China: The big digital picture / Google's advice to hoteliers / LuggageHero bags $1.45M

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 February 4, 2019 Any travel brand looking to make inroads into China first needs to understand just how massive the market is. Right now the country is the world’s largest outbound travel market, and it’s only getting bigger, as the staggering figures in [part 1 in our series on China]( illustrate. At a recent hotel industry event, Google’s Gopi Kallayil [advised hoteliers]( to start thinking of smartphones as an additional organ of the human body (sure, why not!). Today we also have news on LuggageHero - one of our Hot 25 Startups for 2019 - and its [$1.45 million capital raise](. - Jill Menze, news editor Today's Top Story News I Online [China, part 1: The big (and getting bigger) picture]( More Headlines [Google tells hotels to think of smart devices as extra organs of a guest's body]( News | Technology The search giant says the proliferation of devices has created rapid, cultural shifts and changed the way people expect things from their brands... making people more curious, demanding and impatient. [READ MORE]( [Bag-storage service LuggageHero bags $1.45M to expand in U.S. and Europe]( News | Startups LuggageHero - named one of PhocusWire’s Hot 25 Startups for 2019 - has raised $1.45 million to expand its luggage-storage operations to 36 additional cities. [READ MORE]( [Four key developments keeping the U.S. OTA market exciting]( News | Online Phocuswright's recent travel research identifies four key developments that make the U.S. online travel agency market an exciting one to watch in 2019. [READ MORE]( [In The Big Chair - Tarry Wang Liantao of Xiaozhu]( Interview | Online Xiaozhu is a Beijing-based short-term rental and management platform. The company was launched in 2012 and recently established a second base in Chengdu. It has already expanded to Japan and South-east Asia. [READ MORE]( [MORE STORIES]( TOMORROW - FREE WEBINAR! [Personalizing the group experience for hotels]( - How to increase efficiencies for group business (operations + events). - Which tasks to prioritize to provide better experiences. - How to leverage your CRM to keep valuable group business opportunities within your portfolio. - The latest industry insights and data from exclusive research. SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, February 5. [LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP!]( Trending Stories [Sounding Off: Airbnb should accept that some things are done certain ways]( Interview | Distribution The dull mechanics behind what is known as process shouldn't be allowed to prohibit a brand such as Airbnb from making a genuine challenge to OTAs. [READ MORE]( [Zingle charts deeper push into hospitality with $11M capital raise]( News | Technology B2C messaging platform Zingle has landed $11 million in new funding to support its growth in hospitality. [READ MORE]( [Zeelo accelerates development of on-demand coach service with £4.25M funding]( News | Startups On-demand coach platform Zeelo drives off with funding of £4.25 million from ETF Partners. [READ MORE]( [WEBINAR REPLAY! How well are independent hoteliers adapting to the digital age?]( News | Distribution Phocuswright and trivago present key findings from the Independent Lodging Study 2018. In 2018 independent hotels are performing better in the online environment — but challenges remain. [READ MORE]( [Shifts in demographics, desired features drive cruise marketing strategies]( News | Online Data from MMGY Global points to growing interest in cruising among younger travelers and also a shift in features that influence purchase decisions. [READ MORE]( [Privacy]( | [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( Northstar Travel Group LLC. 116 West 32nd Street New York, New York 10001