A fashion icon joins the travel world… wait, what? 💃

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

Here is your weekly wrap up of the top news about innovation in the travel industry:

  • Short term renting is back with a new face. While travelers are now less constrained by time thanks to changing work habits, many are going back to short term rentals and the sector is shaping up. According to Phocuswright research, by the end of 2022, gross bookings will reach €37.5 billion. It’s a global trend too – San Francisco based Hostfully just scored $4 million to help manage guest bookings and comms.
  • Travel is flying to the blockchain. Chain4Travel wants to build a blockchain platform for B2B and B2C leisure travel products and has just raised CHF4.3 million for its blockchain-based travel platform, known as Camino. The token pre-sale is due to take flight this summer – we’ll be watching how this goes.
  • Let’s talk about diversity? WeTravel has just launched a Women in Travel vertical in its academy. Intended to bring any individual who identifies as female or with femininity in travel together in one place, the vertical will focus on intersectionality, creating inclusive travel experiences and empowering equal outcomes.
  • It’s time for accessible travel. We aim for travel to be a joyful experience, one that hits all the senses. No one should be restricted or discriminated simply because of their ability. That’s why Mobee has built a platform for travelers with reduced mobility or disabilities and they’ve just picked up €1.5million.
  • Hotel or apartment: why not both? Combining the luxury service and reliability of a hotel with the amenities and convenience of a home, Mint House has just brought in $35 million. The company is transforming the traditional hotel industry with a tech-first approach, and I love it.
  • Ranking remote working cities. Remote work is now firmly embedded in the travel industry, we know it. And as many are shaping their strategies to accommodate these new needs, Workmotion has just released a study ranking 100 cities worldwide based on the concentration of local talent, local salary levels, and remote working infrastructure. Interesting to see how the sector grows from an analysis like these.
  • When startups and corporates get together. Yes. This is one of my favourite approaches when it comes to innovation. Norwegian airline Norse Atlantic is now going to work with EveryMundo as its provider of fare marketing tech. The startup will be able to benefit from the corporate efficiency to establish brand awareness and recognition to fuel bookings, while the corporate can also benefit from increased traffic from the Nordic region. Win-win.
  • Travel is going high-fashion. Travel is fashionable – and now we can say that in every sense of the word. The iconic Elle Magazine has just joined the travel world with the launch of Elle Hospitality. Featuring two boutique hotels (Maison Elle and Elle Hotel) the new venture is a high-end chic concept and marks a new wave of multidisciplinary crossovers in the industry.
  • Will sustainability hold travel back? Sustainability is the mot du jour, and across industries, different initiatives are being adopted. In travel, this has been much more than just a buzzword: as travel demand hots up again, so does traveler demand for sustainable choices. But we are still wondering if the industry is keeping up and if the solutions are being adopted fast enough?

Travel loves fintech 💛

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

Being at this year’s EU-Startups Summit gave me a rush of motivation and excitement for hosting our very first in-person FutureTravel Summit. Here is a friendly reminder to our community: ticket prices increase in a week, so make sure to get your ticket fast 🙂

Here is your weekly wrap up of the top news about innovation in the travel industry:

  • Iceland did it again. Just 6 months after their parody of Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse launch video, Iceland now launched OutHorse Your Email. The idea comes from realising that many tourists keep checking their working emails during their holidays, and they suggest outsourcing the replies to one of their iconic Icelandic horses. As they say, nothing ruins your vacation like work. This is brilliant – I love it.
  • Travel loves fintech.In their most recent report Amadeus identified payments as a priority among nine out of ten senior industry respondents, forecasting a big fintech “investment boom” in the upcoming months. The research found four out of five companies plan to match or surpass their 2019 fintech investment this year, with nine out of 10 identifying payments as a priority.
  • Ready to hit the open road. Camping is having a comeback and the rental marketplace is hot enough to toast marshmallows. Campervan rental platform, Campiri, connects people who want to hit the road and travel with a campervan with private owners and rental companies. The Czech company just pitched up its market position with an additional €2.7 million of funding.
  • Can we travel worry-free?Let’s be honest – sometimes things don’t go as planned. From cancelled trips to lost bags, travel can have some unexpected complications. Digital travel insurance vendor Faye has just come out of stealth mode with $8 million of fresh capital. Their app is helping users keep a track on travel insurance, get real-time alerts and get reimbursed fast should something happen.
  • Business travel is getting busy. Corporate travel booking platform Hotailors is flying international with a new €23 million investment and will rebrand to ‘WorkTrips.com’. The Polish company specialises in handling work trips for external employees – perfect for the return of in-person events and conferences.
  • Exceptionally cool short-stay accommodation.Finnish Bob W wants to bring users short-stay accommodation that lies at the intersection of hotel luxury and rental authenticity. They just bought their biggest competitor, Estonishing Stay as the space begins to get crowded.
  • Crowded restaurant tables are back. It’s no secret the food and hospitality sector has been hit hard by the past couple of years, but technology has been a main driver of their rebounce. With the aim to boost the success of businesses in this space, SpotOn has just plated up a decadent $300 million and is growing in the restaurant sphere.
  • Airbnb like we’ve never seen it before. Airbnb shook up the travel sector 10 years ago when it erupted into this sector, and now, it’s doing it again. With a new approach to searching and discovering beautiful destinations, as well as an incredible 150 new upgrades, the platform is keeping fresh. Can’t decide which property to choose to stay in? (We’ve been there too, we get it) Well, now guests don’t have to pull your hair out deciding – choose to split stay.
  • Explore. Work. Travel. Repeat. That seems to be the future for people working in travel companies anyway. Airbnb announced that employees can live and work anywhere in the world and now Klook is doing something similar. Employees at these big travel firms are tapping into the growing travel bug amongst Gen Z and millennials to attract and retain talent and it’s paying off.
  • Fully subscribable holidays. The days of scrimping and saving for your dream holiday might soon be a thing of the past. And no, it’s not because you won the lottery, but rather because travel is going subscription-based. Japanese startup Kabuk Style already has thousands of travelers booking hotels and guesthouses via subscription and with a recent promotion with the airline JAL, their profile is now going mainstream.

Carbon-positive hotel: ready for checking in? 🌃

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

There has been some interesting movement in startup funding this week in the travel industry, so let’s jump straight into your roundup of news on innovation, trends and travel startups. Ready?

  • You saw this term everywhere in the past year: SPACs. The bright people from TNMT did a deep dive into the hype and now they launched a report sharing their findings around the topic – here is what they published.
  • Got an idea about sustainable tourism? Want to discover the potential of space technologies? The 3rd CASSINI Hackathon is for you! Taking part in the CASSINI Hackathon has so many great benefits – from winning cash prizes to mentoring to incubation programmes and more. Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity! Sign up now 🙂
  • The luggage storage platform Bounce has raised $12 million and is now targeting their business expansion into Europe. With 7,000 locations worldwide so far, their mission is to “build the world’s largest retail chain without owning any physical stores.”
  • Oh, I love to see how different players are exploring the intersections of travel and fintech. WeTravel, known for its booking platform for the multi-day travel industry, has added an instant payment feature to their platform. Here is what Johannes Koeppel (CEO) had to say about this new offer: “In the travel industry, suppliers are heavily reliant on cash withdraws to pay tour leaders, local businesses and community activities and, in so deep as, group tipping. For all businesses – but especially local suppliers, vendors and employees who need tourism dollars, instantly – our most recent fintech solution will continue to help businesses increase revenue and stakeholder satisfaction, while managing their business’s risk funds and cash flow”.
  • Founded in 2019, Japanese hospitality proptech startup Wayfarer has raised $1 million. Seems like this is pushing them towards their goal to modernize hotel management in Japan and become the “Amazon Web Services of hotels.”
  • The first carbon-positive hotel in the US will be opening by the end of next year, but this is worth checking out: With 265 rooms, Populus is being developed to be carbon positive with its sustainable design and construction features as well as a substantial ecological effort offsite, including an initial commitment to planting trees that represent over 5,000 acres of forest.
  • Out of Office launched last year with the goal of giving travelers inspiration and planning tips based on where their friends have traveled in the past. This week the female-led startup announced that they raised $3.5 million to keep growing their business.

Groups that travel together, stay together 👯

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

Let’s dive straight into your weekly roundup of news on innovation, trends and travel startups.

  • Recent data shows that 8 out of the 10 busiest airports in the world in 2021 were located in the US. On the top of the list is Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International, with 75,704,760 passengers passing through the airport last year.
  • A group of people travelling together to celebrate a soon-to-be-married friend can be an interesting audience to target when growing a business. I’m sure the group of investors behind the $8 million raised by Bach would agree. The app was launched in 2020 and is designed for helping users plan bachelorette trips with their friends from start to finish. For now, Bach offers experiences that can be booked in 10 different locations, all of them in the US.
  • Another business focusing on group travel trips is Groups360, which landed $35 million earlier this month. The platform, which provides real-time availability and instant booking capabilities for hotel room blocks and meeting space, will use the money to expand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, plus the Asia Pacific region.
  • Radisson is freshening up some of their concepts with design strategies that are well-suited to meet the needs of travellers as the world emerges from the pandemic. They just announced a new brand which is targeting gamers and influencers. In what they are calling “Creative Content Studio” you can expect big screens, gaming chairs, hyper-fast internet connection and some cafe-like lobby spaces.
  • While many talk about this Summer being the one in which the industry experiences a very high demand and makes a comeback, there is also lots being said about how chaotic things can get for travellers when they try to reach their relaxing holiday destination. CNN wrote an eye-opening piece about what some are expecting for this Summer.
  • Two news wrapped-up in one: The Dutch startup Campspace raised €3 million and acquired their German competitor, Pop-up Camps. Since the pandemic, nature-based and sustainable-focused travel choices have been one of the standout trends in the travel industry, and this also reflects in the growth of startups focusing on the sector. Bravo!
  • The “affordable luxury for the people” startup citizenM has launched an innovative loyalty program for the hospitality industry. To put it simple: instead of earning points to reach a certain status level, their program perks are unlocked with a monthly fee. And they keep growing: citizenM will be opening six new locations in 2022 and five more in 2023.
  • Nature plays a big part in the outdoor activities that people can experience while travelling across Europe. From world-famous mountains to the most beautiful beaches and vast forests, the landscape is breathtaking and attracts a variety of travellers. But how can tourism experiences be designed to protect biodiverse ecosystems with space technologies? On the weekend of May 12-14, at CASSINI Hackathons you can join innovators from different locations to see how solutions for challenges like this one can be developed. Join now!

New education initiatives for the travel industry 🤓

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

I want to make sure you receive your weekly news wrap up on the top innovation stories going on in the travel industry. So here it is:

  • The Finnish startup Valpas has just raised €2 million for growing their innovative tech solution (combining hardware, software and label) to fight bed bugs. I love to see startup founders tackling issues like this, where most of us just go like “oh, someone should do something about this”. Well, it seems like Valpas is on a mission to make guests have a pest-free stay.
  • What if we could use space technologies to offer travellers a unique and sustainable way to experience local destinations? In other words: make the whole travel experience more personal while actively supporting local businesses and communities; travelling local rather than heading to the usual overcrowded tourist spot. This is exactly one of the challenges that will be explored at the upcoming CASSINI Hackathon. Want to shape solutions to issues like this one? Sign up right now.
  • Travalyst wants to make it easier for customers to book a flight with lower emissions, with their just-announced framework that lets different industry players collect and display flight emissions data in a simple way. “By delivering clear and consistent tools for collecting and reporting airline data, we are helping travellers and the industry to make more informed – and lower-emitting – air travel choices,” said Sally Davey, CEO of Travalyst. In my opinion, anyone making an effort to make data more accessible and things less complex in this industry (specially when it comes to carbon emissions!), has my respect.
  • The travel industry is starting to take education more seriously – for both travel facilitators and travellers. Avanti Destinations has just teamed up with Spain’s Tourist Office to create a travel booklet on ‘la buena vida’, giving all the best tips for savouring the Spanish good life. At the same time, Hopper is bouncing into the travel education market with Bunny Bootcamp – giving travel agents the experience and knowledge they need to grow into their careers. We are always curious about new education initiatives for the travel industry – is there something you think we shouldn’t miss in this topic?
  • There’s one thing that always gives me stress when travelling: having a stopover. From panicking about whether I’ll have enough time to get through the airport, to worrying about my bags, security and one or another (very essential) duty-free purchases, it can be a headache. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was glad to see that Marseille Provence Airport has just teamed up with Kiwi.com to create a self-connect service that’s promising to make the experience much smoother and stress-free. I’m sold!
  • Frankfurt Airport’s marketing agency Media Frankfurt has just teamed up with VIOOH to develop more streamlined digital ad experiences. As we know, airports are an ideal place for travellers to dream and to get swept up with excitement – making them prime locations for advertising and marketing.

Can Coachella influence the travel industry? 🎶

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

Ready to close the week with a wrap up of the top industry news on innovation, trends and startups? Here we go:

  • A dedicated (and simple!) all-in-one system to manage operations and processes for the hospitality businesses, including independent hotels and B&Bs – it may sound like a dream, but this is exactly what Amenitiz is bringing to the industry. The Barcelona-based startup is tackling a huge market opportunity and has now announced an investment boost of €27 million to continue their expansion across Europe.
  • Lots has been said about travelling sustainably, right? Now you can dive even deeper as this is one of the challenges being explored in the CASSINI Hackathons. They are looking for tomorrow’s innovators to either develop fresh ideas or design new products and services that will reduce tourism travel’s carbon footprint. Sound like you? Then sign up now!
  • There are some US events that have a strong influence in shaping global culture – think of the Super Bowl or the Oscars for example. There’s also Coachella – a huge music and arts festival which is known as the place to be seen. It’s where cultural and social trend-setters hang out every year and an amazing place to spot emerging patterns across industries. This year, a new airline is flying to Coachella, exclusively for influencers. The festival is taking place next week, and I think anyone who has the task to market travel services for the new generation of travellers should take a look at what they are doing.
  • Some say that life has been happening too fast, that the world is spinning fast, and it is hard to keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle which many of us experience today. And then there is the challenge of making things go (even) faster: this is the case with China joining the hypersonic flight race. Think of getting from Shanghai to New York in 2 hours – but please keep your seat belt fastened!
  • Just last month we mentioned that Uber added a new feature called Uber Explore, which allows users to book experiences like dinner reservations and live events. Now Uber has a new goal: becoming your go-to place for not only getting a ride, but also for booking a hotel room, buying plane, bus and train tickets, and even renting a car. The updates and new features are planned to roll out this year. It seems like everybody wants to be a superapp these days, and Uber is on its way.
  • Replacing the need for printed information with digital guidebooks that provide guests with local information, Touch Stay has just announced a €600k funding. The UK-based startup will now look to increase its customer base of accommodation providers and destination management companies as well as to invest in product development and recruitment.
  • Norwegian just announced the launch of the first collection of NFTs of the cruise industry. Here is what they said about the launch: “We strive to adopt the most cutting-edge technology at Norwegian Cruise Line and strongly believe that providing our guests the opportunity to own digital assets that connect them with an unforgettable cruise experience is an essential step forward.” – Scott Piccolo, Chief Digital Experience Officer at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
  • The short-term rental startup Casai has acquired Loopkey, a Brazilian smart-lock hardware and software company that facilitates the maintenance of electronic smart locks across multiple properties. In three years of operations, this is the third time that the Mexican company acquires a Brazilian startup.

💥 New in travel: NFTs, games and deals

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

Here is your weekly wrap-up on the top travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • For those who have been on top of the latest tech news, you’ve probably seen different kinds of businesses exploring the potential of NFTs for their business. So here is a good read if you are wondering how hotels can start experimenting with NFTs too.
  • Many of us wondered about how the “new normal” would be, and if our future would be “masked” or not. It seems that the time has come for some airlines to decide if it’s time to drop the masks when flying. This week KLM, easyJet and American Airlines have announced their standpoint on the topic. For more info you can click on the name of each airline.
  • We have been talking about place branding quite often in this newsletter, so I really enjoyed seeing that Geneva Tourism launched the Choco Pass. I mean, together with the Alps, this is veeery spot-on with the Swiss brand. Bravo! And if you are interested in reading more about place branding and the travel industry *|FNAME|*, make sure to check out our latest report, which is available for download here.
  • OYO is the pioneer in the hospitality sector to launch a play-to-earn game as part of their business strategy to boost and retain customer engagement. Rewards include Amazon gift cards and hotel amenities such as stays of up to 20 free nights. And seems like it’s working: their mobile app is currently the third most downloaded travel app globally with over 100 million downloads. Not bad!

💫 Metaverse, Space Tech and Celebrities

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

Whilst reading the latest (fourth!) package of sanctions against Russia announced by the European Commission, I stumbled upon the following expression: ‘on the wide-ranging and unprecedented packages of measures the EU has been taking’. Let me tell you , I’m looking forward to the day when I can watch the news and the only sector where we see ‘unprecedented updates’ is in the innovation space.

Ready to check out our weekly wrap-up on the top travel innovation, trends and startups? Let’s go!

  • Space technologies have the power to be a big part of shaping the future of travel – and we can already use them to solve current challenges. This is what the upcoming CASSINI Hackathon will be about: who are the innovators ready to use EU space tech to transform European tourism? The applications are now open! We can’t wait to see which innovations will come out of this year’s challenge!
  • What does the movie The Bodyguard and the startup HearHere have in common? Kevin Costner. The actor is the co-founder of the audio app that plays stories based on a traveler’s geographic location and interest. HearHere has just raised $3.2 million to continue its business growth and expansion.
  • Another celebrity joining the travel industry is Jennifer Lopez, who just joined Virgin Voyages as an investor and Chief entertainment and lifestyle officer. The cruise company plans to go global this year with homeports in Miami, Barcelona and Athens.
  • Travelzoo has announced they are creating a metaverse division in the company. Although they will continue to offer their usual travel and lifestyle deals, the new service will provide members with exclusive metaverse travel experiences. Travelzoo counts on the annual membership fees to fund the new business division.

If you missed our latest report “Creating places for the new era”, you can still have access here and through our website.

⚡ Report: Creating places for the new era

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

From cities to parks, brands can turn any place into an attractive destination. For places that want to attract tourists, investors, and increase the sense of belonging, quality of life and pride of the local population, having a strong place brand can be a game changer.We partnered up with Where to put together a crisp report about place branding and its potential for the travel industry. FutureTravel subscribers have early access to the report before anyone else, so here is your copy of the report, .

Download Now

And now let’s head to our weekly rundown on the top travel innovation, trends and startups.

  • There has been some significant movement on startups focusing on camping and campers since the pandemic started in 2020, specially in Europe. Reflecting this trend, the Swedish-based Acamp raised funds a couple of weeks ago, and now has just acquired Ställpatser, a popular camping community app. The acquisition will make it easier for campers to find and book campsites as well as connecting with hosts and other campers.
  • Volocopter has been a strong player when it comes to urban air mobility and bringing electric air taxis to the skies of key cities around the world, such as Singapore, Rome and Paris. The German startup has just announced a new investment round of US$170 million, which will be used to assist with the certification process and to start achieving commercial launch in first cities. I am looking forward to see it happening!
  • It’s always good to see travel startup founders on stage. This year’s EU-Startups Summit will count on some big names when it comes to innovators in the travel industry: Jochen Engert (Flixbus), Avi Meir (Travelperk), and Naren Shaam (Omio) will be sharing insights about their journey founding and leading their business. Exciting! By the way, the application phase for their big Pitch Competition will end next week. So founders: you’re still on time to submit your applications – but you better hurry 🙂

Creating Places for the New Era

Having a strong place brand can be a game changer for places that want to attract tourists, investors, and increase the sense of belonging, quality of life and pride of the local population. This is why we created a crisp guide about place branding and its potential for the travel industry.

Sign up below to receive your free copy of the “Creating places for the new era” report directly on your inbox.

Newsletter Form (#3)

Will blockchain disrupt the travel industry? ⚡

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

To be honest, this has been a tough week to keep an eye on the news, without feeling too overwhelmed with Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. Still, I did my best to curate the most interesting news in the travel industry about innovation, trends and startups shaping the global market.

Here we go:

  • In a joint interview, investor Jan-Frederik Valentin and founder Florian Montag, talk about blockchain, traveltech, the combination of both, the future of traveltech in Europe and the challenges and opportunities for the industry moving forward. Really good read for everyone wondering if blockchain will disrupt the travel industry.
  • With sustainability being one of the main driving forces in travel this year, TravelPerk has just launched its own carbon reduction tool. GreenPerk API lets their customers measure their carbon footprint when traveling and help them build strategies to reduce emissions. For those committed to travel sustainably, TravelPerk just made it easier to keep that promise – at least when it comes to business travel.

COVID-19 makes Australian skiing even more expensive in 2020

Thredbo has become the first Australian ski resort to reveal its pricing for season 2020, increasing the cost of a daily lift ticket by 20 per cent to $159 a day.

Sounds outrageous at a time of hardship and unemployment for many, however the steep price hike is no doubt down to the fact that Thredbo, like all Australian ski resorts, will have to limit the number of guests it allows onto the mountain this year, although there’s no clarity on what that number will be.

There are also no discounts for multi-day passes or  seasonality.

“To enable the resort to open for skiing and snowboarding, we will be rolling out a revised operating model that has been developed under the advice provided by the NSW Health Department and the State and Federal Governments,” GM Stuart Diver said.

There’ll be a limit of two people per quad chair, one at a time on t-bar (nightmare), tip-to-tail queuing , 1.5m social distancing and no group lessons.  All bookings must be made in advance.

Thredbo will be open to skiing and boarding from June 22.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson at nearby Perisher said: “Our teams are busy updating the range of products and services that we will have available. Tickets, lessons and rentals will be available for purchase by June 15 with skiing and boarding to start on June 24.”

Hotel tech company ReZme launches $800,000 crowd funding capital raise

Hospitality tech startup ReZme has launched an $800,000 capital raise to build out its website design, management and online marketing platform, which the founders claim will help operators increase direct bookings.

reZme was founded by Matt Taylor, former GM of Marketing at Choice Hotels Asia-Pacific, and and digital marketer Luke Young late last year.

It’s aiming to sign up 1000 hoteliers and property operators over the next two years with subscriptions to the software as a service (SAAS) platform starting at $159 a month. 

Taylor claims reZme increases user productivity by enhancing online marketing and consolidating key performance metrics in an easy to understand dashboard.

For details on investing in ReZme, visit https://www.birchal.com/company/rezme.

Booking.com softens rate parity stance in Australia

Booking.com has made major concessions to its controversial rate parity policy in Australia following negotiations with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission but will still not allow hoteliers to offer cheaper rates on their own websites.

In an email this week, Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans advised Australian hoteliers that from September 1 the world’s largest online travel agent (OTA) will allow hoteliers and accommodation operators to offer better deals they like through most other channels without retribution.

This includes arch-rival Expedia, which is locked in discussions with the ACCC, and other online travel agents. Update 29 Aug: Expedia has just advised it is making the same rate parity changes.

It’s an extension of the policy Booking.com has adopted in Europe, where the anti-competitive nature of rate parity – ie contractually obligating operators to charge the same room rates across all distribution channels – has been under pressure from government competition watchdogs, particularly in France and Germany.

In an email sent to Australian operators today, Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans provided details of the “recent agreement” between the ACCC and Booking.com.

” Booking.com has agreed to extend the commitments it has rolled out in the European Union to all accommodations in Australia.

“Here is a summary outlining of what changes for you:

“1. You may set different room rates and offer different conditions and availability on different OTAs

“This means you don’t have to offer the same room rates, conditions and availability on Booking.com as other OTAs.

“This gives you greater flexibility to manage your offering across distribution channels.

“2. You may offer lower rates or better conditions through offline channels (such as telephone bookings and walk-ins) provided you do not publish or market offline rates online.

“We have had feedback that our partners want the ability to discount through offline reservation channels without having to give us the same or better rates.

“From now on, we will not require the same or better rates in respect of rooms sold via offline channels, provided that you do not market those offline rates online (e.g. on your website or on meta-search sites).

“3. There is no restriction on the unpublished room rates or conditions you may offer, provided you do not market those rates online.

“We understand it may be important for you to offer special rates to your loyal customers through non-public channels (such as closed-user groups) or to negotiate special rates on a bilateral basis (e.g. a special private group discount).

“4. You are still contracted to give Booking.com parity in respect of room rates and conditions offered on your own website (which includes meta-search sites such as Trivago, Kayak, TripAdvisor or Google Hotel Finder when they redirect the consumer to your own website for booking).

“We no longer require you to give us the same availability as our competitors, but in order to give meaning to our relationship, we require at least some availability in respect of all rooms and room-rate types. The rest of the contract with you remains unchanged.”

Clement Wong, CEO, BeMyGuest

Clement has worked with the top travel companies in the world, airlines, hotels, online travel agencies, tour operators, car rental companies, helping them with their strategies and market research.

He has also advised blue chip banks and venture capital firms on their acquisitions in the travel space.

Before starting BeMyGuest, he was heading up research for Phocuswright in Europe.

Prior to that, he was the Lead Analyst for Non-Air Distribution at Travelport, and also headed up travel and tourism research for Euromonitor in the EMEA region.

Book with confidence at Wotif? No, it’s just ‘Puffery’ says Expedia

Lawyers are supposed to protect the reputations of their clients, not trash them. But it looks like someone forget to tell the highly-paid legal eagles representing Expedia in Australia, who’ve inadvertently done a hatchet job on the credibility of once-iconic Australian subsidiary Wotif.com.

They did this by arguing that Wotif should not have to refund the cost of Canberra man Hugh Selby’s horror Hawaiian holiday because its “Book with confidence” statement is “puffery” (exaggerated or false praise), while saying that if you’ve got a problem with that, please read the fine print, we’ve got you covered there.

But the questionable strategy backfired and Expedia was ordered to give Mr Selby, who took Expedia to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT), a full refund plus costs. Why? In simple terms, false advertising – the Haleiwa holiday home he arrived at looked nothing  like the images online.

Deceptive and misleading conduct

The pictures were great but the reality was a dump in Hugh’s opinion, and the Tribunal agreed, finding that “Expedia, acting as Wotif, engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct by claiming consumers could book with confidence because of the company’s ‘great local knowledge’ “, according to an ABC report.

Statements like that can be very damaging to a brand, especially galling when the issue could have been nipped in the bud for a few thousand dollars. 

Instead Expedia chose to fight the case because, just like Facebook and Google, it does not want to be held legally accountable for the content it publishes, which includes marketing and advertising.

Under this line of thinking, Expedia, Wotif, Booking.com, TripAdvisor and all the rest are just  friendly middlemen, seamlessly connecting you with the world’s greatest experiences curated by by travel experts but without any obligation to ensure the experience is what is promised.

Those days may be numbered. A crucial aspect of the ACAT judgement is that it found marketing claims by Wotif such as “Book with confidence” overrode the fine print designed to protect parent company Expedia from liability – ie what you say matters.

Jetstar also in the firing line

In some ways this ruling echoes a recent ACCC case involving Jetstar, which may be fined $1.95 million for making sweeping and legally unenforceable  statements in its terms and conditions (fine print) that the carrier and others point to when confronting irate customers. 

“No matter how cheap the fares are, airlines cannot make blanket statements to consumers that flights are non-refundable,” said Rod Sims, Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

“Services such as flights come with automatic consumer guarantees, and these rights cannot be excluded, restricted or modified.

“If a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed, passengers may be entitled to a refund under the consumer guarantees, which give consumers a right to a remedy if services are not supplied within a reasonable time.

“It’s frustrating for travellers when they have difficulty getting a refund for flights when they are entitled to one.

“This case is important not only for holding Jetstar to account, but sending a wider message that businesses cannot exclude or limit consumers’ rights under the Australian Consumer Law,’ ” Mr Sims said.

Both cases show that times are changing.

Legal Error of Judgement

To state the obvious, fighting this case has proven to be the wrong move for Expedia and has I think rattled the image of Wotif, Australia’s original hotel OTA.  

Founded in 2000 and sold to Expedia in 2014, Wotif has as much credibility as any Aussie travel company, and deserves to be treated with more respect.

Meanwhile, life goes on and the famous green website is still promising consumers they can “book with confidence” – though it’s probably time to add the caveat that statement should be taken with a grain of salt.

That’s how the lawyers would like it, however you cannot have it both ways.