January 31, 2024
At Expedia Group we consistently work to expand our travel partnerships and we’re happy to announce a series of European partnerships that encompasses our B2B technology, advertising solutions and supply distribution deals. All of this helps to connect our European partners with our extensive global traveler base and provide our partners with access to Expedia Group’s innovative technology and industry expertise.
These deals further cement Expedia Group’s presence in Europe and our commitment to help propel partners to easily capture the attention of travelers across the world.
Powering travel with unmatched technology solutions
Expedia Group powers companies of every size and from a multitude of industries to succeed in the complex world of travel by providing innovative technology, supply, and tools to power their websites. Partners can choose from White Label Template, a turnkey, tailor-built solution that provides travelers 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. Expedia Group also 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 latest European technology powered partnerships announced today include:
- 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. Ireland and the U.K. sites launched in December 2023, 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 travelers 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 travelers 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 2024.
- 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 organizations, and brands to reach, engage, and convert millions of travelers worldwide with a full-funnel suite of advertising solutions. With its vast network of travel brands and global reach, Expedia Group Media Solutions provides partners with proprietary first-party data and dynamic advertising solutions to deliver impactful campaigns and measurable results.
Recent partnerships include:
- Deutsche Hospitality: Uniting eight brands like the prestigious Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts under one roof, they will be investing in display advertising and the industry-leading hotel advertising solution, TravelAds Sponsored Listings, to target the hundreds of millions of travelers that visit Expedia Group websites and apps 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. travelers. The campaign ran from August-October 2023 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 U.S. markets, highlighting Croatia’s unique charm and natural beauty. Focusing on European markets, European travelers were encouraged to explore Croatia beyond the familiar through gallery spotlight pages. The promotion connected the CNTB with travelers, resulting in a 10% increase on the average daily spend year over year on Expedia channels during the campaign period. To capture the U.S. market, travelers from the U.S. 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 travelers.
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 travelers spent more, booked earlier, and stayed longer on their trips compared to European travelers.
- Turkish Airlines: The airline expanded Expedia Group’s Air Member Only Deals to Europe following a successful pilot in the U.S. 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 travelers who research and book Iberia flights can now enjoy more options to customize their travel with ease on multiple European points of sale in the U.S. 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:
- Alma: This 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 U.K.
- Green Motion: This international car rental company offers low-emission vehicles and has expanded its partnership with Expedia Group to help bring environmentally efficient driving across the globe.
- Record Go: A leading Spanish car rental company with a wide range of vehicles, including cars, vans, and SUVs, has expanded its partnership with Expedia Group from Spain and Portugal to include Italy and Greece.
1Insights sourced from Expedia Group’s proprietary first-party data and third-party research partners, comparing year-over-year performance during respective campaign periods.
2Expedia Group data, all lines of business excluding cruise, H1 2023.
“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.
