Powering Travel

Ever wondered how to boost your Vrbo bookings? This week, Sam chats with Travis Gibbon, a savvy Vrbo host in the Hilton Head market, who shares insider tips on maximizing your listing’s potential ahead of peak booking season. Travis dives into flexible cancelation policies, adjusting minimum night stays, and setting competitive rates. He also explains how to use tools like Escapia for dynamic pricing to ensure you are booked and busy in the new year. Whether you're a seasoned Vrbo host or just starting out, this episode is packed with practical advice to elevate your hosting game!Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

Expedia’s annual Unpack™ outlook is here, using data-driven insights to uncover upcoming travel trends for 2025.  Samantha Lopez is joined by Amanda Maltos, an industry leader and communications expert from Expedia Group, to dive into the data gathered from more than 25,000 travelers in this year's Unpack™ Report. Some key findings include travelers adding Detour Destinations to their trips, Set-Jetting and the continued influence of media on travelers, the pull of mother nature when planning trips and much more. And of course, what this all means for you and your business! Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

With entrepreneurship on the rise, vacation rental hosts and savvy travel advisors are seizing opportunities to grow and make a positive impact in the industry. In this episode, Vrbo host Michelle Ruber and travel advisor Rebecca Smiley, share their insights on growing their businesses with Expedia Group. Michelle talks about how Vrbo’s platform empowers hosts to provide personalized and trusted travel experiences. Rebecca details her journey into entrepreneurship, how she leverages social media, community connections, and Expedia Travel TAAP.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

How can destinations reinvent themselves to attract travelers year-round? In this episode, Samantha Lopez is joined by two key figures in French tourism, Sophie Mandrillon from Atout France and Loic Chovelon from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, to explore how their organizations are reshaping tourism in the off season. They discuss their partnership with Expedia Group, they focus on sustainable tourism initiatives and the strategies they use to combat seasonality, particularly in the beautiful Côte d'Azur region.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

The cost of travel is on the rise, and so are our customers' expectations. So how can travel providers keep up? Expedia Group's head of B2B Lodging Marketing, Brandon Ehrhardt, joins the podcast to share insights from our latest research on traveler behavior. Compared to travelers booking on other platforms, Expedia Group travelers are shown to spend 21% more on properties and stay 11% longer than other guests, creating significant revenue opportunities for hotels. We discuss how initiatives like the VIP Access program are key to success, and how you can use revenue insights to create better experiences for travelers.  Download the full Uncovering Traveler Value report here.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

As fraud becomes more sophisticated, it’s crucial for travel businesses to stay one step ahead. In this episode of Powering Travel, Samantha Lopez is joined by Amit Ghosh, Head of Fraud and Risk Portfolio at Expedia Group, to discuss increasing threats in the travel industry. Amit shares his insights on the growing challenges posed by AI advancements and phishing attacks, emphasizing the importance of staying vigilant throughout the customer journey. He also highlights how Expedia's innovative fraud detection tools are helping safeguard travelers and businesses to ensure a seamless and secure experience.Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

As vacation rentals rise in popularity, it's more important than ever to ensure your listing stands out. Angela Page, Director of Account Management for Vacation Rentals at Expedia Group and a Vrbo host herself, shares her tips for optimizing your property listing to attract the right guests and provide a great experience. Some of her advice includes how the right settings can help you avoid costly cancellations, how to keep your listing’s rules and amenities up to date, why the order of photos in your listing matters, and why you might want to ditch the cleaning fee altogether. She also shares how hosting with Vrbo can help you manage your bookings in a streamlined and professional manner, creating the best guest experience possible, no matter the circumstances. Powering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and welcome while traveling. However, Expedia Group’s latest research reveals that Black, Latino, LGBTQIA+ travelers, and those with disabilities still face significant barriers that hinder their travel experiences. Lawrence Phillips, CEO of Green Book Global, shares how his platform empowers Black travelers with authentic reviews and resources, helping them navigate the world with confidence. Joining the conversation, Heather Ansley, Chief Policy Officer at Paralyzed Veterans of America, highlights the challenges disabled travelers encounter and the advocacy efforts aimed at ensuring safe and dignified travel experiences. Together, they offer inspiring insights and actionable strategies to break down barriers and create a more inclusive travel industry for all.Read the full report here: Journeys for All: An Expedia Group Study on Inclusion in TravelPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

When opening a new property, securing those initial bookings can be challenging, especially when competing against established properties. Susana Ramírez Horta, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Tafer Hotels & Resorts, shares how she leverages Expedia Group's tools to increase visibility for both new and established properties. Susana explains that as Tafer prepares to open a new property, they use Expedia Group's pay-per-stay Accelerator tool to ensure it appears at the top of search results for travelers. She and her team started using Accelerator when they were struggling to stand out in the crowded Cancun market and have since seen impressive ROI, including enhanced visibility in search results. Tune in to learn how you can use Accelerator and other Expedia Group tools to get more eyes on your bookings. To learn more visit: https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/blog/hotel-marketing-accelerator-toolPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.

In today’s market, travelers have seemingly endless options for where to stay. How can businesses boost their visibility to ensure that travelers are making bookings with them? We hear from Carlos del Pino at Original Group who has tapped into Expedia’s extensive B2B partner network and launched a pay-per-stay Accelerator, to boost visibility, making it easier to fill rooms–especially during off-season. Original Group is a Mexican based hospitality group that is a pioneer in Cancun, building the first hotel in the area in 1974.  Hear how Carlos leverages Accelerator in tandem with TravelAds to increase their properties’ visibility without eating into their marketing budget, and learn more about what Accelerator can do for your business. To learn more visit: https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/blog/travelads-and-accelerator-hotel-visibility-boostersPowering Travel is produced by Expedia Group in association with Quill.