Powering Travel

Ever wondered how to boost your Vrbo bookings? This week, Sam chats with Travis Gibbon, a savvy Vrbo host in the Hilton Head market, who shares insider tips on maximizing your listing’s potential ahead of peak booking season. Travis dives into flexible cancelation policies, adjusting minimum night stays, and setting competitive rates. He also explains how to use tools like Escapia for dynamic pricing to ensure you are booked and busy in the new year. Whether you're a seasoned Vrbo host or just starting out, this episode is packed with practical advice to elevate your hosting game!Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

Expedia’s annual Unpack™ outlook is here, using data-driven insights to uncover upcoming travel trends for 2025.  Samantha Lopez is joined by Amanda Maltos, an industry leader and communications expert from Expedia Group, to dive into the data gathered from more than 25,000 travelers in this year's Unpack™ Report. Some key findings include travelers adding Detour Destinations to their trips, Set-Jetting and the continued influence of media on travelers, the pull of mother nature when planning trips and much more. And of course, what this all means for you and your business! Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

With entrepreneurship on the rise, vacation rental hosts and savvy travel advisors are seizing opportunities to grow and make a positive impact in the industry. In this episode, Vrbo host Michelle Ruber and travel advisor Rebecca Smiley, share their insights on growing their businesses with Expedia Group. Michelle talks about how Vrbo’s platform empowers hosts to provide personalized and trusted travel experiences. Rebecca details her journey into entrepreneurship, how she leverages social media, community connections, and Expedia Travel TAAP.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

How can destinations reinvent themselves to attract travelers year-round? In this episode, Samantha Lopez is joined by two key figures in French tourism, Sophie Mandrillon from Atout France and Loic Chovelon from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, to explore how their organizations are reshaping tourism in the off season. They discuss their partnership with Expedia Group, they focus on sustainable tourism initiatives and the strategies they use to combat seasonality, particularly in the beautiful Côte d'Azur region.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

The cost of travel is on the rise, and so are our customers' expectations. So how can travel providers keep up? Expedia Group's head of B2B Lodging Marketing, Brandon Ehrhardt, joins the podcast to share insights from our latest research on traveler behavior. Compared to travelers booking on other platforms, Expedia Group travelers are shown to spend 21% more on properties and stay 11% longer than other guests, creating significant revenue opportunities for hotels. We discuss how initiatives like the VIP Access program are key to success, and how you can use revenue insights to create better experiences for travelers.  Download the full Uncovering Traveler Value report here.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

As fraud becomes more sophisticated, it’s crucial for travel businesses to stay one step ahead. In this episode of Powering Travel, Samantha Lopez is joined by Amit Ghosh, Head of Fraud and Risk Portfolio at Expedia Group, to discuss increasing threats in the travel industry. Amit shares his insights on the growing challenges posed by AI advancements and phishing attacks, emphasizing the importance of staying vigilant throughout the customer journey. He also highlights how Expedia's innovative fraud detection tools are helping safeguard travelers and businesses to ensure a seamless and secure experience.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

As vacation rentals rise in popularity, it's more important than ever to ensure your listing stands out. Angela Page, Director of Account Management for Vacation Rentals at Expedia Group and a Vrbo host herself, shares her tips for optimizing your property listing to attract the right guests and provide a great experience. Some of her advice includes how the right settings can help you avoid costly cancellations, how to keep your listing’s rules and amenities up to date, why the order of photos in your listing matters, and why you might want to ditch the cleaning fee altogether. She also shares how hosting with Vrbo can help you manage your bookings in a streamlined and professional manner, creating the best guest experience possible, no matter the circumstances. Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and welcome while traveling. However, Expedia Group’s latest research reveals that Black, Latino, LGBTQIA+ travelers, and those with disabilities still face significant barriers that hinder their travel experiences. Lawrence Phillips, CEO of Green Book Global, shares how his platform empowers Black travelers with authentic reviews and resources, helping them navigate the world with confidence. Joining the conversation, Heather Ansley, Chief Policy Officer at Paralyzed Veterans of America, highlights the challenges disabled travelers encounter and the advocacy efforts aimed at ensuring safe and dignified travel experiences. Together, they offer inspiring insights and actionable strategies to break down barriers and create a more inclusive travel industry for all.Read the full report here: Journeys for All: An Expedia Group Study on Inclusion in TravelPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

When opening a new property, securing those initial bookings can be challenging, especially when competing against established properties. Susana Ramírez Horta, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Tafer Hotels & Resorts, shares how she leverages Expedia Group's tools to increase visibility for both new and established properties. Susana explains that as Tafer prepares to open a new property, they use Expedia Group's pay-per-stay Accelerator tool to ensure it appears at the top of search results for travelers. She and her team started using Accelerator when they were struggling to stand out in the crowded Cancun market and have since seen impressive ROI, including enhanced visibility in search results. Tune in to learn how you can use Accelerator and other Expedia Group tools to get more eyes on your bookings. To learn more visit: https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/blog/hotel-marketing-accelerator-toolPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

In today’s market, travelers have seemingly endless options for where to stay. How can businesses boost their visibility to ensure that travelers are making bookings with them? We hear from Carlos del Pino at Original Group who has tapped into Expedia’s extensive B2B partner network and launched a pay-per-stay Accelerator, to boost visibility, making it easier to fill rooms–especially during off-season. Original Group is a Mexican based hospitality group that is a pioneer in Cancun, building the first hotel in the area in 1974.  Hear how Carlos leverages Accelerator in tandem with TravelAds to increase their properties’ visibility without eating into their marketing budget, and learn more about what Accelerator can do for your business. To learn more visit: https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/blog/travelads-and-accelerator-hotel-visibility-boostersPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

Data and cookies have long been used in advertising to understand, target, retarget, track, and report on the purchasing journeys of consumers. Now that third-party cookies are being phased out, travel marketers and advertisers need to rely on first-party data to build strategic campaigns that effectively connect with travelers. In this episode, we take a closer look at first-party data this new era of digital advertising and tap our expert, Jason Standifer, senior director of product management for Expedia Group Media Solutions, to help us understand what to expect. Listen in to gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of third-party data and cookies, and how advertisers will need to use first-party data to create personalized experiences, and connect with travelers to drive bookings.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/podcast.

Powering Travel is changing to best serve you! On this feed, you’ll find exclusive stand-alone content that offers insights into the ever-evolving travel industry. We’ll be breaking down complex topics and providing insights and inspiration to help you grow your business. You’ll be hearing about a range of topics from expert voices across the industry, spotlights on partners, and educational pieces on what’s powering the travel industry. Make sure you’ve subscribed wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode! Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/podcast.

Guest Host Becca Glenn, Director of Partner Success for Vacation Rentals is joined by Mary Beth Miles, CEO of Vacation Rental Collective. Becca and Mary Beth sit down to talk all things vacation rentals, and how to create unforgettable experiences for guests. In a post-pandemic world, guest expectations of vacation rentals have shifted. Today, travelers are looking for hotel-level amenities and personalized experiences, and according to Mary Beth, providing delight and surprise elevates it to a first-class experience. Mary Beth discusses how her properties deliver these experiences by employing travel management software and tech like smart locks and remote thermostats, as well as special touches like gift baskets filled with local products to make a guest experience problem-free. They also discuss sustainability, accessibility and going beyond accommodation. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear how to take your vacation rental to the next level and provide a 5-star experience every time. Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at partner.expediagroup.com.

Guest host Mike Grubler, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Expedia Group, is joined by Kerry Mack for this episode on revenue management in hospitality. Kerry is an expert in the space, and is currently the Chief Revenue Officer at Highgate, where she has worked for over eighteen years. Mike and Kerry discuss why revenue management in the travel industry continues to be a unique and complicated topic. This complication makes efficient and sophisticated revenue management in travel vital. According to Kerry, a successful manager is someone who understands the customer as well as the various circumstances that they travel. Mike and Kerry also discuss how the space has changed as more data becomes available, and how traveler segmentation has become increasingly flexible. Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at partner.expediagroup.com.

Wondering how new technology like AI will impact travel? In this episode, guest host Richard Kocher, Senior Director of Media Insights and Planning at Expedia Group, is joined by travel journalist Siew Hoon Yeoh to discuss the role of technology in travel. Siew Hoon is the founder of Web in Travel, and has been covering the impact of tech on the travel industry since the early 2000s. She believes that travel is still a human industry —after all, it's humans who travel, not robots. However, she also believes that tech like AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we travel. The two dive into how AI has allowed people to plan less and live in the moment by providing hyperpersonal recommendations on the spot, eliminating the need to plan every step of a trip. They also talk about how new tech is helping travelers streamline their experiences. Join Richard and Siew Hoon for an enlightening conversation about the future of tech and travel, and tune in to hear insider predictions on travel technology innovations and tips on keeping up with the ever-evolving industry. Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at partner.expediagroup.com.

Brandon is back to host this episode of Powering Travel! Join him and Ariane Gorin, President of Expedia for Business at Expedia Group, for a great discussion on the state of the travel industry, how Expedia is enabling their partners to capture the demand of the growing middle class, and the importance of accessing this new segment of travelers. Ariane, a seasoned leader in the travel space, shares valuable insights on how Expedia is facilitating its partners to tap into the expanding middle class across diverse markets, such as Asia and the Middle East. As these markets grow, people will have disposable income to spend on travel, and she wants to ensure that partners are empowered to capture that demand.  Additionally, Ariane offers a glimpse into evolving travel loyalty programs, upcoming trends in 2024, and provides insights into how Expedia is generating new demand for its supply partners. Tune in for an informative and entertaining exploration of the evolving travel landscape.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at partner.expediagroup.com.

What is the lodging industry doing to achieve decarbonization and net zero? Aditi Mohapatra, VP Global Social Impact & Sustainability, sits down with Xavier Guillemin, VP Global Sales Sustainability at Accor, Europe's largest hospitality company, to find out!  Xavier gives his insights on the lodging industry's pursuit of decarbonization and net-zero goals, emphasizing the mounting pressure from travelers for sustainable lodging and the importance of meeting COP 21 commitments. Xavier also shares what Accor is doing to hold themselves accountable to their sustainability commitments and some of the innovative solutions they are implementing to achieve them. Finally, they discuss the importance of clear and concise communication to ensure travelers have visibility into hotels' sustainability practices when making booking decisions. The Sustainable Travel StudyPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at partner.expediagroup.com.

Is there a typical path to purchase when it comes to booking travel? Join guest host Richard Kocher, Senior Director, Media Insights & Planning, as he interviews Cheryl Miller, Senior Vice President of B2B Marketing at Expedia Group. Cheryl has extensive experience in marketing and go-to-market initiatives for large tech companies, and together, they discuss the findings of Expedia’s Path to Purchase Report, an in-depth study that explores how travelers make decisions when planning their next trip. Cheryl highlights that the path to purchase is winding, long, and never straightforward. She also emphasizes the importance of employing an omnichannel marketing approach, as the report uncovered the variety of channels travelers explore when booking travel, such as social media and OTAs. She and Richard also discuss some of the many other important insights from the report, like the influence of advertising, the role of loyalty, and how to engage travelers at each step along the journey. This episode offers a compelling glimpse into the intersection of technology, consumer behavior, and marketing strategies. The Path to Purchase ReportPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at partner.expediagroup.com.

Join Brandon and an expert roster of guest hosts as they uncover what recent breakthroughs in technology mean for travel. From Gen AI to innovative new security features, the travel space is rapidly evolving – and we have a front row seat. Tune in this season to uncover how these innovations can help you and your business grow in 2024!Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill. Learn more at partner.expediagroup.com.

In the Season 2 finale of Powering Travel, Brandon interviews Katherine Fan. Katherine is a freelance writer and a loyalty expert who started her loyalty journey the way many people do, looking at how to make the most of her travel. Today she still loves loyalty programs, and teaches others how to take full advantage of them. Katherine and Brandon discuss One Key, Expedia’s largest and most comprehensive rewards program yet, the differences between cash and mileage-based programs, and some of the crazy things they’ve both done in pursuit of points. Katherine also discusses her love of Hotels.com, her strategy for redeeming points, and the future of loyalty programs.Learn more about One KeyPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.