What does this mean for the future of hospitality?

30 years online

2016

– Choose below the three events with the most impact on our industry, today and in the future. –

1989

The first steps towards the World Wide Web are being taken.

1994

Travelweb is created as the first comprehensive online catalog of hotels around the world. Not much later a book machine is also added. In the same year, Jeff Greenwald writes the first travel blog.

1996

Microsoft establishes an online travel agency: Expedia. This is also the year that Larry Page and Sergy Brin laid the foundation for Google. Bookings.nl was also founded this year, the later booking.com.

1998

Establishment of lastminute.com. Focused on convenience, accessibility and even last minute booking options

2000

Start from Tripadvisor, above a pizza place.

2001

9/11, cited in the travel industry as the turning point for the success of the online booking sites. The decline in business and leisure travel forced many hotels to offer the overcapacity online. Microsoft sells Expedia.

2004

Facebook starts and introduces a new concept in the travel industry; The ability to directly share your experiences. Later continued with twitter, foursquare, printerest, instagram.

2005

Priceline buys Booking.com in further growth to global reach.

2007

The iPhone enables mobile access to the internet. The start of many travel services for mobile devices.

2008

Establishment of AirBedAndBreakfast, or Airbnb. This has created a new type of traveler who wants to visit places in a different way.

2010

Google the search engine buys a ticket software company. With which the company itself becomes active in the implementation after ten years of advertising income from the travel industry. Which begs the question to what extent the company can display independent search results, sell adwords and offer trips itself. Especially after google has also taken over other travel sites and review sites.

2011

HotelTonight makes a quick entry into the market with a mobile app.

2013

Expedia buys German search site Trivago and Priceline buys hotel search site Kayak. With which the major search, book and comparison sites increasingly come under the same owner. With great transparency for the bookers. Number of visitors in March for Tripadvisor, 21 mln and Expedia also 21 mln.

2014

OTA percentage of total overnight sales in Europe is growing from 26% in 2012 to 40% in 2017.

2015

Further acquisition of activities in the online travel industry. Priceline’s acquisition of RocketMiles should have hotels worried.

Impact of Online for you.

How is vacation and travel behavior influenced by the internet?
What are the consequences if you do nothing?
To what extent do third parties remain independent?

Where online was a minor side issue in the past, for some new hospitality initiatives it is the basis for growth and development for the future. Check Hotel News Now for all the latest news about online hospitality.