Alibaba’s Fliggy goes global in travel epayments, Chinese tourists - richer experiences, the hidden audiences inside your hotel’s social channels and are you ready for Destination X?.

Alibaba’s Fliggy goes global in travel epayments
Monday, 11th March 2019

Alibaba’s Fliggy platform is deepening its partnerships with hotels and airlines around the world, which are using the Chinese online marketplace’s points and eWallet portal to mine data pools to greater effect.

Similar eWallet partnerships with companies in India, Korea, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh would allow Alibaba to service 200m users using mobile payments >>

Steigenberger Hotels CEO: 'You can't replicate palaces'
11 Mar 2019 : Keep your brand special and make sure each location is unique – that's the success formula in the luxury segment, says Thomas Willms, CEO of Steigenberger Hotels >>

Emerging markets drive growth in outbound travel
10 Mar 2019 : Growth is coming from all regions worldwide but the strongest gains are coming from Asia and Latin America >>

Chinese tourists are looking for richer cultural experiences when venturing abroad
9 Mar 2019 : 'Chinese tourists have been regarded as mobile ATM machines who only want to shop,' said Sophie Zhang, Senior Manager for Programs and Projects, World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), 'but that’s changing, they are increasingly interested in exotic customs, beautiful scenery, the environment, and landscapes >>

New docuseries showcases the Future of Sustainable Travel
11 Mar 2019 : Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas launches 'Beyond Horizons' - a series of mini video documentaries showcasing the breadth and variety of charitable and sustainability work supported by Anantara properties worldwide >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

Memories versus Experiences
Monday, 11th March 2019

Exclusive Feature: At the luxury, boutique lifestyle end of the lodging industry, what really makes the difference are the memories and not just the 'experiences'.

'Creating Experiences' has become a huge cliché. Do we hoteliers actually know what we talk about? Some of us do, but many of us just follow the trend >>

The Hidden Audiences Inside Your Hotel’s Social Media Channels
The days of soft KPIs and look-over-here metrics in paid social advertising are long gone and it’s hard to believe that hotel marketers ever once reported on Facebook Likes or Instagram Followers as a KPI >>

Tips For Partnering with Instagrammers
Partnerships with travel and lifestyle Instagram influencers can help hotels reach new audiences that traditional advertising and PR may not, and now that users can book hotel rooms through the Instagram app, skilled influencers are more valuable than ever for the hospitality and travel industry >>

Are You Ready for Destination X?
What is Destination X? It is the wonderful, yet largely hidden and untapped ancillary service marketplace catching fire in the post-booking phase of travel. Yet, very little is known or understood about how travelers are navigating and coping with it. Quite surprising when you factor in PhocusWright’s prediction that the market for travel activities is expected to reach $183 billion by 2020 >>

Want More Direct Bookings? Give the Best Answers
Driving direct bookings on your hotel’s website isn’t just about using tactics like social advertising, PPC campaigns and SEO to ensure a steady flow of visitors to your homepage; Here are 7 questions hotel marketers need to answer with their marketing >>