Ariane Gorin, the new CEO of Expedia Group, recently spoke at the Skift Global Forum for the first time since taking on her role. After leading the company through a tech migration that brought together its core brands, she is now focused on rebuilding and expanding. The migration led to decreases in business for brands like Vrbo and Hotels.com, but Expedia has seen growth in brand Expedia due to its innovations. Gorin is working with the team to rebuild the aspects that may have been impacted by the migration in order to get all brands back into a healthy and growing state.
One of the changes brought about by Expedia Group’s tech migration is the ability for brands to share inventory more easily. Vrbo, for example, has added some apartments from Expedia and expanded its comparison shopping features in order to attract more customers. Despite these changes, Vrbo remains committed to its core offering of rentals without on-premises hosts. The company is also focusing on rebuilding its group trip planning feature and exploring new marketing channels to drive growth. Gorin expressed confidence in the future of Vrbo and its potential for success.
Expedia Group has consolidated its loyalty programs for Expedia, Hotels.com, and Orbitz brands into a single plan called One Key. This program allows customers to earn and spend points across all three brands and has shown success in attracting new customers to Vrbo. While the program has been successful in certain regions, the company is still considering how to proceed with its global rollout. In the meantime, travelers in regions without all three brands are still benefiting from other loyalty program perks.
Expedia recently introduced Romie, a generative AI-powered tool designed to assist travelers with trip planning. This is just one of the AI tools that Expedia has been piloting, including AI to summarize reviews and streamline call center operations. While the company sees potential in AI-powered tools to enhance the travel experience, Gorin acknowledged that it will take time for these technologies to become truly transformative in the way people shop for travel. The goal is for AI to better respond to individual needs and preferences in order to make a significant impact on the industry.
In conclusion, Ariane Gorin’s focus as the new CEO of Expedia Group is on rebuilding and growing the company following a recent tech migration. She is working on improving brands like Vrbo and Hotels.com, expanding inventory sharing capabilities, and strengthening loyalty programs to attract and retain customers. Expedia is also experimenting with AI technologies to enhance the travel experience, but recognizes that it will take time for these tools to reach their full potential. Overall, Gorin is optimistic about the future of Expedia Group and sees potential for continued growth and success in the travel industry.
