Expedia Group unlocks traveller demand for new European partners

Expedia Group announced a series of new and expanded travel partnerships across Europe, encompassing B2B technology, advertising partnerships and supply distribution deals, connecting European partners to the company’s extensive global traveller base and giving them access to Expedia Group’s innovative technology and industry expertise. The deals further cement Expedia Group’s presence in the continent and commitment to propel partners to easily capture the attention of high-value travellers from around the world.

Expedia Group powers companies of all sizes, from a multitude of industries to succeed in the complex universe of travel by providing innovative technology, supply and tools to power their own sites. Partners can choose from White Label Template, a turnkey, tailor-built solution that provides their travellers with an end-to-end travel experience on a site that is branded for the partner; or Rapid API, a scalable solution that empowers travel companies to build end-to-end booking experiences by leveraging Expedia Group’s global lodging inventory. Additionally, Expedia Group continues to offer European travel advisors access to a wide breadth of travel inventory, rates, and availability through the Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP). Expedia Group’s newest European technology powered partnerships announced today include:

• Ryanair: Over the coming weeks, Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, will launch ‘Ryanair Rooms’, a renewed offering that leverages Expedia Group’s White Label Template technology, allowing its customers to book a hotel with their flight and access Expedia Group’s Virtual Agent, an AI-powered customer service tool. The Ireland and UK sites launch in December, with a phased rollout to additional markets next year.

• Icelandair: The flagship carrier of Iceland will launch Saga Club, a new travel site, powered by Expedia Group’s White Label Template, providing a way for its most loyal travellers to book additional trip elements with their flight. Saga Members will be able to access Expedia Group’s global supply of hotels, car rentals and activities to redeem and earn Saga Points. This service will enable the airline’s loyal travellers to book additional trip elements, using the program’s loyalty points, to enhance their journey. The travel site will be offered to Saga Club members in the new year.

• ADAC – Germany’s largest automobile association partners with Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP), giving ADAC’s travel agencies access to Expedia Group’s vast inventory of travel products, including hotels, flights, rental cars, and activities.

Advertising Europe to a Growing Audience
Expedia Group Media Solutions is a leading travel media network, providing a targeted way for travel partners, Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) and brands to reach, engage, and convert millions of travellers worldwide through advertising solutions. With its vast network of travel brands and global reach, Expedia Group Media Solutions provides partners with proprietary data and dynamic advertising solutions to deliver impactful campaigns and measurable results.

Recent partnerships include:

• Deutsche Hospitality – the umbrella brand of the German hotel company Steigenberger Hotels AG will be investing in display advertising and industry-leading advertising solution TravelAds to target the hundreds of millions of travellers visiting Expedia Group sites each month.

• The European Travel Commission (ETC) – the ETC’s Creative Cities of Central Europe Campaign promoted the undiscovered value of the Visegrad countries of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to U.S. travellers. The campaign ran from August to October this year and highlighted the region’s rich culture, history and natural beauty.

• Croatian National Tourism Board (CNTB) – In partnership with Expedia Group Media Solutions, CNTB developed a series of impactful campaigns targeting both European and USA markets, highlighting Croatia’s unique charm and natural beauty. Focusing on European markets, European travellers were encouraged to explore Croatia beyond the familiar through gallery spotlight pages. The promotion connected the CNTB with Expedia Group’s high value travellers, resulting in a 10% increase on the average daily spend year-on-year on Expedia channels during the campaign period. To capture the US market, travellers from the States were inspired to visit Croatia’s distinct regions and experiences through the “Always in Season” campaign. During the CNTB’s targeted campaign, Croatia experienced a 10% uplift in demand across Expedia channels from US travellers.

Enhancing Reach and Boosting Conversion for Supply Partners
Expedia Group is also announcing new supply partnerships, enabling European partners to capture more share of wallet and gain visibility to Expedia Group’s global customer base. The company’s strong footprint in the U.S. in particular means European partners can take advantage of a high-value demographic planning trips across the Atlantic. Company research shows that in the first half of 2023, American travellers spent more, booked earlier and stayed longer on their trips compared to European travellers.

• Turkish Airlines has expanded Expedia Group’s Air Member Only Deals to Europe following a successful pilot in the United States. The airline offers exclusive discounts to Expedia rewards members, driving better conversion and boosting revenue. A similar campaign ran in the U.S. during the first six months of 2023, resulting in an over 15% uplift in ticket-booking volume on Member Only Deal routes for Turkish Airlines.

• Iberia Airlines: Spain’s flagship carrier and leading carrier between Europe and Latin America has expanded its direct New Distribution Capability (NDC) connection with Expedia Group. Millions of travellers who shop for and book Iberia flights can now enjoy more options to customize their travel with ease on multiple European points of sale, United States and Mexico.

• Sonder and TravelStaytion: Expedia Group’s ongoing partnership with the UEFA Champions League continues for the 2023-24 season. For the first time, Expedia Group’s lodging partners – including Sonder and TravelStaytion – will support the upcoming sponsorship of fan-focused events with dedicated booking experiences through Expedia Live. Booking these lodging experiences will be available mid-December 2023 on the dedicated Expedia Live x UEFA Champions League site.

Expedia Group is also expanding its car rental offerings in Europe through a number of new partnerships:

• Alma, a family-owned car rental company, has signed a partnership with Expedia Group to distribute its car inventory in eight European countries including Greece, Malta, Romania, and Albania.
• Drivalia, a leading car rental company with a large fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles, has expanded its partnership with Expedia Group to distribute its cars in Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the UK.
• Green Motion, Green Motion, an international car rental company that offers low-emission vehicles, has expanded its partnership with Expedia Group to help bring environmentally efficient driving within Europe and worldwide.
• Record go, a leading Spanish car rental company with a wide range of vehicles, including cars, vans, and SUVs, has also expanded its partnership with Expedia Group from Spain and Portugal to now include Italy and Greece.

“This wide range of new and expanded partnerships demonstrates the strength and resilience of travel demand in Europe, as well as our ability to power partners of all sizes. Our partners benefit from our expanded European footprint with new ways to connect to high spending global travellers, and access to our cutting-edge B2B technology solutions and our industry-leading advertising solutions.” said Ariane Gorin, President, Expedia for Business, Expedia Group.