Inside cruise, part 2: Digging into distribution / Ryanair Holidays shutters / Halo Travel launch

Today's news on travel technology, distribution and the digital economy Email not displaying correctly: [View it in your browser]( We are updating our PhocusWire eNewsletter sending technology including a change to the domain. To ensure you continue to receive your copy without interruption, please whitelist: @news.phocuswire.com Please [click here]( for additional instructions on how to whitelist our new domain. Top Stories from the past 24 hours January 14, 2019 The cruise industry is largely dependent on agent-assisted bookings, primarily because of the complexity of the process. The agent model has also proved effective year in and year out (online bookings, for example, account for just 20% of overall cruise revenue), and if it ain’t broke - well, you know how that goes. But changes in distribution are on the horizon. As [part 2 in our series on cruise]( this month explores, self-service as well as mobile bookings are on the rise, plus a number of cruise lines are pushing for travelers to book direct. Just two years in, Ryanair has [shuttered]( its packaging service, Ryanair Holidays, halting its efforts toward becoming, in its words, the "Amazon of air travel". Today we also have news on the [launch of Halo Travel]( a partnership between WEX and AI.io, billed as the first application that allows the booking of both hotels and flights via voice. - Jill Menze, news editor Today's Top Story News I Distribution [Inside cruise, part 2: Digging into distribution]( More Headlines [Ryanair closes key part of "Amazon Of Travel" strategy: Ryanair Holidays]( News | Online The product was a major component of the low-cost carrier's strategy to dive deep into the world of airline retail - but the service has come to an end after just two years. [READ MORE]( [Halo Travel unveiled to bring booking and payments via voice assistant]( News | Technology WEX and AI.io have partnered to launch Halo Travel, a voice-activated travel booking assistant. [READ MORE]( [VIDEO: Zuzu Hospitality Solutions - Summit pitch at Phocuswright 2018]( Interview | Startups Zuzu shows how a people-centric approach delivers revenue maximization from its pricing and distribution technology. [READ MORE]( [3 reasons why most consumer data advice doesn’t work for travel brands]( Opinion | Technology Travel marketing is a fundamentally different discipline to other forms of marketing, with consumers behaving and spending in ways that no other industry can replicate. [READ MORE]( [MORE STORIES]( WEBINAR THIS WEEK! [Giving innovators the tools required to create brilliant new travel apps]( To create new travel experiences, innovators like startups and developers need to get connected to travel data and functionalities from leading IT providers. SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, January 17. [SIGN UP TODAY!]( Trending Stories [QOTW: Something about being safe from disruption]( News | Technology Arnold Donald of Carnival Corporation oversees a model that has worked for decades - yet it is not immune from the technology revolution that has impacted every other corner of the industry. [READ MORE]( [CES 2019: Carnival's innovation chief on overused words and realistic goals in digital]( News | Technology A snapshot of views on innovation and disruption from Carnival Corporation's chief experience and innovation officer. [READ MORE]( [Attention, startups: Apply now for Phocuswright Europe Battleground]( News | Online It’s that time of year again for startups to demonstrate their fresh ideas to the brightest minds in travel. Apply for the Phocuswright Europe 2019 Battleground competition now. [READ MORE]( [VIDEO: Kiwi.com - Launch pitch at Phocuswright 2018]( Interview | Distribution Harnessing the power of virtual interlining, Kiwi.com has gone further and made a suite of travel technology platforms available to travel agents and third parties. [READ MORE]( [Myths about being the "Amazon Of Travel" (and other retail challenges)]( Opinion | Distribution I have found that there are a set of common themes and common challenges that come through during conversations with airlines. [READ MORE]( [Privacy]( | [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( Northstar Travel Group LLC. 116 West 32nd Street New York, New York 10001