There would be puts and takes involved in any Hopper IPO. Its youthful audience and fintech products are advantages. But what would happen if Expedia decided to remove its hotel supply again?
Expedia punched Hopper in the mouth in 2023 when it cut off their relationship, and Hopper was never able to make up the lost ground. Expedia, under new leadership, wanted to see revenue from Hopper flowing in again.
If you work for an online travel agency and suggested it open brick-and-mortar stores to bring customers online, you would get very quizzical looks, at the least. Let's see if it works in Argentina and Brazil for Despegar/Decolar.
Hopper is under pressure to get profitable, and an IPO may be in its long-range plans. Blowback against some of its fintech products and issues with hotel chains, aren't helping.
From travel marketing's AI-infused reboot to blended travel's entrenchment and the rise of Indian travelers as a force, Skift's 2023 Travel Megatrends are holding up nicely. That's a teaser for Megatrends 2024-style.
Chase Travel and American Express Travel are among the top handful of leisure travel sellers in the U.S. That's mostly good news for online travel agency partners, as well.
When online travel agencies trot out statistics on their numbers of properties, is it a vanity thing or something more strategic? If you take Vrbo at its word, it's going for quality over quantity.
Hopper's termination of its partnership with Booking.com reveals the deeper challenges the travel app is facing, forcing it to focus on direct hotel relationships as it tries to become profitable.