9 Killer Blog Posts for Travel Marketers This Week: Hospitality Marketing Link Digest

No real setup for this week’s Hospitality Marketing Link Digest, Big Thinkers. Instead, here’s a list of 9 killer blog posts for travel marketers this week. Enjoy:

1. Man, is Airbnb getting tons of press these days or what? First Tnooz reports that Airbnb has released a pricing algorithm to developers, jeopardizing the startup ecosystem,
2. Skift then talks with boutique hotel leaders who say Airbnb is no match for their service and experiences. I generally agree in this post, “How Safe Are Independent Hotels from Airbnb?” But the devil’s in the details, so you really want to check out both.
3. While not specifically about Airbnb, you also might want to check out this post that asks, “Are Hotel Brands Doomed?” It paints a pretty solid picture of where we are today — and where we’re headed.
4. Hospitality Net has a great piece called “I’m out of here: 10 Ways Your Hotel’s Booking Engine Is Pushing People Out The Door.” Excellent insights, well worth your time.
5. On a similar note, Tnooz looks at eight reasons why travel websites fail the consumer and lose a booking. Good stuff.
6. Speaking of booking channels, eMarketer says that travelers navigate to brand sites, not OTAs, to book. While this may seem like really good news — and, let’s be fair, it is — let’s not forget that some of this is more cyclical. Guests tend to book direct during better economic times when they’re less price sensitive vs. tougher times when guests shop around a bunch more. Stay tuned for more on this in a future Travel Tuesday post.
7. One last booking-focused post comes from Skift, which explains how user-generated content inspires travel bookings. Really great read.
8. Continuing the good news, another Skift post highlights 5 charts that show why the travel industry is the world’s fastest growing sector, so, woo-hoo!
9. And, finally, you won’t want to miss these 5 fantastic hospitality marketing and distribution dispatches: the top travel posts for May. Great stuff.

Want more to get you through the rest of this weekend and the week ahead? Be sure to check out these “5 Amazing Mobile Hotel Marketing Stories,” a great set of “8 Exceptional Hospitality Marketing Posts from the Past Week: Hospitality Marketing Link Digest,” a terrific round-up of “7 Remarkable Posts about Mobile Marketing in Travel” and these “7 Brilliant Insights into Mobile Travel E-commerce” from our hospitality marketing link digests (part of the ongoing E-commerce Link Digest series).

And if you’re looking to learn even more about how changing guest behavior shapes hospitality marketing, e-commerce, and distribution, be sure an register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” While it’s targeted specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons apply to just about any business. You can get your free copy of the report here.

You might also want to take a moment to review the slides from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions 2015: Three Key Trends Driving Your Hotel Marketing Next Year” here:

Finally, you will definitely want to check out some of our past coverage of the mobile, local, social web and how to make it work for your business, including:

• 10 Key Posts about Millennials and Mobile: E-commerce Link Digest
• The Secrets Behind “It’s All E-commerce” for 2014
• Should Marketers Really Trust Google in 2014?
• The Zen of Digital Marketing Strategy
• 7 Steps to E-Commerce Heaven
• Today and Tomorrow: Mobile and The Changing Customer Journey
• Mobile Makes E-commerce Even More “Frictionless”
• Your 2014 Internet Marketing New Year’s Resolutions – Thinks Out Loud Episode 56