> This seems like unequivocally a good thing, no? Booking knows it can’t depend on the Google channel, that its future is best secured by innovating and building a customer experience that convinces users to go to Booking directly. That is competition working to the benefit of customers!
This is my impression too. I avoid Expedia like the plague. I only use TripAdvisor to read the forums. Booking doesn't even rely on SEO. They don't have a forum or don't make content. Booking has lots of dark patterns when booking but it just works and it has lots of choices at pretty good prices. The experience and the convenience is why I was booking at Booking.com in the last 5-6 years. I don't even use Airbnb. Booking has apartments too.
Expedia and TripAdvisors are similar to tourist traps in the touristic hot spots. They leveraged their SEO positions to grab whatever money they can get. Now that Google has figured out they can get some of that money, they got in. It's very easy, just move the juice to the partners and charge them money for that.
Expedia/TripAdvisor/Traditional-travel-agencies will need to turn their businesses around otherwise they are going the way of Thomas Cook.
This is my impression too. I avoid Expedia like the plague. I only use TripAdvisor to read the forums. Booking doesn't even rely on SEO. They don't have a forum or don't make content. Booking has lots of dark patterns when booking but it just works and it has lots of choices at pretty good prices. The experience and the convenience is why I was booking at Booking.com in the last 5-6 years. I don't even use Airbnb. Booking has apartments too.
Expedia and TripAdvisors are similar to tourist traps in the touristic hot spots. They leveraged their SEO positions to grab whatever money they can get. Now that Google has figured out they can get some of that money, they got in. It's very easy, just move the juice to the partners and charge them money for that.
Expedia/TripAdvisor/Traditional-travel-agencies will need to turn their businesses around otherwise they are going the way of Thomas Cook.