Expedia Group's CMO on B2A: Marketing to AI Agents Is the Next Frontier

Market Pulse 2 min read

LGBTQ+ Workers Are Turning Down Jobs and Business Opportunities Over Travel Safety Fears, Booking.com Research Finds

Booking.com's 2026 Travel Proud research found that 42% of LGBTQ+ employees have turned down business opportunities over travel safety concerns, and 44% have avoided applying for jobs at companies without clear LGBTQ+ travel protections.

Sarah · May 28, 2026

Market Pulse 3 min read

Only 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ Travelers Feel Comfortable Being Out on the Road, Booking.com's 2026 Travel Proud Report Finds

Booking.com's 2026 Travel Proud Report surveyed 13,331 LGBTQ+ travelers across 19 countries and found that only 31% are out while traveling, 44% are taking more safety precautions than before, and 37% feel safer asking AI about local conditions than asking a human.

Sarah · May 28, 2026

Strategy 2 min read

Airbnb Opens Free World Cup Exhibition and Hugo Sánchez Fan Experience in Mexico City

Airbnb opens a free community-powered football exhibition in Mexico City and launches a fan day with Hugo Sánchez — the latest activation in what the company calls its biggest-ever event.

Sarah · May 27, 2026

Strategy 2 min read

Airbnb Leads $58M Investment in WeRoad as Adventure Travel Platform Eyes US Expansion

Airbnb led a $58M Series C in adventure travel platform WeRoad, backing its US launch while its outgoing CEO joins Airbnb as VP of hotels.

Sarah · May 27, 2026

Strategy 2 min read

Airbnb Appoints Andrea D'Amico as VP of Hotels to Lead 30-City Expansion

Airbnb has named Andrea D'Amico — former Booking.com VP and WeRoad CEO — as its new VP of hotels, tasked with scaling hotel supply to 30 cities and competing head-on with the established OTAs.

Sarah · May 26, 2026

Strategy 1 min read

Booking.com's Merchant Model Fuels Growth and Profits

Booking.com uses a merchant model to hold $8.2 billion in traveler funds, driving growth and profit via currency conversion fees.

Sarah · May 21, 2026

Strategy 2 min read

Booking Holdings Launches Unified Ad Platform Spanning Booking.com, Priceline, and Agoda

Booking Holdings is launching BKNG Ads, a unified advertising platform spanning Booking.com, Priceline, and Agoda — the first time partners can buy across all three brands through a single buy.

Sarah · May 21, 2026

Strategy 2 min read

Airbnb's 2026 Summer Release Turns It Into a Full-Service Travel Platform

Airbnb's 2026 Summer Release adds car rentals, airport pickups, grocery delivery, boutique hotels, and FIFA World Cup Experiences — marking the company's most ambitious expansion beyond home-sharing to date.

Sarah · May 20, 2026

Tech Deep Dive 2 min read

Booking.com Brings Car Rental Search to ChatGPT and Launches Three AI Tools for the Road Trip Season

Booking.com has added car rental search to its ChatGPT app and launched three AI tools covering post-booking support, review summaries, and smarter search filters.

Sarah · May 20, 2026

Tech Deep Dive 2 min read

Expedia Group B2B Launches AI Toolkit and Intelligent Experience Platform at Explore 26

At Explore 26, Expedia Group B2B unveiled its Intelligent Experience Platform — a composable AI toolkit letting partners build branded travel experiences on Expedia's supply infrastructure, signaling a major bet on agentic travel distribution.

Sarah · May 19, 2026

Strategy 2 min read

Google Moves Toward Direct Hotel and Flight Booking Inside AI Search

Google's I/O 2026 announcements confirm the company's move from search intermediary to active travel booking platform — with Booking.com and Expedia among the first named OTA partners for direct hotel and flight booking in AI Mode.

Sarah · May 19, 2026

Market Pulse 2 min read

Expedia Group to Acquire CarTrawler in Second B2B Deal of 2026

Expedia Group has agreed to acquire CarTrawler, the Dublin B2B platform connecting 550+ car rental suppliers with 300+ travel brands, for approximately $350 million — its second B2B acquisition of 2026.

Sarah · May 19, 2026