Adam Anderson, Director of Industry Relations, Expedia
1) More international travelers—There were 67 million international travelers to the US in '12, and that'll increase to 85 million by 2018, Adam says. (Thank more countries getting hooked up to high-speed Internet and a growing middle class.) Expedia is broadening its global reach (more than 150 sites in over 70 different countries in 36 languages) and spending $2B in global sales and marketing.
2) More mobility—Mobile bookings are estimated to increase to 18% this year, growing threefold in only two years. It’s important for the industry to optimize its websites and apps to be scalable for different tech, Adam says.
3) A bigger focus on meta channels—More travelers will be shopping on meta channels like Kayak, scouring the web for the best deals. Prices will drive hotels' ranks and results on these channels, but it's also important for hoteliers to work with a partner that has the expertise to optimize the efficacy of the channel.
