As we kick off the new year, here are more reflections on the year that was and the one that lies ahead.
Timothy Hughes, Vice President Marketing, Agoda
1. The thing you will remember most about 2014 (personally)
As 2014 came to a close the news sites once again filled with images of distraught relatives waiting for news of loved ones missing from an airline disaster. When you see these photos there is no solace to be gained from the statistics that tell you that airline travel has never been safer or cheaper. Instead you send thoughts of condolence to the families of those that flew on MH 17, MH 360, QZ 8501, GE 222 and others.
2. The news headlines/developments that defined travel in 2014
• As I mentioned at the WIT conference, the easy – and wrong – answer is to say “mobile”. If you are talking about mobile as the biggest thing in 2014 then you have already missed the mobile story. Mobile was the story of 2012 and 13. In 2014 mobile became the business. It is the core of the offering.
• 2014 was defined by data and customer choice. Customers have more choice than ever before in terms of the places to go, the hotels available, the fare combinations, the activities to do and the sites to use. Companies has more data than ever before to use to help target consumers and supply consumers with what they want. Successful companies gave customers lots of choice and used data to help them with that choice.
3. Three predictions for travel for 2015
One big prediction; consumers will keep on discovering – travel consumers want more. More of everything. More choice, more options, access from more devices, more ways to search, more ways to share and create content. More, more, more. This will require the industry to keep innovating in how to help with choice, provide customer care and content creation.
Stephan Ekbergh, CEO, Travelstart, South Africa
Q: The thing you will remember most about 2014 (personally)
My oldest daughter moving out of the house
Q: The news headlines/developments that defined travel in 2014
UBER UBER, UBER ALLES.
Q: Three predictions for travel for 2015
• Innovation will spin faster and define the winners.
• The crazy funding rounds of 2014 will be just a memory.
• It’s the end of the world as we know it… and I feel fine….
Kei Shibata, CEO, Venture Republic, Japan
Q: The thing you will remember most about 2014 (personally)
It was the year to remind me that aging and health challenges happen to everyone, as I witnessed with my father.
Q: The news headlines/developments that defined travel in 2014
• Two A’s are in travel. – Amazon and Alibaba
• Metasearch is solid and proven worldwide.
• Booking.com outperformed well as it becomes the Amazon of travel.
Q: Three predictions for travel for 2015
• Market will tumble and many start-ups will be in trouble.
• Homeaway will be acquired by an OTA.
• Airbnb and UBER models in different verticals will become meaningful businesses.
• Metasearch will head towards differentiation and consolidation.
Featured image credit (palm reading): serezniy/iStock
