TDS Europe 2015

May 2015, London

Top 5: the top stories and tips you may have missed in March

Metasearch, mobile and the power of content were the flavour of this month but we also explore the implications of a challenging and competitive operating environment

Each month we conduct interviews with executives from across the travel industry. We hear their challenges and concerns, what they’re doing well and what they could do better.

Here are five stories that you may have missed.

#1.  Metasearch vs OTAs: collision course or room for both?

Estimated conversion rates for travel e-commerce sites can range from between 2% and 7%, so surely the industry can do better. And when it comes to search and the transaction there is plenty to learn from Amazon and Google, and in this article we find out how. Other considerations are whether to display competitive pricing.

Top Tip: Show your customer as much relevant product as possible, including prices from your competitors.

#2.  This much we know: personalised content is the end game in online travel

Five tips come from executives at Venere.com, e-Dreams ODIGEO and Secret Escapes who will be speaking at this year’s TDS Europe. They go something like this: qualitative results mean more than quantitative results, influence matters more than information, knowing your audience, being relevant and having a clear brand identity is a must and while it’s essential to take a 360-degree approach.

Top tip: And the most important? In our view, having a clear brand identity because in this competitive space you can’t please everybody.

#3.  Appily ever after: into the future with mobile innovation

It’s been a busy month and in San Francisco EyeforTravel recognised the firms that are tackling mobile in the most innovative way today. In this piece the winners and runners up share some of their thoughts about the future of mobile innovation. Key words are: spontaneity, new technologies like voice recognition, contextual content and personalisation.

Top tip: Test, test, test  

#4.  Is the tide turning for e-Dreams Odigeo?

In some hard-hitting analysis, Sally White takes a look at what is riding on the e-Dreams Odigeo share price recovery. A lot, she says, as “more than a few European digital travel IPOs are lined up in the wings”. The company has had a very tough time keeping consumers happy through 2013 and 2014, but the things may be looking up.

With a new CEO, Dana Dunne, ex chief commercial officer of EasyJet, a ten-point ‘turnaround plan’ which involves more money for mobile and customer relations and more focus on hotels has been implemented and sales are up in some places.

Top tip: Well of the seven analysts covering the stock, five have it down as a ‘buy’. Something to think about?

#5.  Is a new UK trade body for the ‘sharing economy’ an oxymoron?

A look at the remit of a new UK trade body and what the sharing economy really stands for comes from Mariam Sharp who looks at the unprecedented growth in brokerage services over the past decade. Brands like Airbnb, which today has over a million listings in 34,000 cities and current bookings estimated to be around 37 million nights a year, are even overtaking hotel companies. Regulators are having a trouble understanding how to handle this but in the UK the Department for Business Innovation and Skills has published an independent review in a bid to understand how to ‘unlock the sharing economy’.

Top tip: Watch this space and understand how firms like Airbnb and Uber are impacting your brand

April takes a breather on the events calendar but don't miss TDS Europe (May 6-7) in London in early May and TDS Asia later in the month (May 20-21)

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