Four scenarios for a future in 2030 / Ctrip founder's ambitious plans / Ethics and influence

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 25, 2019 We end the week with a top tip: grab a large coffee/tea/wine/beer/drink of choice and sit back today or over the weekend and immerse yourself in our lead story. The first part of our analysis into airline distribution in 2030 was there to set the scene - we follow it up with a look at [four outcomes that you could find yourselves in over the course of the next ten years](. Many readers outside of the airline industry will recognize that these scenarios are not exclusive to that sector, too. Food for thought on many levels, we'd say. Make sure you also check out the [opinions of Ctrip's chairman James Liang]( during a recent meeting, plus we have a report about what customers want [when traveling]( (sorry, colleagues and family) and ask whether travel brands should be favoring at [social media influencers](. - Kevin May, editor in chief Today's Top Story Opinion I Distribution [Airline distribution in 2030, part 2: Four scenarios for the future]( More Headlines [Ctrip co-founder outlines ambitious plans for future]( News | Online At Ctrip's recent annual meeting, chairman and co-founder James Liang outlined plans to be "strongest and the best" company in the travel industry. [READ MORE]( [QOTW: Something about an ethical dilemma]( News | Online Quote from Valerie Castillo, vice president of marketing for TrustYou, in an article on PhocusWire this week. [READ MORE]( [Consumers want companionship - but not from humans - while traveling]( News | Technology According to a new study from Sabre, a desire to avoid humans, virtual companions and new points-of-sale are among the consumer trends shaping the hospitality industry this year. [READ MORE]( [Are hotels on the verge of a parity nightmare?]( Opinion | Distribution Booking.com has rolled out its Booking.Basic feature to European hotel listings, which could spell a serious parity problem for hoteliers. [READ MORE]( [MORE STORIES]( From Our Partners... [What do customers want from travel brands on mobile in 2019?]( Travelers are searching more, booking more and buying more on mobile - yet most travel brands aren’t investing enough in their mobile strategy. Travelport reveals the latest end traveler and industry research, showing how mobile is impacting travel in 2019. [READ MORE]( Trending Stories [Uplift banks $123M round to expand travel payment service on multiple fronts]( News | Technology A $123 million financing round led by Madrone Capital Partners brings the total invested in the company to around $220 million. [READ MORE]( [MakeMyTrip posts gains in revenue and bookings as overall loss figure narrows]( News | Online Total gross booking volumes hit $1.41 billion, up by 32% on the same period in 2017 - pushing loss figure down to $22.9 million. [READ MORE]( [NDC is not just a standard – it’s a signal to the industry]( News | Distribution In order to understand what NDC means for businesses and where the industry is heading, it is important to recognize current challenges facing our industry and improvements that are enabled through technology. [READ MORE]( [TUI adds a touch of (augmented) reality to tours and activities]( News | Technology TUI Destination Experiences is experimenting with augmented reality on glasses to enable travelers to get more information on what they are seeing. [READ MORE]( [Niche vacation rental platform Cozystay adds first properties in China]( News | Online Vancouver, Canada-based Cozystay expands its vacation rental platform into China with its acquisition of Oak Properties. [READ MORE]( [Airbnb and hotel distribution - (almost) one year in]( News | Online As the Airbnb and SiteMinder deal nears its one-year anniversary, here's an update on how the platform's hotels business is faring. [READ MORE]( [Privacy]( | [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( Northstar Travel Group LLC. 116 West 32nd Street New York, New York 10001