Skift

Episode Notes Airbnb and Booking.com have delivered strong cash flow over the past year, giving them the flexibility for acquisitions and other transactions, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal in his Online Travel Briefing. Schaal looked at the companies’ free cash flow conversion, which measures how efficiently companies convert revenue into free cash flow after interest payments.  A key factor in their favor: They are all asset light businesses, meaning they don’t own the hotels or short-term rentals that they offer. The companies’ high levels of free cash flow provides the needed resources for a range of investment, including acquisitions and product development.  Next, global luxury travel network Virtuoso has seen a sales boom driven by surging interest in private experiences, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy.  Brophy notes that Virtuoso guests are spending between $10,000 to $50,000 per trip on average. Virtuoso’s platform has a network of 20,000 luxury travel advisors and they are s