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Expedia Group CEO Interview: Our Tech Was an Anchor Thwarting Innovation

Although the travel industry rebounded from its pandemic lows last year with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, rising inflationary pressure and a potential recession due to the Fed’s hawkish stance... This story originally appeared on StockNews
Although the travel industry rebounded from its pandemic lows last year with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, rising inflationary pressure and a potential recession due to the Fed’s hawkish stance have driven a massive stock market sell-off lately, causing many travel stocks to enter oversold territory. However, increasing advanced bookings for summer vacations will likely help travel stocks rebound. So, we think it could be wise to bet on oversold travel stocks Expedia Group (EXPE) and Travel + Leisure (TNL) before they rebound. Let’s discuss. shutterstock.com - StockNews
Strong progress on the vaccination front and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions allowed the travel industry to rebound slightly last year. But worries over the Russia-Ukraine war and aggressive interest rate hikes to fight decade-high inflation have driven significant market disruptions this year, causing travel stocks to perform poorly. Last week, a broad-based sell-off pushed many travel stocks into oversold territory. But on the bright side, easing of travel restrictions and stable job growth have been driving demand for bookings ahead of the summer holidays. So beaten-down travel stocks might rebound soon. So, we think it could be an opportune time to pick oversold travel stocks Expedia Group, Inc. ( EXPE ) and Travel + Leisure Co. ( TNL ). Based on their sound fundamentals and high profitability, these stocks could rebound soon. Expedia Group, Inc. ( EXPE )
EXPE in Bellevue, Wash., is an international online travel company that operates through Retail; B2B; and trivago segments. The company offers a wide range of travel shopping and reservation services, advertising, and media services and provides real-time access to schedule, pricing, and availability information for airlines, hotels, and car rental companies. On May 4, 2022, at its EXPLORE 22 annual partner event, EXPE debuted a three-tiered strategy to serve travelers and its partners and redefine its place in the industry. Expedia Group Open World, its new technology platform, leverages and configures products and services and accelerates and enhances the travel business. It introduced a reimagined marketplace that uses traveler reviews, customer service interactions, and more to reward each hotel property with a new guest experience score. It also introduced trip boards, smart shopping, and price tracking features to add confidence and trust to the travel shopping and booking experience. This should help EXPE gain wide recognition across the industry. For its fiscal 2022 first quarter ended March 31, 2022, EXPE’s revenue increased 80.5% year-over-year to $2.25 billion. The company’s adjusted EBITDA came in at $173 million, compared to a $58 million loss in the prior-year period. As of March 31, 2022, the company had $5.55 billion in cash and cash equivalents . Analysts expect EXPE’s EPS to grow 340.6% year-over-year to $7.27 for its fiscal 2022, ending Dec. 31, 2022. It surpassed the Street EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters. The $11.75 billion consensus revenue estimate for the same fiscal year represents a 36.7% rise from the prior-year period. The company’s EPS is expected to grow at a 22.8% rate  per annum over the next five years. EXPE’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin, EBITDA margin, and levered free cash flow margin are 83.5%, 7.3%, and 34.2%, respectively. Over the past week, the stock has declined  24.3% in price and closed yesterday’s trading session at $127.79, down 39.2% from its 52-week high of $217.72. The stock’s POWR Ratings reflect this promising outlook. It has an overall B rating, which equates to Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 distinct factors, with each factor weighted to an optimal degree. It has a B grade for Value, Growth, and Quality. Click here to see the additional ratings for EXPE’s Stability, Sentiment, and Momentum. EXPE is ranked #4 of 72 stocks in the Internet industry. Travel + Leisure Co. ( TNL )
TNL in Orlando, Fla., provides hospitality services and products through its Vacation Ownership; and Travel and Membership segments. The company focuses on providing vacation ownership, managed rental, and exchange services and owns vacation resorts and exchange properties. It also offers private-label travel booking technology solutions. As of Jan. 26, 2022, it had approximately 245 vacation ownership resorts. On April 21, 2022, TNL’s Wyndham Destinations vacation ownership business announced the completion of solar panel installation at its Limetree Beach Resort by Club Wyndham and will finish installation at the WorldMark Clear Lake Resort in Nice, California, this spring. In addition, it is installing water use reduction and leak detection technologies in guest suites that cut water use by 15-17%. TNL will have an estimated annual solar output of more than nine million kilowatt-hours at 19 properties across the U.S. The company plans to invest in opportunities to reduce water and energy use across its portfolio of 245 resorts. TNL’s net revenues for its fiscal 2022 first quarter, ended March 31, 2022, increased 28.8% year-over-year to $809 million. The company’s operating income came in at $117 million, up 34.5% from the prior-year period. While its adjusted net income increased 76.5% year-over-year to $60 million, its adjusted EPS grew 76.9% to $0.69. The company had $381 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2022. Analysts expect the company’s EPS to hit $4.55 for its fiscal 2022 ending Dec. 31, 2022, representing a 24.7% rise from the prior-year period. It surpassed the Street’s EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters. The $3.63 billion consensus revenue estimate for the same fiscal year indicates a 15.7% year-over-year improvement. Analysts expect TNL’s EPS to improve at a 25.8% rate per annum over the next five years. TNL’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin, EBITDA margin, and levered free cash flow margin are 49.7%, 24.5%, and 22.3%, respectively. And over the past week, the stock has declined 4.6% in price and ended yesterday’s trading session at $48.93, down 20.5% from its 52-week high of $66.56. TNL’s strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall B rating, which equates to Buy in our proprietary rating system. It has a B grade for Value, Sentiment, and Quality. Click here to see the additional ratings for TNL (Stability, Growth, and Momentum). TNL is ranked #5 of 22 stocks in the Travel - Hotels/Resorts industry. Want More Great Investing Ideas?

Buy the Dip: 2 Oversold Travel Stocks

10 May 2022
The new quarterly Travel Trend Report from Expedia Group Media Solutions highlights how 2022 is shaping up to be a year of rebuilding and renewal. Here we summarize the key findings about trends and behavior of North American travel shoppers during the first quarter of the year. 1. Traveler confidence surged as restrictions lifted
When reviewing the data for the first quarter of 2022, we see that North American travelers weren’t put off by the pandemic setbacks of January. In fact, search volume in the region was up 30%, which was higher than the global quarter-over-quarter increase. Looking at the year-over-year comparison, search volume increased even more significantly – it was up 70% compared to the same period in 2021. This aligned with the global trend, which saw search volumes increase 75% year-over-year. In addition, also on par with the global trend, North American searches saw week-over-week growth during the week of February 14, following announcements related to the loosening of vaccine and mask mandates around the world. When it comes to search windows, we also saw the positive trends continue as restrictions continued to lift. The share of 0- to 21–day search windows decreased for domestic searches, shifting primarily to the 91- to 180–day search window, which increased 60% quarter-over-quarter – demonstrating that travelers were more confident in planning further out. Looking at only domestic travel, this trend was amplified, with a 70% increase in search share for the same window. The 5 Key Trends for North American Travelers — Photo by Expedia Group Media Solutions
Expedia Group’s Vacation Deprivation Report from earlier this year also suggests North American travelers are confident about seeing the world again. When asked how many vacation days they planned to take this year, U.S. travelers said they plan to take 14 days compared to 13 in 2021. Canadian travelers were even more eager, saying they plan to take 20 days this year compared to 16 in 2021. 2. North Americans want to visit neighboring countries
In Q4 2021, we shared that North Americans preferred to stay close to home, with only one city outside the region—Cancun—appearing in the top 10 booked destinations. In Q1 we did see another extra-regional city enter the top 10 list: Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic showing us that North American travelers are more eager to explore and looking at beach destinations for their upcoming travel plans. Following extended border closures in 2021, we also saw positive gains for Canada throughout Q1. The country experienced the largest increase in searches and bookings, as both an origin country and a destination country. Compared to January 2022, inter-province searches were up 75% and bookings were up 150% in March 2022, while searches from Canada to the U.S. grew by triple digits during Q1. In a reciprocal trend, Q1 bookings from the U.S. to Canada increased 155% during the quarter. The 5 Key Trends for North American Travelers — Photo by Expedia Group Media Solutions
3. Lodging performance is on the rise
As we saw in Q4 2021, hotels and vacation rentals are continuing to make a comeback, both in overall bookings and in length of stay. Lodging performance in North America jumped over 25% compared to Q4, and was up more than 15% compared to the same time last year. As for length of stay, North America saw the average hotel length of stay increase slightly, while vacation rental stays were consistent quarter-over-quarter in the region, at just over 5 days. 4. U.S. vacation rentals continue to be popular across the world
Also similar to Q4, vacation rentals continued to prove popular. With both winter breaks and spring vacations occurring in Q1, North America saw a substantial quarter-over-quarter growth for vacation rentals. As in Q4, Kissimmee, Florida, appeared in the top 10 Vrbo-booked destinations lists – not just for North American travelers, but for travelers outside the region, too. In fact, the U.S. city was the top-booked vacation rental destination for travel shoppers from Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA), as well as number 2 for North American and number 9 for Latin American travelers. As of January 31, demand for U.S. Vrbo properties this summer was already outpacing summer 2021 by nearly 15%, and some of the most popular summer vacation destinations, such as those in New Jersey and North Carolina, already have more than 70% of properties booked for July. And unlike last year, when travel restrictions and testing requirements made international travel logistics confusing or overwhelming, travelers abroad are also booking U.S. vacation rentals. International demand for Vrbo vacation homes in the U.S. this summer, from travelers in countries such as the U.K. and Germany, has returned to near pre-pandemic levels. 5. Sustainable travel is increasingly important to North Americans
This Travel Trend Report also includes findings from our latest custom research on sustainable travel , based on a study of 11,000 consumers in 11 markets. Across the board, the results are encouraging, but around certain topics, North Americans indicated an above-average interest in pursuing more sustainable options. For instance, globally, 50% of respondents said they want to buy from local stores and restaurants, rather than chains. But looking at NORAM, the numbers are even higher: 58% of U.S. travelers and 64% of Canadian travelers would like to buy locally on future travels. In addition, 54% of both Americans and Canadians said they wish to see recommendations for locally owned businesses at or near a destination – this is compared to 45% of the global average when asked the same question. To uncover more insights, register for our upcoming virtual Insights Summit on June 21. Or to find out more about the trends covered here on a global scale, download the full Q1 2022 Travel Trend Report , based on 70 petabytes of first-party Expedia Group data and custom research. About Expedia Group Media Solutions
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, the advertising organization of Expedia Group, offers industry expertise and digital marketing solutions that allow brands to reach, engage and influence its qualified audience of travelers around the world. Through its vast network of leading travel brands and global points of sale, Expedia Group Media Solutions provides marketing partners with proprietary data-driven insights about traveler behaviors during every stage of the purchase journey, along with dynamic advertising solutions, to deliver strategic campaigns and measurable results. For more information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com. © 2022 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50

The 5 Key Trends for North American Travelers

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Called One Key, the program will allow loyalty members to earn and burn points across all of Expedia Group ’s brands, such as Expedia, Vrbo, Hotels.com and Travelocity, for any travel product including air, hotel, vacation rental, car and cruise. The redesigned scheme – allowing a traveler to, for example, earn points on a Vrbo stay to later use on an Expedia flight – is designed to create connectivity across all Expedia Group brands as well as establish long-term customer loyalty . “The industry has trained travelers to go search for the lowest price. We’re trying to make a pivot here to create long-term customer loyalty to get people coming back, so their first thought is to come to one of our brands because of the benefits we offer,” says Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands. “[Expedia Group] brands competed in the past. Travelers don’t understand we’re a family of brands. That connection is our superpower.”
United universe
According to Gieselman, Expedia Group loyalty programs have 154 million members and are adding about two million every month. “To put that into perspective, if you add up all of our rewards members, we’d be the ninth largest country in the world by population,” he says. “That’s [currently] across four programs each with different currencies, different benefits, different rewards mechanics,” he continues, noting that some brands such as Vrbo and Travelocity don’t presently have loyalty programs. “It’s confusing, limiting and not in the best interest of travelers.”
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By uniting the programs under One Key, travelers can earn more by accessing rewards across Expedia Group’s entire portfolio, while partners stand to see not only revenue gains (high-value loyalty members book 15X more than non-loyalty customers), but also increased brand loyalty. Gieselman says Expedia Group will be “intentional” about moving people over from existing loyalty programs to the new One Key currency. “Yes, [points] have to be revalued because across all our different programs are different values,” he says. “We will migrate people in a way where it creates additional value to them. Nobody needs to worry about their points. They’re our most loyal customers, and we’ll do what’s right for the customer.”
While declining to get into more specifics on how points will be revalued, Gieselman says the first priority is to get people onto the new platform, which will launch next year. On the marketing front, though the average consumer may not realize brands such as Vrbo, Hotels.com and Travelocity are all part of the Expedia Group family, Gieselman says the company has already started messaging the relationship, pointing to its recent Super Bowl ads as an example. For Expedia Group’s Peter Kern, the vice chairman and CEO likens its family of brands to the Marvel universe. “We don’t want to fight over the last traveler,” he says. “We do better if we help each other.”
* The reporter's attendance at the event was supported by Expedia Group.

Inside Expedia Group's new unified loyalty program

6 May 2022
As part of our ongoing commitment to share insights, we have been tracking how travel is returning through our Expedia Group first-party data and research in our quarterly Travel Trend Reports . In our last report covering Q4 2021, we saw promising momentum, including consistent search volumes and more international destinations appearing on top 10 destination lists. Now, as we look at the first quarter of 2022 and forward to the months ahead, we’re even more optimistic as travel intent is surging, search windows are lengthening, and travelers are investing in meaningful trips. Read on for a snapshot of the key findings in our Q1 2022 Travel Trend Report . Travel Searches Surge as Restrictions Ease
The further opening of borders and easing of restrictions–along with post-holiday promotions and potential return of seasonality–led to a significant increase globally in travel searches across our Expedia Group branded sites. During the first quarter of 2022, search volume globally was up 25% quarter-over-quarter, led by double-digit growth in North America (NORAM) at 30% and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at 25%. A prior- year comparison further illustrates just how much travel is returning, with search volume up 75% year-over-year globally compared to Q1 2021. Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions
Findings from Expedia’s 2022 Vacation Deprivation study further illustrates the pent-up demand and desire to get away this year. On average, working adults around the world plan to take nearly 21 days of vacation this year – 3 more days of vacation than they took in 2021. While working adults in the U.S. plan to take an average of 14 days of vacation this year, just 1 more day than they took in 2021—and the fewest number of days across all countries surveyed—they are prepared to spend more to make the most of their time off. Americans are more likely than most other regions around the world to splurge on upgrades such as a larger room, flying first class, or visiting multiple destinations. This is positive news for the leisure travel industry, and an opportunity for travel marketers to promote discounted upgrades or premium product offerings to an eager and engaged audience. Growing Traveler Confidence Leading to Longer Search Windows 
With traveler confidence on the upswing, we saw search windows continue to lengthen in Q1. Global share of searches in the 180+ day search window increased 190% and the 0- to 21–day search window decreased 15% quarter-over-quarter. Not only did search windows lengthen, but we also saw that travelers are planning both domestic and international trips further out, as they begin to plan for mid-year holidays. In Q1, 60% of global domestic searches fell within the 0- to 30–day window, a 10% decrease compared to Q4. The share of searches in the 91- to 180–day window increased 80% quarter-over-quarter. Similarly, global international search share for the 91- to 180+ day window increased 35% quarter-over-quarter. Big Cities & Beaches Maintain Appeal
Major cities such as Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, and London remained popular with travelers and made the global top 10 list of booked destinations in Q1, along with beach destinations like Cancun, Punta Cana, Honolulu, and Miami. Las Vegas topped the global list, surpassing New York, which held the No. 1 spot in Q3 and Q4 2021. However, for the third consecutive quarter, New York appeared on the top 10 list of booked destinations across all regions. Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions
Lodging Performance on the Rise
Building on strong performance in Q4, global lodging bookings for hotels and vacation rentals combined were up 35% quarter-over-quarter. All regions experienced at least double-digit growth, with the strongest quarterly growth in EMEA at 150% and Latin America (LATAM) at 75%. During Q1, 15 of the top 25 global destinations saw double-digit growth in hotel demand quarter-over-quarter. Punta Cana saw the highest quarter-over-quarter growth at 70%, with additional gains in other LATAM destinations including Cancun (40%) and Playa del Carmen (35%). Barcelona moved from the 31st position to 22nd, Kissimmee (near Orlando) moved from 29th to 20th, and Honolulu moved from 12th to 7th. Vacation rental night counts globally grew substantially quarter-over-quarter. Domestic travel continued to dominate the vacation rental space, with Australia, France, Brazil, and the U.S. being the top- booked countries for their respective regions. In all regions, popular beach and warm weather destinations were the top choices for vacation rental bookers. Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions
Growing Demand—and Opportunity—for Sustainable Tourism
Consumers around the world are already making more mindful decisions when traveling, such as opting for more eco-conscious and sustainable offerings, and more want to do so in the future. But many feel overwhelmed by starting the process of being a more sustainable traveler, and they are looking for sustainability information from trusted travel resources and providers. Our new Sustainable Travel study found that two-thirds of consumers want to see more information on sustainability from lodging and transportation providers, and half of consumers want to see this information from destination organizations. The study also found that half of consumers would be willing to pay more for transportation, activities,​ and lodging if the option​ was more sustainable, demonstrating the opportunity for travel providers and marketers to be surfacing more sustainable options for travelers. These findings are just a taste of the insights you’ll find in the full report, based on 70 petabytes of Expedia Group traveler intent and demand data. To learn more, download the Q1 2022 Travel Trend Report , and check back on our blog for regional insights. About Expedia Group Media Solutions
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, the advertising organization of Expedia Group, offers industry expertise and digital marketing solutions that allow brands to reach, engage and influence its qualified audience of travelers around the world. Through its vast network of leading travel brands and global points of sale, Expedia Group Media Solutions provides marketing partners with proprietary data-driven insights about traveler behaviors during every stage of the purchase journey, along with dynamic advertising solutions, to deliver strategic campaigns and measurable results. For more information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com. © 2022 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50

Q1 Travel Trend Report: Rebuilding Tourism for the Future

Qtech Software provides travel technology services for travel businesses. The company offers travel and hotel reservation software, B2B booking engine, B2C booking engine, DMC software, travel XML API integration, travel mobile apps, flight reservation system, transfer booking engine, and online travel software. It is based in Mumbai, India.

Qtech Software

Our organization is made up of four pillars : Expedia Group , Inc. Services , focused on the group 's platform and technical strategy ; Expedia , centered on product and technology offerings across the organization ; Expedia , housing all our consumer brands ; and Expedia Group , Inc. for Business , consisting of business-to-business solutions and relationships throughout the travel ecosystem .

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