The flow of visitors from the People's Republic coming to the U.S. has already diminished since the conflict erupted in early 2018, and continuing tensions are projected to result in 2 million fewer Chinese tourists through next year, according to a new estimate from Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company. Over two years, that adds up to $11 billion in lost spending.

The research firm estimates that a significant decrease in Chinese tourists last year resulted in a loss of roughly $2 billion in spending in the U.S. In 2019, nearly 650,000 fewer visits are expected—another $3.8 billion in foregone spending.

Every data point from the off-site acquisition path influences the on-site conversion experience and vice versa. Major OTAs and eCommerce giants rely on this approach to succeed, and hotels need to learn how to make acquisition and conversion work smarter together if they want to remain competitive in an evolving market.

Whether it’s Amazon, Etsy or eBay, the immense success of these eCommerce giants can be directly attributed to their ability to capture, analyze and implement customer data across every part of the user journey.

They use acquisition data from search history to match each user's wants and needs on the website. Then, through conversion data that’s collected across thousands of customer personas on-site, they can make accurate business decisions during the payment process and beyond.

If you want to reach millennial and Gen Z travelers, it’s debatable whether an owl character, decked out in a bathrobe and perched at times on a hotel room pillow, should be your go-to brand ambassador.

A new TripAdvisor brand campaign, unleashed in the U.S. a week ago on TV and various digital platforms, is almost as noteworthy for the things that are absent than for the content included. The bathrobe-clad Little Wiser owl character is blissfully missing in action, and TripAdvisor’s recent emphasis on hotel price comparisons and bookings is nowhere to be seen.

Most internet users understand the free content they consume is supported by data-driven advertising. Most people would prefer not to pay for content but are also increasingly concerned about online privacy.

Google is seeking to navigate a middle path that balances privacy and user control over data and personalized advertising, which the internet has become increasingly dependent on.

The guiding principles of the initiative are “transparency, choice and control.” Google’s Chetna Bindra, senior product manager, user trust and privacy, believes that this effort will potentially take several years to come to fruition. She also believes that the solution must be holistic and involve broad industry agreement about standards or it won’t work.

Get inspiration from some of its most creative clients who use their websites to provide a compelling look at the property while driving direct bookings.

Read more about the recent website launches of Viceroy Hotels and Resorts, The Hotel Zags Portland, and InterContinental Chicago.

And find inspiration in initiatives outside the hospitality industry: A closer look at how Starbucks taps into nostalgia and how Bud Light keeps up with relevant cultural sensations.