Marketing

🗺 Jun 2, 2025, Booking.com ended thousands of small affiliate partnerships, affecting travel bloggers and content creators, with just 30 days’ notice. This was aimed at reducing costs and fraud, part of Booking Holdings' plan to cut $400M–$450M in expenses. Smaller affiliates were directed to platforms like CJ, Awin, and Affnetmedia. The move led to backlash and a shift to competitors like BookDirect.com and Stay22, with concerns over trust and brand equity.

📧 81% of customers prefer personalized experiences, both in person and digitally. 21% of marketing emails land in spam due to poor targeting. Hotels can improve engagement by segmenting guests based on stay dates, origin, rate codes, room choice, and booking channels. This method increases email deliverability, ROI, and fosters repeat bookings. Segmentation doesn't require complex data; basic insights suffice to tailor marketing efforts effectively and avoid generic communication pitfalls.

📹 Fairmont Hotels & Resorts launches its new global campaign "Make Special Happen," directed by Jean Claude Thibaut, shot at Fairmont Royal York, Toronto. The campaign celebrates Fairmont's legacy of hosting historic events like the UN Charter signing and Truman Capote's Ball. Launched in May 2025, the campaign spans video, print, and social media across key regions: North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Featuring unique offerings, the initiative aims to make every moment special at Fairmont's 92 properties in 30 countries.

📈 May 26, 2025 – Booking.com ends direct affiliate partnerships with travel content creators, effective June 20, 2025, urging them to reapply via Awin. This impacts those earning under €1000/month, causing revenue loss before peak summer. Affected creators must urgently replace links. Competitors like Expedia explore AI tools, adding to industry disruption. Confusion and frustration grow as creators express concerns on LinkedIn and Reddit, with Booking.com providing limited information.

🤖 Google’s new “Shop with AI mode” revolutionizes e-commerce by integrating discovery and purchase directly in search, disrupting the $5.5 trillion industry. OpenAI’s Operator agent books hotels, shifting from traditional websites to AI-driven transactions. Morgan Stanley anticipates a $5 trillion humanoid robot economy by 2050, with significant impacts on sectors like travel and hospitality. Y Combinator promotes AI agent-focused startups. Expedia and Airbnb innovate with AI and new services, respectively, challenging traditional travel and service models.

📈 May 23, 2025, hotels face shifting guest expectations and economic uncertainty. 81% of consumers prefer personalized experiences, making guest segmentation essential. Generic marketing is ineffective, with mass emails often ignored. Segmentation based on booking history and preferences improves engagement. Use existing data like past stays and spending habits for effective segmentation. Tailored messaging enhances acquisition, bookings, and loyalty. An available guide offers five segmentation strategies to implement today. Access it at Cendyn's website.

📈 May 23, 2025: OTA stocks rebounded after Q1 2025 earnings exceeded expectations. Expedia faced challenges due to U.S. dependence, but most firms surpassed EBITDA forecasts. Airbnb projected a $1B+ revenue from new services. Expedia saw a 1.5% decline in B2C revenue but beat EBITDA expectations through cost management. Geographic diversification offset U.S. travel weakness, with strong intra-European and Canadian outbound travel trends.

📷 33% of French travelers are influenced by social media for vacation planning, increasing to 58% among 25-34-year-olds. Phocuswright reports 62% of travelers have booked trips after seeing social media content. 28% booked hotels based on influencer advice, with 37% regularly following such advice. Instagram (68%) and YouTube (67%) are the most impactful platforms. On Pinterest, 8 out of 10 users plan trips, and 68% finalize travel purchases. MGallery, Mercure, and Club Med utilize Pinterest for listings.