Robert Cole
Senior Research Analyst, Lodging and Leisure TravelRobert Cole contributes to Phocuswright on topics related to hospitality, technology, distribution and traveler engagement. He has authored numerous papers for Phocuswright and has served in industry leadership roles with the Open Travel Alliance interoperability committee, HEDNA board of directors and as an HSMAI Adrian Awards Platinum/Best of Show judge.
Mr. Cole is also founder of RockCheetah, a hotel marketing strategy and travel technology consulting practice with clients including global hotel brands, travel technology providers, consumer websites, major media groups, travel related service organizations and the U.S. Government. Robert has over 30 years of travel industry experience. Prior to working with Phocuswright, Mr. Cole served as vice president, destination experience for mega-wholesaler Mark Travel; vice president of hotel and car for dynamic packaging pioneer Neat Group; director of hospitality development for Sabre Group; and corporate director of marketing planning for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. He holds a B.S. degree from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration.
Travel Innovation and Technology Trends 2018
Category: Technology Innovation Published: March 2018 Analysts: Bob Offutt, Robert Cole, Michael Gerra, Cathy Walsh, Hollis Thomases, Michael Coletta, Norm RoseEach year, Phocuswright publishes an annual “trends” report that discusses the most significant technology-driven issues or developments that will shape travel distribution in the course of the year and...
Engaging Travelers: Personalization, Analytics & Process Come of Age
Category: Consumer Trends Published: June 2017 Analysts: Robert Cole, Pete ComeauDownload/View the presentation deck and audio recording of the June 22, 2017 webinar - in partnership with Adobe - to explore the changing roles of content, messaging and analytics in delivering...
Instant Booking: TripAdvisor’s Bold Repositioning
Category: Technology Innovation Published: April 2016 Analysts: Robert ColeTripAdvisor’s Instant Booking platform – through which travelers can confirm their hotel bookings within TripAdvisor without being passed off to the hotel’s website – represents another successful pivot...
U.S. Online Travel Overview Fifteenth Edition
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: January 2016 Analysts: Maggie Rauch, Robert Cole, Michael Coletta, Lorraine Sileo US $2,495As the post-recession U.S. economy becomes steadier, travel has enjoyed the ride. While demand is high for all types of travel – domestic, inbound and outbound – the impact on the bottom line varies by...
Social Media Attribution: A Different Kind of Sales Funnel
Category: Social & Search Published: December 2015 Analysts: Robert ColeWeb 2.0 produced the promise of unparalleled consumer engagement through interactive communication, user-generated content and the mobilization of an army of independent brand evangelists. More than a...