Hilton’s Mega Ad Blitz: What Happened

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Episode Notes

Hilton Worldwide launched a major international marketing campaign exactly a year ago on Tuesday that focused on its ability to provide travelers with reliable lodging experiences. So has it been a success? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill finds out. 

O’Neill reports Hilton has seen an increase in sales and market share following its largest marketing push in six years. While it’s uncertain if the ad blitz led to the gain, O’Neill noted other boosts Hilton has received in the last year. Company representatives said they saw an increase in consumers searching for “Hilton” and more travelers considering the brand for leisure travel. 

O’Neill adds that Hilton also bet much more heavily on TikTok and its account has attracted 20,000 new followers since the launch of a 10-minute video that featured Paris Hilton.  

Next, accommodation provider Sonder announced this week it’s asking shareholders to approve a reverse stock split in order to stay listed on Nasdaq, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. 

Schaal notes that Sonder was warned by Nasdaq in April that its shares could be delisted because its price had dropped below $1 per share for 30 trading days in a row. He adds that a reverse stock split wouldn’t in itself impact Sonder’s valuation, but would get its share price much higher than $1 per share. 

Finally, the United Arab Emirates was the second fastest-growing international arrival destination in 2022, reports Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in this week’s Middle East Travel Roundup. 

Bhutia writes that the United Arab Emirates trailed only Austria in the list of fastest-growing destinations for international arrivals last year. Skift’s State of Travel report for 2023 revealed that the United Arab Emirates was also the most visited country in the Middle East in 2022, attracting a little more than 22 million visitors. India and Russia were the top two source markets for the United Arab Emirates last year. 

Bhutia adds that while international travel in most regions still trails 2019 levels, the Middle East is the only region to see a full recovery of international travel in the first quarter of 2023.