Trivago Gets Harsh Reminder of Google Ads' Power

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 7. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Trivago built a global brand as a place to find hotel deals in the years leading up to its 2016 IPO based on a blitz of TV advertising. You couldn’t avoid the Trivago Guy on U.S. TV, and his male and female counterparts were equally ubiquitous in markets from Germany to Australia.

The overall nights booked on Airbnb in India have grown by almost 70% in 2022 as compared to pre-pandemic levels while domestic nights grew by 110%.

Ricotta cheese cake. Pasta and chickpea stew. Anchovies with endive. All of these dishes are commonly spotted on menus throughout Rome, yet people may not realize they trace their origins to the city’s Jewish Ghetto, and the community that has called it home for more than 2,000 years. (Just look to the beloved fried artichoke, carciofi alla Giudia, which literally means Jewish-style artichokes.)

Since 1981, the Japan Rail Pass has provided overseas visitors with budget-friendly access to unlimited rides on the country’s local and regional lines, as well as the famed shinkansen bullet trains, which can reach an operational speed of 200 miles per hour, at prices unchanged in decades. Indeed, visitors to Japan in 2023 pay the same unadjusted amount for a two-week rail pass as they did in 1989.

Three Trivago executives returned to the company in May after a 3-year absence, and two months later they brought back a semi-controversial ad pitchman, the Trivago Guy.

In our weekend roundup, we delve into the pros and cons of Google’s latest foray into the tours and activities industry, providing insights into how online travel agencies might stand to benefit. We also catch up with IHG’s new CEO Elie Maalouf and his ambitious plans for the brand’s future. From AI’s influence on the travel sector to the latest controversies in short-term rentals, keep reading for a comprehensive look at the most pressing issues in today’s travel landscape.

Airbnb thinks it’s unfair that the European Commission is proposing increased data-sharing requirements on short-term rental providers across the zone, but Google seemingly is escaping the clampdown.

Google made changes to Google Flights and Hotels related to transparency in hotel reviews and pricing under pressure from the European Commission — but stopped short of making those modifications elsewhere in the world.

If the sudden dropping of all restrictions by the Chinese government caught travel agents and tour operators off-guard, it begs the question: why? 

Starwood Capital, a real estate investment firm run by Barry Sternlicht — who has scaled up high-end brands W Hotels, St. Regis Hotels, 1 Hotels, Treehouse Hotels, and Baccarat Hotels — said it would help launch a limited-service hotel brand focused on the outdoor sector. Enter the iconic media brand Field & Stream, founded in 1895.

A strategic partnership with Booking Holdings is helping expense management company Serko recover from the pandemic.