Online Travel Update: Tripscout Introduces Instagram Hotel Bookings, and Hopper … – JD Supra

Last week’s Update features stories on two less frequently used social media platforms – Instagram and Snapchat – and details the brewing battle among banking companies for travel industry legitimacy. I hope you enjoy. Tripscout Introduces Instagram Hotel Bookings (“Tripscout Raises $14 million, Launches Hotel Booking Through Instagram,” June 3, 2022 via Phocus Wire) Tripscout announced plans to launch a hotel booking platform accessed via Tripscout’s Instagram accounts. According to Tripscout founder and CEO, Konrad Waliszewki, users of the platform will have access to private / fenced rates 75 percent below best available rates. Users seeking to access the platform send a direct message with the word “hotel” to the applicable Instagram account, which then links the user to the booking platform where the user can search, review and book hotel listings provided via bed banks, OTAs and other suppliers. Tripscout claims to have 30 million regular users of its 100+ Instagram accounts. Expedia Settles Anti-Trust Probe by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (“Expedia Settles JFTC Probe into MFN, Ending Japan’s Antitrust Case Against Travel Booking Sites,” June 2, 2022 via MLEX Insight)(subscription may be required) Not a big surprise… Expedia joins Rakuten and Booking.com in revising its contractual rate…
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