Sarah · May 04, 2026 · 2 min read
Airbnb's new report finds that travellers motivated by K-pop, K-drama, and Korean cuisine stay longer and spend more than average — a signal with implications for OTA demand strategy well beyond South Korea.
MakeMyTrip is evaluating a domestic India listing for its India business via Indian Depository Receipts, with Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and Axis Capital hired as advisers. The move signals growth ambitions in one of the world's fastest-expanding travel markets.
Uber has added hotel bookings to its app using Expedia Group's Rapid API, putting 700,000+ properties in front of Uber's user base. For listed operators, it's a new distribution channel — but Uber One discounts apply.
Booking Holdings grew room nights 6% and revenue 16% in Q1 2026, though the Middle East conflict clipped an estimated two percentage points off growth. Adjusted EBITDA rose 19% to $1.3 billion.
Booking.com is now searchable and bookable through Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, creating a new discovery channel for the platform's 28-million-property inventory.
KAYAK launched Ask AI, a conversational travel search tool that updates live flight, hotel, and car results in real time alongside a chat interface, marking a first in travel metasearch.
Expedia Group has appointed Derek Andersen, formerly CFO of Snap, as its new Chief Financial Officer. He takes over May 11, succeeding Scott Schenkel who joined in early 2025.
Tripadvisor and Viator have launched as booking partners inside Claude and expanded their Alexa+ integration, part of a strategy to embed across every major AI travel planning surface.
Airbnb is investing $100,000 in Kansas City's Open Doors! initiative and sponsoring a Small Business Guide, extending its FIFA World Cup 2026 strategy from host recruitment into community economic development.
Capital One has acquired the technology and around 150 employees from Hopper that powered Capital One Travel, ending an outsourced arrangement and sharpening the bank's push to compete with American Express and Chase in the premium travel segment.
OpenTable acquired Libro, a Montreal-based restaurant reservation platform, expanding Booking Holdings' presence in Canada ahead of World Cup travel this summer.
Airbnb and Philadelphia Soccer 2026 will provide free SEPTA Broad Street Line rides for fans after FIFA World Cup matches in the city, extending Airbnb's official World Cup partnership into fan transportation.