIFT MANIFESTO SKIFT MANIFESTO Stay connected to ON THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL IN 2020.
SKIFT IS THREE YEARS OLD, AND ON OUR THIRD ANNI- VERSARY EARLIER THIS SUMMER, WE RELEASED THE what matters most FOLLOWING MANIFESTO. THE SKIFT MANIFESTO BRINGS TOGETHER THE THEMES WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND SOME LESSONS WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE LARGER CHANGES HAPPENING IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR— ESPECIALLY DIGITAL HABITS— AND HOW THEY GET REFLECTED IN TRAVEL. OF AS SKIFT CONTINUES TO BE THE INTELLIGENCE BRAND THAT HELPS TRAVEL COMPANIES DECIPHER AND DEFINE TRAVEL TRENDS, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE HAPPENING RIGHT BEFORE US, THE COMING FUTURE OF TRAVEL IN 2020. 2020
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©2015 Gogo LLC. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. SKIFT 31
15GO_269_SkiftAd_v1.indd 1 8/28/15 4:05 PM The future of THE FUTURE OF travel is “consumer in” TRAVEL instead of WILL BE DEFINED BY LEADERS WHO “silos out.” UNDERSTAND THE LARGER CONTEXT IN WHICH TRAVEL OPERATES, NOT BY BEING FANATICALLY NAVEL-GAZING. FOCUSED ON THE CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIORS ACROSS Strategists, ALL SECTORS, Technologists THE FUTURE OF not just travel. and marketers in travel, TRAVEL THE PEOPLE CREATING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL WILL BE DEFINED BY THOSE WHO BUILD IN 2015 AND BEYOND. AROUND TRENDLINES, NOT HEADLINES.
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WILL BE WON BY THOSE THE TRAVEL the BRANDS THAT UNDERSTAND BRANDS OF future THE 4 Ss OF CONTENT: of be Smart, the FUTURE Sharp, DIGITAL HAS ENABLED THE travel RISE OF EARLY ADOPTERS, Surgical & FANBOYS AND PROSUMERS Strategic. ACROSS VARIOUS INDUSTRIES. If everyone’s an expert, How Do You cater to this demographic WILL BE WON BY THOSE BRANDS seeking a deeper connection? the THAT UNDERSTAND THAT DATA *IS* future MEDIA, ESPECIALLY IF THE GOAL IS BRANDS SHOULD BUILD A BUSINESS TO CREATE MEANINGFUL AROUND HELPING TRAVELERS CONNECT EXPERIENCES OUT OF IT. TO THEIR IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS AND THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM, RATHER THAN JUST DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY.
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32 SKIFT The most forward-thinking the future of travel brands are delivering the world is cities. deeper experiences to travelers the future of travel by focusing on three things above IS IN CITIES. all else: the future of travel inspiration, is smart cities personalization that work for both locals and & tourists alike. a path toward Caring for locals first self-discovery. means being better on the global stage.
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THE RISE OF alternative Travel Is Now a Reality Across SMART CITIES the World. IS CREATING FUELED BY THE MARKETPLACE THE RISE OF THE MODEL, WHICH HAS TAKEN THE BEST OF ONLINE, MOBILE, AND SMART MOBILITY ERA. SOCIAL TO CREATE TRAVEL PRODUCTS THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO FIND RIDES Planning, buying & undertaking OR ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATIONS travel will no longer be discrete WITH PREVIOUSLY UNHEARD OF EASE. parts to be put together. Transactions are easier, THE JOURNEY AND ITS BOOKING WILL BE AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE, discovery is faster, and OFFERING SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS WHEN THEY HAPPEN, AND IF POSSIBLE feedback is transparent. EVEN BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.
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SKIFT 33 THE FUTURE The former sharing economy, Airbnbs of the world, now rental economy, is moving up the OF TRAVEL 1chain & taking over the vacation rentals sector. IS QUIETLY The vacation rentals sector realizes it can’t sit out the city rentals BEING CHArted in revolution and is jumping right in. 2
the global Then this alternative accommodation SECTOR is hospitality sector. colliding with the organized hotel INDUSTRY & 3 stealing away share in ways big and small. There is a FOUR-SIDED COLLISION happening in hospitality and Alternative accommodation is also colliding it will change one of the world’s with online booking players, as organized largest sectors forever. hotels is the biggest margin game for them. 4
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The on-demand economy will LEAD TO FURTHER UNBUNDLING OF TRAVEL YOU ARE, SERVICES, ESPECIALLY HOSPITALITY. THEREFORE YOU BOOK. Full-service hotels in dense urban environments will BE AFFECTED MOST. FROM MAPS TO MOBILE TO WEARABLES TO PHOTO TO MESSAGING APPS & SERVICES,TRAVEL BOOKING Consumers will IS BECOMING UBIQUITOUS, EVER-PRESENT. PIECE TOGETHER THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE OF A HOTEL, BEYOND JUST A ROOM WITH A BED. Ubiquitous booking will become the norm, Smart travel brands instead of going to of the future will booking sites or apps. INTEGRATE THE RIGHT ON-DEMAND SERVICE, MAKE THEM SEAMLESS FOR USERS TO ACCESS & USE.
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34 SKIFT TRAVEL BRANDS THAT IGNORE UBIQUITY, MESSAGING PLATFORMS SUCH AS WHATSAPP AND SLACK EFFICIENCY, IGNORE THE FUTURE OF HOW PEOPLE COMMUNICATE GLOBALLY, EASE OF USE, AT WORK AND AT LEISURE. TRAVEL BRANDS AND APPS CONNECTION, THAT AREN’T MESSAGE-CENTRIC CONVERSATION. WILL NEED TO TRANSFORM THEMSELVES, OR ELSE FIND A WAY TO INSERT THEMSELVES CATERING INTO THE MESSAGE ECONOMY. TO THE ON-DEMAND Messaging is how you break out of the tyranny of the online travel search GENERATION box, in use since 1995. THIS IS THE NEXUS OF WHERE THE NEXT GREAT TRAVEL BRAND OF THE The one-size-fits-all tyranny of the search FUTURE WILL BE BUILT. box is not a place for connection.
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2020 SKIFT :
The unbundling of everything.
The on-demandification of everything.
The mobility of everything.
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SKIFT 35 GREAT CONTENT POWERS THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
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(212) 989 4100 | newscred.com | [email protected] 36 SKIFT THE FAULT LINES fault lines: conflicts Determining the future of travel
Conflict doesn’t have to be a bad word, and two opposing ideas don’t have to compete until one comes up the winner. Sometimes they build off of each other to create something better. Disruptors may have legacy brands worried they’re about to fall off a cliff, but the challenge the newcomers offer can also light a fire under the incumbents that will lead to the next great evolution of their product.
— Jason Clampet
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GlobalTravel Growth Versus Vacation-less Americans
BY ANDREW SHEIVACHMAN
Americans are hesitant to take vacations because they’re too busy and too frugal. Thankfully, China and other nations with emerging economies are traveling for leisure more than ever before.
Taking a vacation seems impossible to many Americans.
Economic and professional reali- ties are constraining the traditional American vacationer, despite the mil- lions spent by travel brands to entice workers to clock out at the office and spend quality time out of town with their families.
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How many vacation days did you take in 2014?
Results for all respondents. Weighting: Off. ( 1501 responses ) Winner statistically significants.
None 41.8% (+2.5/-2.5)
Under 5 16.1% (+1.9/-1.8)
Between 5-10 13.2% (+1.8/-1.6)
Between 10-20 13.7% (+1.8/-1.6)
Above 20 15.1% (+1.9/-1.7)
Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys, January 03, 2015 - January 05, 2015 and based on 1501 online responses. Sample: National adult Internet population.
U.S. workers are afraid to take time off due to fears International tourist arrivals will increase significantly of losing their job or being inundated with the work each year for more than a decade. By 2030, emerging they missed while on vacation after their return. The economies are expected to account for more than half increased costs of airfare price out many potential of all international tourist travel. travelers, especially families with children. The expanding middle classes of countries like China, In fact, more than half of Americans haven’t taken a India and Brazil are spending more money than ever vacation in the last year and they feel satisfied with before on travel and bringing entire families, from tod- their decision. And international travel by Americans dlers to great-grandparents, along for the ride. has been essentially stagnant in recent years. Outbound travel by the Chinese will continue, even The U.S. is now known as the “No-Vacation Nation.” But as the Chinese economy faces strong headwinds as a as the American middle class struggles to find the time result of its recent instability. Their destinations may and money to take vacations, emerging markets and be more regional than in recent years, substituting developing markets are picking up the slack. the Middle East for Europe or South Asia for North America, even though France, the U.S., China and Spain The growth of the global tourism industry continues to currently remain the most popular individual interna- outpace the overall rate of global economic growth, ac- tional travel destinations in the world. cording to the World Travel & Tourism Council. A major part of this is the increased travel habits of Asian and Andrew Sheivachman is a Skift Reporter specializing in travel agents South American families. and the cruise industry.
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Corporate Travel Versus Business Travelers
BY GRANT MARTIN
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More and more power is now in To survive in the future, restrictions as a hindrance rather the hands of business travelers, than a blessing. Corporate leaving corporate travel programs corporate travel will stuck between their legacy travel Even so, the role of corporate contracts and an informed and need to push for more travel remains a fixture in this unsatisfied user base. This power innovation like the Airbnb technology-fueled economy. Travel shift is largely driven by better Bulk corporate contracts still tools developed specifically for and Uber integrations, have the ability to negotiate business travelers, giving them discounted rates across entire better access to airline and hotel expanding the reach of organizations, while the execu- Versus data, which in turn leads to more tive perks that they offer keep efficient travel. corporate influence and management subscribing. expense management Concur, for example, is shaping To survive in the future, corpo- Business much of this innovation. Just last while balancing the rate travel will need to push for year, the travel and expense man- more innovation like the Airbnb agement service integrated both needs of employees with a and Uber integrations, expand- Uber and Airbnb into its platform to world of travel tools at ing the reach of corporate influ- Travelers allow business travelers more flex- ence and expense management ibility in how they choose lodging their fingertips. while balancing the needs of and transport. employees with a world of travel tools at their fingertips. Both Airbnb and Uber have also pushed the business traveler agenda in their own realms. This year, Airbnb Mobile will play a big role in that evolution. As more opened a new portal geared directly to business travel- travelers get comfortable with the integrated comput- ers, offering guaranteed amenities and quality control ers and cameras in their pockets, new mechanisms for in each property. Uber has aggressively been pursuing faster mobile itinerary-planning, real-time support and partnerships with other travel industry players such as robust expense management will need to be perfected Starwood, building in incentives for users to seamlessly to streamline the process. flow from one product to the next. In the end, the constraints of corporate travel programs Business travelers have also become more indepen- will continue to keep rambunctious business travelers in dent due to changing demographics and the technol- check for the near term, but new technologies and a cu- ogy-forward mindset now essential in many business rious user base are eventually going to erode away that places. Searching for and sorting through myriad flight loyalty. Only by evolving — quickly — can the traditional and hotel options is now easier than ever thanks to corporate travel program survive. strong technologies like Google Flights, as well as the Grant Martin is Skift’s contributing editor specializing in ubiquitous mobile connectivity that make “anytime, business travel. anywhere” bookings possible. Thus equipped, many young business travelers are starting to see corporate
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Corporations love the idea of selling things that used to be packaged together separately in order to Packaged drive more revenue. It remains to be seen whether their customers will unleash a backlash against Versus endless nickel-and-diming. Travelers are paying more to receive amenities and services that were formerly de rigueur. By unbundling their products, hotels and airlines have Unbundled increased revenue while inundating consumers with fees and surcharges. Travel Bundling, or selling many items together in one package at a single inclusive price, was the norm BY ANDREW SHEIVACHMAN across the airline industry. The ticket price included several pieces of checked baggage along with free food and beverages onboard. Not to mention a complimentary headset for in-flight entertainment.
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UniqueLodgesLaunch.indd 1 9/15/15 11:29 AM THE FAULT LINES
Worldwide Estimate of Ancillary Revenue
2014 Estimate 2013 Estimate 2012 Estimate 2011 Estimate 2010 Estimate $49.9 $42.6 $36.1 $32.5 $22.6 billion billion billion billion billion (6.7% of global (6% of global (5.4% of global (5.6% of global (4.8% of global airline revenue airline revenue airline revenue airline revenue airline revenue of $746 billion) of $708 billion) of $667 billion) of $577 billion) of $474 billion)
Source: Ancillary revenue statistics applied by IdeaWorksCompany to individual airline revenue results for the year indicated from Air Transport World, Airline Business, and at airline websites.
The labor costs of checking bags “At Spirit, I go to bed Ancillaries also aren’t taxed by and providing food, of course, the U.S. government as deeply as were included in the price of the at night thinking how airfares are, making them even more fare. But increasing fares to drive can I lower the fare profitable for airlines. revenue would only make airlines uncompetitive. tomorrow,” Spirit CEO Hotels have been unbundling since Ben Baldanza told Skift. the 1990s, but they’ve recently Now the base fare available from many stepped up efforts to make more airlines, like Delta’s Basic Economy “I think of getting more money off of consumers by selling fare, includes none of the usual ancillary revenue or I them things that used to be free. amenities. The lower fares give the impression to consumers that flights can find a way to shave Mirage Las Vegas, run by MGM are cheap, but the reality encourages some more cost.” Resorts International, now offers a them to also purchase costly add-ons $30 nightly fee to skip the check-in that inflate the total purchase price. line. At Bellagio, guests can pay $30 to ensure they receive a smoking room, non-smoking Flyers are encouraged to add-on things like checked room or a choice of floor location. bags and priority boarding as ancillary purchases outside their basic fare. The phenomenon is not unique to the travel industry and is becoming commonplace across the business Spirit Airlines has acted as one of the pioneers of world. Television networks like HBO, for instance, unbundled fares among U.S. airlines and have been are now selling subscriptions directly to consumers, shameless in the embrace of unbundled travel. instead of being packaged by cable providers.
“At Spirit, I go to bed at night thinking how can I lower But will consumers fight back against travel companies the fare tomorrow,” Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza told Skift. looking to hate-sell them upgrades and force them to “I think of getting more ancillary revenue or I can find pay extra for comfort? Time will tell. a way to shave some more cost—in an area that isn’t safety-related, of course.”
SKIFT 45 THE FAULT LINES Low-Cost Versus Full-Service Airlines
BY TRISTAN MCALLISTER THE FAULT LINES
The world’s biggest legacy airlines are having an Norwegian’s founder and CEO Bjorn Kjøs has let the ge- identity crisis, and so are their “low cost” cousins. nie out of the bottle. He and his route-planning folks are Sure, the actual title of “low-cost carrier” goes to redefining business and network models. If the venture the likes of Norwegian, JetBlue, Spirit or South- is successful, the copycat trends will likely hold true and west, but in truth, the low-cost revolution in air other airlines could follow suit. travel has jumped the jet bridge. What’s actually most impressive about Norwegian’s JetBlue has abandoned a simple low-cost economy moves is that they’re unique. While everyone else is offer to include a transcontinental business class waiting to see what the other guy does (charge for this, service that rivals that of American and United. Delta penalize for that, whine to the transport authorities has unveiled unbundled fares in a move to match the about everything else), this fast-growing, take-no-pris- bargain-basement policies of Spirit. Southwest will let oners airline has bootstrapped its way into the head- you change your ticket for no fee (plus the fare dif- lines by defying the critics and doing what it thinks the ference) — which feels like a legacy perk from the old market needs. days. The brass at low-cost juggernaut Ryanair sees a future where its jets cross the Atlantic. Finally, Nor- This should be seen as a lesson and opportunity for the wegian is ramping up its surprisingly strong presence increasingly whiny and greedy competition to wake in the U.S. with an ever-growing discounted long-haul up and get busy. They consolidated, scaled back their service. Confused yet? It all feels like a copycat-riddled offers, and gutted their loyalty programs. They assumed arms race. we’d just have to deal with it. But we don’t. If low-cost rivals are offering us new travel options, smiling cabin When Norwegian announced that, in addition to its crews and at least admitting to being cheap, then the existing transatlantic services on Boeing 787s, it would old guard will most likely find itself outgunned. be flying Boeing 737s to the US, it signaled a new par- adigm in the international air game. Come December, Tristan McAllister is Monocle’s Transport Editor. the airline’s signature red noses will poke themselves into direct service from European territories in the Caribbean to the United States. Surely the last thing that any long-established U.S. airline wants to see is a low-cost carrier’s 737 on its home tarmacs.
SKIFT 47 THE FAULT LINES Ride-Hailing Versus
BY DENNIS SCHAAL Car Rentals
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In the clash between ride-hailing apps such as have not yet made a material impact on the car-rental Uber, Lyft and China’s Didi Kuaidi, on the one hand, companies’ operations. and major car-rental firms such as Hertz, Enterprise and Avis Budget Group, on the other, there are the But in a rare moment of candor from a car-rental talking points that the car-rental industry wants executive about the issue, Hertz CEO John Tague you to believe...versus the reality. conceded to financial analysts over the summer that ride-sharing companies “obviously have an impact and We can see that from our usage data and some of the “ published travel reporting and expense reporting that’s gone on in the market, Hertz CEO John Teague. ” The party line goes like this: Despite Uber’s expansion we can see that from our usage data and some of the into more than 300 cities around the world and the published travel reporting and expense reporting that’s increasing propensity among business travelers to gone on in the market.” break out their ride-hailing apps to scurry around from meeting to meeting in a given city, the largest car- These companies’ initial penetration in the market has rental companies are still achieving healthy growth been “very, very large” and “obviously will be a whole rates and haven’t been adversely impacted. lot bigger,” Tague said.
If you peruse Hertz’s and Avis Budget Group’s public For now, Hertz has felt the incursion the most in its financial disclosures, when you come to the “risk one-day rental business, which Tague characterized factors” they cite there is no mention of ride-hailing as the company’s “least-profitable segment,” but he apps such as Uber and Lyft because they supposedly envisions that changing with the use-case widening.
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“But we are certainly going to see people who link For example, Avis Budget acquired car-sharing service together multiple ride-sharings across such multi- Zipcar in 2013; subsequently, its membership has day trips and still feel it’s the best choice for them,” grown to 915,000 people in North America and Europe, Tague said. with a presence on more than 150 college campuses and 60 airports. Zipcar is piloting one-way rentals in “Whether I think they’re a 5 percent threat or a larger several cities and found that members who take these threat, it really doesn’t change what we need to do to one-way trips use the Zipcar service three times more compete effectively for customer choice there,” Tague than other members use Zipcar. said, arguing that Hertz needs to provide “best-in- class costs” and “the highest level of convenience … to Still, car-sharing services face challenges from the compete with alternative models.” on-demand ride-hailing apps, as well. Hertz is phasing out its Hertz 24/7 car-sharing service in the U.S. after While Hertz will try to keep costs low to compete coming to the conclusion that the return on invested with the on-demand services, Tague makes a valid capital doesn’t compare favorably with its core car- point that the ride-sharing pricing and driver model is rental business. unsustainable. These two sectors will undergo massive change “I would somewhat challenge some of the over the next few years and Tague of Hertz may be presumptions in the market that that is a model that underestimating the fallout when he says, “So I take is going to become cheaper for customers over time,” them [the ride-sharing companies] seriously, but I don’t Tague said. “I struggle with how these models are think they are this ubiquitous black cloud over our experiencing substantial losses and how do they turn industry.” that into a profit? They obviously have significant scale today. I may be simplistic, but I struggle with how you Driverless cars, anyone? get from here to profit without rates going up, and I struggle as to how you get from here to profit with a Dennis Schaal is Skift’s News Editor. multiplier of the current scale without drivers … getting more at the end of the day.”
As Uber for Business, which claims to have enrolled more than 50,000 companies in its first year, gains traction as a preferred transportation option for some employees and a cost-saver for corporations, there will be a heightened battle with the car-rental industry.
Both the car-rental industry and the on-demand ride- sharing sector will inevitably change as they clash.
SKIFT 51 THE FAULT LINES Alternative Lodging Versus Traditional Hotels
BY GREG OATES
A combination of market forces and next genera- ample, continues its explosive year-over-year growth. tion travel trends are driving travelers away from Nearly 55 million guests have booked the online traditional hotels toward the growing array of alter- sharing site since 2007, and 30 million of those were in native accommodation models. the last year. Looking just at summer 2015, more than 17 million people booked Airbnb. That’s 353 times the Publically, representatives from the hotel sector number of bookings five years ago when Airbnb hosted across all budget tiers have downplayed the impact of 47,000 guests during the summer of 2010. room-sharing companies like Airbnb and HomeAway. They uniformly state that the present rise in overall HomeAway is also showing healthy growth with Q2 hotel occupancy and average daily rates proves the 2015 profits up 10.1% year-to-year. The company has vitality of the sector. But, considering the growth of been aggressively partnering with online distribution travel worldwide and improving global economy, it’s companies such as Kayak and Expedia to expand reach only natural that hotel numbers are trending north. and drive incremental bookings.
Privately, hotel executives are paying close attention According to Evercore’s April 2015 report, “A Change to the rise in sharing accommodations. Airbnb, for ex- of Vacation Plans,” it estimates that Airbnb has now
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surpassed HomeAway in terms of the largest selection boutique brands, and meetings and conventions. of listings. In September 2015, Airbnb offered 1.2 mil- lion booking options, versus HomeAway’s 1.04 million Soft brands such as Marriott’s Autograph Collection have the ability to scale quickly while retaining the The big challenge for consumers considering the unique flavor of the individual properties. Likewise, the legacy hotel groups is rising rates and lack of perceived established boutique/design brands such as Kimp- value. Even though established brands are rolling out ton, Ace and 21c continue to expand with deliberate more modern design schemes, the delivery is still often attention to the smallest details, based on demand for a generic corporate experience without any authentic neighborhood-specific design. In the meetings seg- narrative with the specific community. Many global ment, Marriott and Hilton especially are building much hotel groups have also launched new lifestyle brands, more user-friendly group hotels with more natural but those are going to take years to scale, and many of light, more casual areas for informal networking, and them will be commoditized experiences by that time. better F&B outlets with a focus on local cuisine.
For traditional accommodations, the most interesting Greg Oates is a Senior Editor at Skift. areas of innovation reside with the soft brand market,
SKIFT 53 THE FAULT LINES Travel Agents Versus Travel Consultants
BY ANDREW SHEIVACHMAN
Don’t call it a comeback. Travel agents never With airlines no longer offering commissions on tickets disappeared; the savvy agents just got serious by booked by travel agents, and direct bookings incentiv- re-branding themselves as travel consultants and izing consumers to book on the Internet, thousands of learning to specialize in what technology compa- travel agencies were forced out of business in the last nies can’t provide: a human touch. two decades.
A travel agent used to be essential. A normal person Today, most travel agents prefer the term travel con- couldn’t fly on a plane, sail on a cruise or put together sultant. Instead of marketing themselves as a mere in- a vacation itinerary without the access and expertise of termediary between the travel distribution system and a travel agent. travelers, they bring extensive knowledge on specific areas of travel to their clients. But the advent of online booking sites in the 1990s, and the ability for consumers to book direct with hotel No travel consultant expects, or even wants, to book brands and air carriers, quickly changed the business a single air ticket for a client anymore. The divide model for successful travel agents. between the travel agent who follows orders and the travel consultant who develops experiences could not be wider.
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More than 64,000 travel agents were active in the U.S. Clever travel consultants have positioned themselves in 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. as advocates of their clients, especially when trips Even more agents who are affiliated with a travel agen- go wrong. Having a consultant rebook your canceled cy or consortia but work remotely are out there serving flight immediately after sending a text message, in- clients. A travel agency offering pamphlets and free stead of having to wait in line at the airport with 200 coffee out of a strip mall is rapidly becoming a thing of other disgruntled flyers, is an amenity that travelers the past. are willing to pay for.
As the demand for customized and boutique experi- Most travel consultants are still skeptical of the ence has skyrocketed, travel consultants have po- sharing economy. They won’t, for instance, move you sitioned themselves to serve the needs of travelers from one Airbnb to another if your host’s apartment looking outside the mainstream. Whether it’s luxury smells like a diaper. travel, river cruising, voluntourism or LGBT-friendly experiences, there is a travel consultant out there that fits every consumer need.
SKIFT 55 THE FAULT LINES
Meetings Expertise Versus Meetings Experience
BY GREG OATES
A primary shift in the destination meetings indus- ing new lifestyle-oriented group activities ranging try over the last decade prioritized the value of from cooking and mixology classes to community the overall “experience” to engage attendees on a volunteer programs. deeper, more visceral level. Destination marketing organizations, hotels, convention centers and meet- The more experiential programming was designed to ing planners jumped on this trend in force by offer- inspire colleagues and clients to network in a more
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For these next-generation attend- ees, the reward for participating in a business event is actionable knowledge and accessibility to mentors who can help them rise beyond their existing networks and job description.
Seeing this trend, the most for- ward-thinking destinations have begun to promote their intellectual capital and sector-specific industry expertise above and beyond traditional selling points highlighting meeting, hospital- casual and natural way, especially for a new generation ity and destination infrastructure. It represents a shift of mobile-wielding meeting attendees uninterested from marketing destination hardware to knowledge in the typical cocktail reception, ballroom dinner or software, because the marketplace has become too golf event. competitive for the built environment to be a real dif- ferentiator anymore in many regions. As these group experiences grew in popularity, travel brands began competing more and more by promot- So DMOs from Cleveland to Hamburg are developing ing their “wow” experiences. More exotic destinations, and promoting their ability to provide access to their more production value, and more creative venues, top business thought leaders, most innovative compa- etc., helped sell meeting owners on the value of the nies, and leading academics — all of whom planners pumped up meeting environment and programming to can integrate into their programs. deliver more “memorable experiences.” The future meeting attendee wants to arrive at a However, there’s a new attendee profile emerging destination and plug into an urban operating system today that’s demanding a higher deliverable than just a that can be customized to their professional needs. memorable event, or if anything, a distracting over- Therefore, the meetings sector needs to evolve beyond hyped experience that doesn’t offer real opportunities the temporal experience toward delivering demonstra- for professional and personal development. ble expertise.
In today’s workplace scenario, Millennials especially need to expand their networks more than anything else to advance their careers, and face-to-face meetings and conferences provide the obvious platform to do that. A college education and traditional CV are much less valuable in today’s economic climate than they were pre-recession.
SKIFT 57 THE FAULT LINES brands Versus booking sites BY DENNIS SCHAAL
In the high-stakes online battle between hotel and Priceline Group likewise pour hundreds of millions airline brands, on the one hand, and online travel of dollars annually into TV advertising of their own, a agencies, on the other, there are the all-important new wrinkle has emerged in the hotel versus online revenue and profits that are to be won or lost but travel agency battle — what some would consider a ultimately the battle comes down to one key ques- hybrid form of direct booking as practiced by TripAd- tion: Who will own the customer? visor and Google.
As hotel brands such as Marriott and Hilton run TV TripAdvisor has implemented and Google is devel- commecials arguing that consumers can only get the oping their own forms of direct booking. Consumers best rates and perks, such as points and free Wi-Fi, are getting the ability to book hotels directly on when they book direct on the hotels’ websites, and TripAdvisor and Google on their websites and in their online travel agency sites such as Expedia Inc. and the apps while the hotel or online travel agency brands
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retain the customer and handle customer service in the Toni Portmann, the CEO of distribution switch compa- background. ny DHISCO, formerly Pegasus Solutions, counts hotels, online travel agencies and other distributors as part- Chains such as AccorHotels are participating heavily ners, and wonders whether TripAdvisor and Google, in TripAdvisor and Google direct booking and consider with their relative comprehensiveness, will have the their booking initiatives as a form of direct booking edge in winning consumer loyalties from hotel brands that come with lower commissions — for now, at least even though hotels can wield loyalty points and perks — than the chains would have to pay to online travel for direct bookings. agencies. Other big chains, such as InterContinental Hotels Group, don’t consider booking on TripAdvisor or TripAdvisor, Google and online travel agency sites likely Google as a hybrid form of direct booking and prefer to will have an advantage, Portmann argues, because focus on driving traffic to their own websites. consumers recheck rates an average of eight times
SKIFT 59 䌀漀洀瀀愀爀攀 愀渀搀 䈀漀漀欀 䌀栀攀愀瀀 䘀氀椀最栀琀猀 漀渀 伀瘀攀爀 㐀㔀 䄀椀爀氀椀渀攀猀 圀漀爀氀搀眀椀搀攀⨀
匀䄀嘀䔀 甀瀀 琀漀 ␀㈀ ⴀ㠀㐀㔀ⴀ㠀㐀㠀ⴀ 㠀㠀 漀渀 漀甀爀 戀漀漀欀椀渀最 昀攀攀猀 甀猀椀渀最 瀀爀漀洀漀 挀漀搀攀 匀䬀䤀䘀吀㈀ ⨀ 䌀栀攀愀瀀伀愀椀爀⸀挀漀洀
䐀漀眀渀氀漀愀搀 漀甀爀 䄀眀愀爀搀 圀椀渀渀椀渀最 䄀瀀瀀猀
匀椀最渀 甀瀀 昀漀爀 漀甀爀 攀洀愀椀氀猀 䈀攀猀琀 倀爀椀挀攀 䜀甀愀爀愀渀琀攀攀 䔀愀猀礀 䈀漀漀欀椀渀最 䈀攀猀琀 倀爀椀挀攀 䜀甀愀爀愀渀琀攀攀
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OTA and Hotel Website Share of Online Hotel Gross Bookings By Region, 2014
31% 36% 59% OTAs
Hotel Websites 41% 69% 64%
U.S. Europe APAC
Source: Phocuswright’s The Yearbook 2014: The Year Ahead in Digital Travel
in the 48 hours before their stay to ensure they are On the airline side, Lufthansa Group recently imposed getting the best pricing. Portmann suspects they are a 16-euro surcharge on most consumer bookings that checking metasearch and online travel agency sites in take place beyond its websites, a move designed to the last couple of days before their stays because brand incentivize direct booking. In the face of lots of oppo- sites don’t show competitors’ rates and the consumers sition from corporations, global distribution systems want to view the most complete picture of the market and travel agencies, it remains to be seen whether the as possible. surcharge is sustainable in the absence of other airlines matching the Lufthansa Group initiative. On the hotel front, Douglas Quinby, Phocuswright’s vice president, research, believes that the online travel agen- While online travel agency sites such as CheapOair cies are taking market share faster than hotel brands in and Expedia are slowly getting the ability to sell some the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific, although hotel web- airlines’ branded fares and ancillary services, carriers sites still have a commanding lead in the U.S. are still getting a direct-booking edge because many of these services and perks can only be booked on the The above chart shows the hotel-online travel agency airlines’ own websites. maketshare split in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. On the mobile front, online travel agencies may have a “We are tracking and forecasting that OTAs will built-in advantage if apps win out over the mobile Web continue to grow faster than hotel websites across because their apps show a wide array of pricing from each region,” Quinby says. “The big driver behind this multiple brands. Consumers don’t necessarily want to is chain penetration. Fragmented markets with more have to break out an app for each individual airline or independents provide more fertile ground for OTAs. In hotel that they want to book unless they are very loyal more chain-centric markets such as the U.S. and also to these brands. the U.K. and Northern Europe, hotel-direct distribution is much stronger. But OTAs still hold an edge -- espe- cially with the infrequent, price-sensitive, brand-disloyal leisure traveler.”
SKIFT 61 THE FAULT LINES Cities for locals versus cities for tourists
BY JASON CLAMPET
There’s little surprise that you will find little overlap in the annual lists featuring Best Travel Destinations and Best Places to Live. Often the former means the latter is nearly impossible.
Picture your worst tourist nightmare. No, not slow-moving Iowans walking four abreast down Fifth Avenue. More like two dozen bachelor party weekenders barfing their way down a cobblestone street in Prague only a few hours after deplaning a Ryanair flight from Manchester. And then you have to smile and speak English and sell them something they want because, hey, tourism dollars.
Do you want to live in that place?
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Now think of the bigger issues.
In Barcelona, Spain, it’s an influx of tourists that has 7.6 million people ( a third of which arrive by cruise ship) descending on a city of 1.6 million and turning streets in some neighborhoods into all-night party zones. In Hong Kong it’s mainland Chinese who come to shop and drive up the price of both basic and luxury goods, leading developers to add what seems like a Prada shop on nearly every corner. Across the Caribbean it’s the all-inclusive resorts that keep guests shut- in on properties where the only connection with the places they reside are the workers shuttled in through the security gates. In New York it’s the mini-Airbnb mogul who manages a dozen apartments in the West Village, further exacerbating a housing crisis by driving up the costs of rentals.
And in Venice it’s the hordes that arrive by sea and by land who have made it impos- sible for locals to find a place to buy bread and milk near the city center, and have caused two thirds of the city’s residents to leave over the past half-century.
All of these conflicts present the worst of tourism, as if it’s less of a cultural exchange, leisure escape, or learning experience and more like something akin to a plague of locusts.
But while “Venice is a lost cause,” as author Elizabeth Becker called it, tourism is not always bad news.
Greg Richards, a professor at the NHTV Breda University in the Netherlands who has studied Barcelona tourism says that
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“There is no sign of a tipping point” at which the costs in convincing tourists that the locals have figured of tourism could outweigh its benefits. out a better way to live, and tourists want to share that with others. It just needs some better planning. Take Copenhagen, Denmark for instance. It’s a top favorite for attendees I write this a few hours removed from walking down of meetings, who often take advantage of their com- from the Acropolis in Athens — walking shoulder- pany paying for a hotel room to add a little bleisure in to-shoulder with fellow tourists — through a neigh- their trip and invite the family. It’s too expensive borhood that should look great, but is one boarded up to descend upon as they would an Orlando or even building followed by a decrepit one housing a tourist
New York, but it’s a great place to “be” and people stall on the first floor, followed by another boarded up want more. home. Greece has done everything humanly possible to cater to tourists, but this dependency hasn’t saved it A big part of this is that Copenhagen is focused on from its planning errors and misplaced priorities. quality of life for locals. If tourists can benefit from this, all the better, but it’s not the city’s priority, even if there Tourism’s impact on local communities is most always are attractive dollar signs floating around. Skift saw measured in dollars. But this is a shallow measurement this in Medellin, Colombia this summer where a city la- that assumes the dollars stay in a community and that ser-focused on improving quality of life for its residents they’re the right kind of dollars. Do visitors buy an ex- — from the slums to the high street — was making it an pensive T-shirt and an overpriced margarita, or do they attractive place to do business and travel. go home wanting to open a restaurant highlighting the fantastic local food of the place they just visited? Australia’s recent tourism success has been all about Do they want to live in Paris or do they want to be a selling the country’s lifestyle. People visit and they Parisian? A destination truly succeeds when the latter is want to live like that. Sure it has sunny weather to the answer. thank for some of the appeal, but it also succeeds
SKIFT 65 SKIFTIES AWARDS WINNERS FOR 2015
skift
Skifties Awards recognizes the best travel brands on social media.
The second edition of the Skifties focused on awarding travel brands for leveraging social interactions into achieving business objectives. There were 30 categories to enter — sector, platform and initiative-based, also chose five Editor’s Choice winners and one ultimate champion to be the Smartest Travel Brand on Social Media.
SPONSORED BY
66 SKIFT SKIFTIES AWARDS WINNERS OF 2015
+ Most Engaged Community Across Social Media: Most Effective Brand on Social Media Lonely Planet + AIRLINE: + Best Social Media Customer Service: Turkish Airlines Hyatt Hotel + AIRPORT: + Best Social Media Contest: Denver International Airport Hawaiian Airlines + BOOKING SITE & SERVICE: + Best Use of Twitter Chat: Airbnb Expedia + CRUISE LINE: + Best Use of Video: Azamara Club Cruises Brand USA + DMO COUNTRY: + Best Social Media Agency for Travel Brands: Tourism Australia Beautiful Destinations + DMO REGION/STATE: + Best Social Media Vendor for Travel Brands: Enjoy Illinois Olapic + DMO CITY/TOWN: + Best Social Media Influencer: Visit Las Vegas Beautiful Destinations + HOTEL BRAND: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Editors’ Choice + INDIVIDUAL HOTEL PROPERTY & RESORT: + MOST INTEGRATED SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN: The Standard, East Village Marriott International (#LoveTravels) + TOUR & TRAVEL PROVIDER: + BEST MULTI-ACCOUNT STRATEGY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: G Adventures Uber (Multi-country and city) + GROUND TRANSPORTATION: + MOST INNOVATIVE TRAVEL BRAND ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Budget Rent a Car Visit Iceland (#AskGudmundur) + TRAVEL MEDIA: + BEST UNDERDOG TRAVEL BRAND ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Matador Network TSA (Instagram) + B2B TRAVEL TECH COMPANY: + BEST TRAVEL STARTUP ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Amadeus Georama + SMARTEST TRAVEL BRAND ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Best Travel Brand by Platform KLM
+ FACEBOOK: Awards Jurors Turkey Home + DAVID BERKOWITZ, + TWITTER: Chief Marketing Officer, MRY Hotels.com + REBECCA LIEB, + INSTAGRAM: Strategic Advisor/Research Analyst Tourism Australia + MARTIN STOLL, + YOUTUBE: Founder and President, Sparkloft Media Contiki + HONORARY JUDGE: JUDY WINITZER, Vice President, Global Merchant Services, Lodging, American Express
SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 67 SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM
OF TRAVEL
Skift Global Forum, from Skift, is the biggest creative business conference in the global travel industry. It is the first conference focused on top strategists, technologists, and marketers in travel, the people creating the future of travel in 2015 and beyond.
The Global Forum is carefully curated with the topics and speakers — single track, no panels, no overt pitches — to inspire the professionals in travel about the business and creative promise of the sector.
68 SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 SPONSOR
Skift would like to thank all of our 2015 sponsors who made the Skift Global Forum possible
SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 69 SPEAKER BIOS
Kim Day Keith Barr CEO, Denver Rafat Ali CCO, International CEO, Skift InterContinental Airport Rafat is the CEO & Founder Hotels Group of Skift, the largest industry Day began leading Denver intelligence and marketing platform in travel. As the Chief Commerical International Airport Previously, he was the founder/CEO of Officer, Barr is responsible for leading IHG’s (DEN), the fifth-largest commercial airport paidContent, which he sold to U.K.’s Guardian global brand, loyalty, sales, marketing and in the U.S., in 2008. After having worked News and Media in 2008. Prior to that, he was distribution functions as well as for driving as a practicing architect for 20 years, Day managing editor of Silicon Alley Reporter. consistent strategies across all geogra- previously served as Executive Director of phies and leveraging IHG’s global scale and Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that systems to deliver continued industry per- manages Los Angeles International Airport, formance. He was previously Vice President Ontario International Airport, Van Nuys Scott V. Alvis of Operations for midscale brands in North Airport, and Palmdale Regional Airport. CMO, Amadeus, America, Vice President of Operations for the North America Holiday Inn brand in North America and Chief Operating Officer for Australia, New Zealand, Fred Dixon CEO, As the Chief Marketing and South Pacific. Officer for Amadeus North NYC & Company America, Scott Alvis focuses on product Dixon has run New York marketing, marketing communication, market Ninan City’s official marketing, research, public relations and business Chacko tourism and partnership organization since planning for Amadeus’ distribution, airline CEO, March 2014. With more than 23 years of IT and new business efforts in the U.S. and Travel Leaders Group experience in the travel industry, Dixon has Canada. Based out of the Chicago office, the overall responsibility for developing Scott joined Amadeus in 2010 as the Senior Ninan Chacko serves as CEO and implementing New York City’s tourism Vice President, client management for airline for Travel Leaders Group, a North American and convention development strategy IT and distribution, where he fostered and travel company that generates gross travel internationally as well as in domestic leisure managed IT and business relationships with sales of approximately $20 billion and directly and business markets. major airlines in the U.S., Canada and Latin employs over 1,000 staff managing opera- America. tions of more than 6,500 company-owned, franchised and affiliated travel agencies in Nancy J. the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Greece, Ireland Friedman Ross Babbit and Australia. Prior to joining Travel Leaders Founder, SVP, Group, Chacko served as CEO of PRNewswire Nancy J. Programming & and Chief Commercial Officer of the world- Friedman PR Development, wide travel information, e-commerce and Travel Channel technology service provider Worldspan. An industry thought leader, creative pioneer, and award-winning strategist, Friedman’s PR agency, Nancy J. Friedman PR, has launched Babbitt currently oversees all creative and more than 60 hotels. Previously head of PR editorial direction of the network’s team Chris Collins for Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, Friedman of producers and programming partners. Executive is an active member of the Society of Ameri- Previously, Babbit oversaw the production Producer & can Travel Writers. team for some of the network’s most popular Co-Founder, series including Bizarre Foods America, Hotel Zero Point Zero Impossible, and Mysteries at the Museum. Nick Gray Prior to joining Travel Channel, Babbit worked Chris Collins began his career in 1985 as a CEO, at sister network DIY Network and also Marketing Manager for Coca- Cola products Museum Hack worked as a writer, producer and/or director in Papua New Guinea. In 2003, Chris started for Food Network, Comedy Central, ESPN, Zero Point Zero Production with his long- Nick Gray is the founder Lifetime, CBS News Productions, and 20th time co-producing partner, Lydia Tenaglia, and CEO of Museum Hack, Century Fox. growing the company over the next 11 years a company of educators and actors that to a 150-person company producing over 80 give renegade tours at the best museums in episodes of television across seven different the world. Companies in NYC regularly hire series. Together they created and continue to Museum Hack to produce their company Executive Produce the Emmy Award-winning team building offsites and employee training. series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Gray’s mission and that of Museum Hack is to and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. get people excited about the best Museums all around the world.
70 SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 SPEAKER BIOS
Alice Gray Sasha Jeremy Stites Hoffman Jauncey Chief Curator, CEO, Founder, 21c Museum Fuzzy Compass Beautiful Hotels Destinations Sasha Hoffman is the As Chief Curator and Director of Art Chief Executive Officer of Fuzzy Compass, Jauncey is a serial technology entrepreneur Programming for 21c, Stites collaborates a travel startup turning the world’s top and the founder of Beautiful Destinations. with founders Laura Lee Brown and Steve travel influencers into modern-day travel He is also the co-founder of Tictrac, a digital Wilson to curate exhibitions and oversee agents. She was formerly COO of Piaggio health company that uses data to engage in- art programming for all 21c locations. Fast Forward, a development partner of dividuals in their health, a fellow of the British After earning a Master of Arts degree Piaggio Group and a pioneer in lightweight American Project and deal maker with U.K. from Columbia University, Stites worked in transportation. Prior to that, she was Head of Trade & Investment’s Global Entrepreneur various editorial roles for Arts & Auction, Business Development for Plastiq, a venture- Program services. Contemporanea and ARTnews magazines in backed payments startup, an investment New York before becoming adjunct curator of banker in the technology group at Goldman contemporary art for the Speed Art Museum. Sachs and Lehman Brothers and started a luxury handbag company. Issam Kazim CEO,Dubai Corpo- ration for Tourism Craig and Commerce Greg Hong Marketing Greenberg CEO, President, Reserve 21c Museum Kazim is the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Hotels Hong is Reserve’s CEO, Marketing, the body responsible for the Co-Founder and Board Director, responsible branding, promotion and marketing of the Part of 21c Museum Hotels since its founding, for setting and executing the vision for the Emirate of Dubai. Issam took up this post in Greenberg oversees the daily operations of company. Prior to starting Reserve, Greg was a February 2014, joining the DTCM from the the company including the management of all small business consultant and the Director of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), where he 21c properties and the development of 21c Business Operations at true[X], where he ran was the Director of DXB Live, a subsidiary in new markets. Prior to joining 21c Museum their ad operations team from pre-revenue to of DWTC. Hotels, Greenberg was an attorney with Frost $20 million. Brown Todd, where he managed an ancillary business dedicated to securing and deploying New Markets Tax Credits. Mark Geoffrey Kent Hoplamazian CEO, Paul CEO, Abercrombie & Hennessy Hyatt Hotels Kent CEO, Hoplamazian has served as Priceline.com Under Kent’s leadership, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyatt Abercrombie & Kent offers 350 tours and ex- Hotels Corporation since December 2006. Prior peditions in more than 100 countries across Hennessy became Chief Ex- to being appointed to his present position, seven continents. Kent is a founding member ecutive Officer of Priceline.com in April 2015 Hoplamazian served as President of The Pritzker of the World Travel & Tourism Council, who after previously serving as Chief Marketing Organization. He is also a member of the World has played key roles in tourism development Officer of Booking.com, the Priceline Group’s Travel & Tourism Council. initiatives at the UN and elsewhere. Kent was global Amsterdam-based brand. Prior to also the first individual to travel by motorbike Priceline, he served as the Head of Consumer between Kenya and Cape Town, South Africa. Marketing at the GSM wireless startup, Omnipoint Communications, and General Manager of Marketing at PT Exelcomindo Pratama, a Verizon joint venture in Jakarta.
SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 71 SPEAKER BIOS
Michael Klein Vinicius Edie Head of Industry Lummertz Rodriguez Strategy, President, CEO, Crystal Cruises Travel & Retail Brazilian Tourism Board Adobe In May 2015, Edie (Embratur) Rodriguez was promoted from President Michael Klein is the Head of Industry Strate- and Chief Operating Officer of Crystal gy, Travel & Retail at Adobe. He leads a team One of the first challenges Lummertz will Cruises to President and Chief Executive of subject matter experts who work with have as president of Embratur is to lead the Officer, where she oversees the company’s Adobe’s travel and retail clients to help them process to modernize the local authority expansion to encompass a new fleet of develop best-in-class digital marketing strat- management model, under the direction of ships in what is considered to be the egies. Michael regularly contributes thought Minister Henrique Alves. As head of the Policy largest expansion in history for any luxury leadership to industry events, and is an active Secretariat, he also managed the creation of brand by the travel and hospitality industry. member of Shop.org and the Global Retail the National Tourism Plan, a reference doc- Rodriguez brings with her 34 years of Marketing Association. ument for the sector which helped boost the experience working in the international country’s tourism potential. Lummertz holds cruise, travel and technology industries. Prior to joining Adobe, Michael spent more a BA in Political Science from the American than 25 years as a Senior Merchant and University of Paris, a graduate degree from Marketer for brands such as the LVMH Group Harvard University and a degree from the (eLuxury.com), William-Sonoma, Harry & Da- University of Lausanne. Diego vid, Discovery Channel Stores, and wine.com. Saez-Gil CEO, Bluesmart Jonathan Craig Mildenhall Diego Saez Gil is the Chief Kreeger CMO, Executive Officer and co- CEO, founder of the smart travel goods startup Virgin Atlantic Airbnb Bluesmart, which created the world’s first self-tracking, connected luggage. Prior to Kreeger was appointed CEO Mildenhall is a global thought leader in Bluesmart, Saez-Gil co-founded mobile travel of Virgin Atlantic Airways in 2013. Previously, creativity, business strategy and marketing startup WeHostels that was acquired by he had a 27-year career at American Airlines, excellence. Prior to becoming the Chief Mar- StudentUniverse in 2013, where he became spanning commercial, financial and strategic keting Officer of Airbnb in June 2014, he was Vice President of Mobile. roles in the U.S. and around the globe, includ- the SVP of Integrated Marketing Communica- ing six years in London as SVP, International. tion and Design Excellence at The Coca-Cola Company, where he was responsible for leading the creative vision and strategy for it’s portfolio of global brands. Kevin Josh Lesnick Shinkle CMO, Chief Wyndham Hotel Gillian Morris Communications Group CEO, Officer, Hitlist Delta Air Lines Lesnick serves as Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer at Wyndham Gillian Morris is the co-found- Shinkle is Senior VP and Chief Hotel Group, responsible for all aspects of er and Chief Executive Officer Communications Officer responsible for marketing and revenue generation for the of Hitlist, a personalized mobile travel agent. external communications, media relations company and its 15 worldwide brands. Pre- The app has been recognized as a 'Best New and employee and cross-divisional viously he was President and Chief Executive App' by the iTunes app store and was named communications throughout Delta’s global Officer of Audience Rewards, as well as one of the best apps of 2014 by The Next system. Previously, he was a business editor spending nearly two decades working in the Web. Before entering the startup world, Gillian at The Associated Press, managing coverage hospitality industry in executive leadership worked as a consultant, journalist and educator of economic, business and financial news with roles with Starwood Hotels and Hyatt Hotels. in Turkey, China, the Gulf states, and Syria. a team of more than 70 editors and reporters Her work has appeared in/on the New York in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Times, Harvard Business Review, CNN, CNBC, TechCrunch, The Next Web and LifeHacker. She is based in New York where she serves on the Executive Board of Harvard in Tech.
72 SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 SPEAKER BIOS
Michael Zim Craig Vosburg Small Ugochukwu CPO, CEO, CEO, MasterCard Gogo Travel Noire Craig Vosburg is the Chief Small has served as Gogo’s Ugochukwu created Travel Noire as a Product Officer for MasterCard. In this role, President and Chief Executive Officer and comprehensive end-to-end travel resource he leads the development, commercialization as a member of the Board since 2010. Prior for unconventional travelers of color, and management of payment solutions that to joining Gogo, Small served as the Chief connecting members of the African diaspora create a sustainable competitive advantage Executive Officer and Director of Centennial with the world of travel. After cloning a gene for MasterCard and its customers. The Core Communications Corporation, Executive Vice at the age of 19 and becoming the youngest Products group is responsible for Consumer President and Chief Financial Officer of 360 appointed precinct judge for the state of Credit and Debit, Commercial, Prepaid, and Degrees Communications, and President of North Carolina, she was named one of the 25 Loyalty Solutions. Vosburg is also a member Lynch Corporation. Young Women Changing the World by of MasterCard’s global Operating Committee. Glamour Magazine. Darrell Wade James Smith Matthew CEO, EVP Americas, Upchurch Intrepid Group Criteo CEO, Virtuoso Wade is the co-founder of James Smith is the EVP of Intrepid Travel and CEO of The Intrepid Group, the world’s largest the Americas at Criteo, the Upchurch is the CEO of provider of adventure travel experiences. His leading performance marketing technology Virtuoso, a multi-billion-dollar, by-invitation- achievements include being selected as one company. James is responsible for managing only enterprise of travel advisors and travel of the first group of Australians to complete all sales and operations throughout North providers. Two family businesses, Percival Climate Project training with the Hon Mr and South America. Before to Criteo, James Tours and Upchurch Travel, enabled him to Al Gore, winning the NAB Smart Company spent eight years as CRO of several success- wear the hats of supplier and travel advisor Award and being named the Ernst & Young ful startups, including Verve Mobile, Flixster simultaneously, ultimately leading to his vision Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002 (along with and The Huffington Post of Virtuoso: a virtual corporation of upscale Geoff Manchester). travel agencies supported by centralized marketing vehicles and exclusive agreements with travel suppliers around the world. Ivanka Trump Rick Wise EVP, Development CEO, & Acquisitions, Lippincott Trump Hotel Camilla Collection Vasquez Rick Wise is CEO of Lippin- PHD, cott, a creative consultan- Ivanka Trump is charged with the domestic and University of cy. He oversees all aspects of Lippincott’s global expansion of the company’s real estate South Florida offerings, which integrates the disciplines of interests, directing all areas of the company’s strategy, design, innovation, and organiza- real estate and hotel management platforms. In An expert on language use and interaction in tional engagement. He advises clients on addition to her work at The Trump Organiza- online and offline settings, Vásquez teaches their toughest branding challenges and has tion, Ivanka Trump is the founder of Ivanka and conducts research at the University led engagements for some of the world’s big- Trump Fine Jewelry, with boutiques in SoHo, of South Florida. She is the author or The gest brands such as Coca-Cola, Hershey, GE, New York and Beijing and also sold through Discourse of Online Consumer Reviews General Motors, Johnson Controls, Walmart, luxury independent jewelers and department (Bloomsbury, 2014), the first book-length and others. stores across the globe. study of online review language, and she blogs about online reviews at: researching- digitalmedia.com.
SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 73 SPONSOR WORKSHOP LUNCH & LEARN
At this year’s conference, we’ve invited two sponsors to Each session allows for just 50 participants, and takes host travel trends workshops. place during lunchtime. Lunch will also be served in the workshop area. Each session is a 30-minute intensive, deep-dive dis- cussion addressing new ideas and challenges in travel, For those worried about missing a networking oppor- with a Q&A at the end. The sessions are designed to be tunity in the main lunch area, know that lunch is a full interactive, with a focus on leaving you with new strat- hour and a half this year, giving you plenty of time to egies to implement for your own business or clients. take part in a workshop session with opportunities to network before and afterwards. AT SKIFT FORUM WORKSHOPS
74 SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 SPONSOR WORKSHOP day 1 day 2
The Connected Traveler: How Digital is Engaging Travelers with Transforming the Traveler Experience Personalized Messaging presented by Mindtree presented by Underline Communications
The travel experience is in the midst of a massive Armed with insights from American Express research transformation due to rapid advances in digital into consumer traveler attitudes and expectations, technology. But what does Digital actually mean? Is Brian Lenhart, Director of American Express Travel, and it more than just social, mobile, analytics and cloud? Luke Daigle, Principal of Underline Communications, In the era of the Connected Traveler, travel brands will share a fascinating case study of how they trans- are faced with a need to find their digital edge to stay formed an email marketing program from a static blast competitive. This session will discuss the keys to a into a highly personalized communication to meet the successful digital transformation for travel & hospitality needs of the modern traveler. companies and give insights for how to best address the Connected Traveler.
Speakers: Speakers: Paul Gottsegen, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Luke Daigle, Director, Mindtree American Express Travel, Brian Lenhart, Principal, Scott Nason, Travel, Transportation and Hospitality Underline Communications Consultant and retired Vice President, American Airlines
What you’ll learn: What you’ll learn:
+ How organizations can effectively engage the + Insights into customer experience hyper-connected traveler. and expectations.
+ How to leverage technology and collaborate with + How to connect and engage with today’s highly other players in the travel ecosystem. fragmented traveler.
+ How to turn data into actionable insights. + Correlations between customer attributes and travel preferences.
SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 75 DAY 1
Door & Registration Open 7:30AM
7 Breakfast 7:30AM-8:30AM 11:45AM-12:05PM 3:10PM-3:20PM 0 Why the Right Kind of Travel Brand Talk sponsored by: 9:00AM-9:30AM Agent Survived and Thrived Adobe Opening Introduction, Matthew Upchurch, CEO, Creating the Next Golden The Fault Lines of Disruption In Virtuoso Age of Travel The Global Travel Industry Michael Klein, Head of Industry Rafat Ali, Founder/CEO, Skift Strategy, Travel & Retail, Adobe 12:05PM-12:20PM 1 Brand Talk sponsored by: Networking Break 10:45AM-11:05AM 9:30AM-9:50AM MasterCard Reversing Your POV: A New sponsored by National To Make Cities Better and Perspective on Hospitality Geographic Unique Lodges To Make Better Cities Mark Hoplamazian, CEO, Craig Vosburg, CPO, of the World Hyatt Hotels MasterCard 12 2 Lunch 12:30PM-2:00PM 9:50AM-10:05AM 3:40PM-3:55PM Future of Tourism Marketing for Workshop sponsored by: Building an Airport for the Iconic Tourism Brands Mindtree Future of Travel Fred Dixon, CEO, The Connected Traveler: How Kim Day, CEO, NYC & Company Digital is Transforming the Denver International Airport 3 Traveler Experience 13 10:05AM-10:25AM Paul Gottsegen, 3:55PM-4:20PM The Happiness Halo: Chief Marketing and Strategy Building a Culturally Relevant The Unexpected Benefits From Officer Mindtree Brand By Changing The Applying Behavioral Science to Scott Nason, Tourism and Hos- Cultural Discussion Experience Design pitality Consultant and Retired Jonathan Mildenhall, CMO, Airbnb Rick Wise, CEO, Lippincott VP, American Airlines Moderator: Rafat Ali, Founder/CEO, 4 Skift 10:25AM-10:45AM Understanding the Socio-Cultural 8 4:20PM-4:30PM Impact of Travel on Societies 2:00PM-2:20PM Brand Talk sponsored by: Amadeus Geoffrey Kent, Founder/CEO Reinventing The Business of Tours A Conversation About the Abercrombie & Kent For Experiential Travel Future of Travel Moderator: Wendy Perrin, Darrell Wade, CEO, Intrepid Group Scott Alvis, CMO, Amadeus and Founder, WendyPerrin.com Moderator: Jason Clampet, Rafat Ali, Founder/CEO, Skift Co-founder, Skift Networking Break 10:45AM-11:05AM 14 9 sponsored by Yahoo! 4:30PM-4:55PM 2:20PM-2:40PM Why Conversion is the Most * The Future of City Branding Important Metric in Travel 11:05AM-11:15AM Issam Kazim, CEO, Paul Hennessy, CEO, Priceline.com Special Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Moderator: Dennis Schaal, Hate Selling: A Love Story Commerce Marketing News Editor, Skift A Sketch by Skift Comedy Troupe 10 SCHEDULE OCTOBER 14 - WEDNESDAY - 14 SCHEDULE OCTOBER 5 2:40PM-2:55PM 11:15AM-11:30AM Art, Culture & the Experience Econ- 4:55PM-5:00PM Building a Travel Company Using omy: Learning is the New Luxury Closing Remarks: Crowd Funding Craig Greenberg, President Skift Founders: Rafat Ali, CEO and Jason Clampet, Diego Saez-Gil, CEO/Co-founder, and Alice Gray Stites, VP, Head of Content Bluesmart 21c Museum Hotels Evening Reception 6 11 11:30AM-11:45AM 2:55PM-3:10PM 5:30PM-9:00PM Loudsourcing: The Inside World Why Visuals are the New Language VIP Cruise of Online Reviews of Engagement for Consumers Sponsored by Hornblower Camilla Vasquez, Ph.D., Jeremy Jauncey, Founder, Cruises, Adobe & SapientNitro University of South Florida Beautiful Destinations *Ticket Holders Only*
76 SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 DAY 2
Door & Registration Open 7:30AM
21 25 Breakfast 7:30AM-8:30AM 11:40AM-12:05PM 2:50PM-3:10PM Changed Nature of Travel PR & On the Growing Global 9:00AM-9:30AM Communications in a Digital Community of Black Travelers Day One Recap and First World Zim Ugochukwu, Founder, Day Two Introductions Kevin Shinkle, SVP, Travel Noire Rafat Ali, Founder/CEO, Skift Delta Air Lines 15 Nancy J. Friedman PR 9:30AM-9:50AM Moderator: Rafat Ali, Founder/ 3:10PM-3:20PM How to Build an Airline Brand CEO, Skift Brand Talk sponsored by: by Not Participating in the Criteo Premium Rat Race How the Mobile Revolution is 12:05PM-12:15PM Craig Kreeger, CEO, Disrupting the Travel Industry Brand Talk sponsored by: Virgin Atlantic James Smith, EVP, Americas, Travel Channel Moderator: Henry Harteveldt, Criteo Moving Images: Upping the Founder, Creative Game in Travel Video Atmosphere Research Group Networking Break 3:20PM-3:40PM Ross Babbit, SVP Programming, 16 Travel Channel sponsored by Sabre 9:50AM-10:10AM Why Obsessing Over Details 26 Lunch 12:30PM-2:00PM is the Only Way to Build a 3:40PM-4:00PM Emerging Worlds of Corporate Hospitality Brand Workshop sponsored by: and Leisure Travel Ivanka Trump, EVP, Underline Communications Ninan Chacko, CEO, Trump Organization Engaging Travelers with Travel Leaders Group Moderator: Greg Oates, Personalized Messaging Moderator: Andrew Senior Editor, Skift Luke Daigle, Principal, 17 Sheivachman, Reporter, Skift Underline Communications 27 10:10AM-10:30AM Brian Lenhart, Director, Digital 4:00PM-4:25PM Building a Tourism Brand Marketing, American Express Digital Habits of Air Travelers Around Big Events Travel & Lifestyle Services (World Cup & Olympics) and What Brands can Learn Vinicius Lummertz, President From Them 22 Brazilian Tourism Board Michael Small, CEO, Gogo (Embratur) 2:00PM-2:15PM Moderator: Henry Harteveldt, The Growth Hacks that Turned Founder, Atmosphere Research Networking Break 10:30AM-10:50AM Startups into Giants 28 18 Sasha Hoffman, CEO, 10:50AM-11:05AM Fuzzy Compass 4:25PM-4:45PM Reinventing Cruises Through Gillian Morris, CEO/Co-founder, Creative Chaos: Exclusivity and Customization Hitlist The New Future of Travel Edie Rodriguez, CEO, Nick Grey, Founder/CEO, 23 Crystal Cruises Museum Hack & Company 2:15PM-2:35PM 19 The Evolution of the Travelogue, SCHEDULE OCTOBER 15 - THURSDAY - 15 SCHEDULE OCTOBER 11:05AM-11:25AM 1950’s and Into the Future 4:45PM-5:00PM The Right Way to Talk to Chris Collins, Closing Remarks Different Demographics Across Executive Producer & Co-Founder, Skift Founders: Rafat Ali, CEO the Guest Journey Zero Point Zero and Jason Clampet, Keith Barr, CCO, 24 Head of Content InterContinental Hotels Group 2:35PM-2:50PM 20 Why Dining and Food is the Next Closing Reception 5:00PM-6:00PM 11:25AM-11:40AM Frontier of Disruption in Travel sponsored by Gogo On the Importance of Middle Greg Hong, CEO/Co-founder, America that Travel Brands Ignore Reserve Josh Lesnick, CMO, Wyndham Hotel Group
SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 77 SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM
Defining the Future of Travel
Program, Schedule, Topics, Speakers
78 SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015 VIRTUOSO’S TAKE
Enriching lives through human 02 connection.
Automate the predictable, so you can humanize the exceptional. 03 01 RETURN on LIFE®
You can’t take the human out 04 of humanity.
THE SKIFT TAKE
Ubiquity of information Travelers want deeper Travel brands re-imagine Travel innovation means everyone’s an experiences (inspiration, themselves as lifestyle is not just tech. 01 expert; thus, need for deeper 02 personalization, self-discovery). 03 connoisseurs. 04 Defining the Future of Travel connection beyond digital.
Program, Schedule, Topics, Speakers
www.virtuoso.com/SKIFT #virtuosotravel SKIFT GLOBAL FORUM 2015