Data strategy for an online travel booking company: key data, its uses and business goals

You are a product manager at an online company that sells hotel stays, other travel bookings and experiences such as tours and activities. Explain which data points you would draw on, how you would put each of them to use, and what business objectives the company should aim to reach through its data. ```hint Start from outcomes Name the few outcomes the business most needs first, then ask for each one which data would change a decision, instead of starting from an inventory of every signal you could collect. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should the plan cover both sides of the business, travelers and the hotels and activity operators who list with the company, or travelers only? - Which business line matters most right now: lodging, transport such as flights and cars, or experiences? - Is this a company-wide data strategy or one for a single product area such as search or marketing? - In which markets does the company operate, and what consent rules limit how traveler data can be used? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A short, ranked set of business objectives and why each matters to a company selling stays, travel and experiences - Data points grouped in a clear structure that spans travelers, bookings, supply partners and outside signals - Concrete uses that tie specific data to a product or decision, each with a way to measure its effect - A priority order across the uses, weighing impact, effort and how ready the data is - Privacy, consent, data-quality and partner-fairness risks, with mitigations ### Follow-up Questions - Most travelers book only a few trips a year. How does that limit personalization, and how would you work around it? - Which use would you build first, and how would you show it paid off? - What would you share with hotels and activity operators, and what would you hold back?