Lending a hand: Expedia commits USD 275 million to partner recovery

Expedia Group, one of the world’s largest online travel agencies, is committing USD 275 million to help partners rebound from the impact of COVID-19 and fuel industry-wide recovery efforts.

Research carried out by the company in April 2020 shows lodging partners want support from OTAs in four priority areas as they look to rebound from the pandemic: Demand trends insights on leisure and domestic travel; investments in marketing and demand generation for travel and destinations; increased visibility on Expedia Group’s sites; and financial relief.

The recovery programme is comprised of global initiatives to support industry recovery and property-level relief designed to help independent partners and small chains rebuild their business, attract high-value guests, and optimise cash flow.

“There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan for recovery. Restoring travel will take an unprecedented level of partnership across public and private sectors, and a deep understanding of what our partners need,” said Cyril Ranque, president of Travel Partners Group at Expedia Group. “This recovery programme is the first step in our long journey to rebuild a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable global travel ecosystem.”