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ZainTech partners with Mastercard to provide unique AI and Machine Learning data solutions to businesses
Representative Image ZainTech, the one-stop digital solutions powerhouse of Zain Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mastercard to create unique data-driven and innovative solutions for businesses across Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The partnership will help streamline clients’ operations, including enhancing productivity and cost savings. ZainTech and Zain B2B teams across the region are revolutionizing day-to-day business by streamlining their digital transformation journey, making it simpler and more seamless than ever before. The company is offering cutting-edge data solutions, facilitating digital and data-driven decision-making, to achieve clients’ corporate goals and drive growth. Commenting on the collaboration with Mastercard, Andrew Hanna, ZainTech CEO said: “The benefits of sophisticated data to productivity, safety, and cost-savings being driven by AI and machine learning are revolutionizing business processes. This partnership with Mastercard will catalyze the development of unique data solutions from which our enterprise clients will benefit directly.” Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard said: “Artificial Intelligence has become an essential part of building cutting-edge solutions that use data to deliver added value to end-users. We are delighted to support ZainTech, a leading regional digital solutions provider in strengthening its value proposition.” The MENA region is witnessing an acceleration in the application of big data analytics, transforming industrial and enterprise operations. According to advisory firm PwC, the potential contribution of AI to the global economy will peak at almost US$16 trillion by 2030 and the Middle East is expected to accrue approximately 2% of those benefits – equivalent to approximately US$320 billion. Through its collaboration with Mastercard, ZainTech anticipates an accelerated adoption of advanced analytics and AI and machine learning across the MENA region.
OYO to invest in machine learning-powered dynamic pricing
OYO Hotels & Homes has announced that it has acquired Danamica, a Copenhagen-based data science company, with machine learning and business intelligence capabilities, specialised in dynamic pricing. This acquisition is in line with OYO’s continued commitment to the company’s global vacation rentals business through strategic investments in technology products, processes, and people. Earlier in August, the company had committed to invest EUR 300 million (USD 328.94 million) in the vacation homes business in Europe, with a special focus on strengthening the relationship with homeowners and enabling them with the resources, including technology investments, required to deliver chic hospitality experiences. With the acquisition of Danamica, OYO will be able to drive top-line growth by leveraging dynamic pricing across all its brands - OYO Home, Belvilla and DanCenter, all of them already at the forefront of vacation rental pricing in Europe. Additionally, OYO and its real estate partners around the world will benefit using data sciences for improved yield. Starting with Europe, Danamica’s technology innovations will benefit OYO’s global vacation homes business. Commenting on the development, Maninder Gulati, global head of OYO Vacation and Urban Homes and chief strategy officer of OYO Hotels & Homes said: “The acquisition of Danamica will help us be more accurate with pricing, leading to higher efficiencies and yield for our real estate owners and value for money for our millions of global guests, both everyday travellers and city dwellers, that choose an OYO Vacation Homes as their abode.” “OYO and Danamica have a shared understanding of the importance and impact of AI and data science. Like OYO, we recognise the untapped potential in the vacation rental industry that can be fulfilled with a data-driven approach,” said Mads Westberg and Rune Larsen, founders of Danamica. Similar to airlines, and ride-sharing companies, OYO has introduced dynamic pricing in the hospitality industry to create a level-playing ground even for an independent or small hotelier or homeowner.
TripAdvisor launches machine learning tech to auto-select primary photos
TripAdvisor has launched a new feature for primary property photos, which uses machine learning to auto select high-performing images for accommodation listings. Let’s be honest. We judge accounts by its primary photo before we decide to click through. But it’s not because we’re too judgemental. It’s just that first impressions last and with so many ubiquitous accounts online, we just don’t have the time to analyse them all. Now on TripAdvisor, you may have seen those badly taken photos; a slightly blurred selfie in a corridor; a close-up of the bathroom taps at a B&B; or even a picture of a road outside an inn that could be anywhere. These badly taken shots could end up as the primary photo for an accommodation business on TripAdvisor when an owner neglects to choose the proper photo. "79% of TripAdvisor travellers said that photos were important when choosing to book an accommodation" “We know that good photos are a key part in attracting new guests,” said Martin Verdon-Roe, VP B2B hotel product and marketing, TripAdvisor. “According to research, 79% of TripAdvisor travellers said that photos were important when choosing to book an accommodation and in more recent live site testing with partners, we can see that optimised photo selection has been shown to increase user click-through rates.” To help businesses on the platform choose the right photo, TripAdvisor launched a new auto-select feature for primary photos. The update uses advanced machine learning technology to evaluate and select the best available primary photo for the business, considering both professional and traveller photos. There are a number of factors which impact engagement and the tool works by analysing these factors like image resolution, orientation and sharpness, whether there are people in the photo. The machine learning has been programmed to select photos which drive higher levels of engagement from travellers, putting businesses at ease while creating a better-curated gallery on the platform. Verdon-Roe added: “This exciting new feature capitalizes on our strength in machine learning with insights from millions of professional and traveller photos across TripAdvisor to help properties make the best first impression to our global travellers.” Even with the update, users can still manually select their primary photo by opting out of the new auto-select feature at any time via the Management Centre.
OTA Insight to help hotels leverage the power of AI and Machine Learning
I've been impressed by the progress with product and customers OTA Insight has made in 2017...they have been Crushing It! Don't look for them to slowdown anytime soon they have just a secured $20 million round lead by Eight Roads Ventures. OTA Insight is a rocking SaaS business targeting the hospitality sector. They have a cloud based intelligence platform that helps hotels improve revenue (and margin). They do this with real time access to competitor rates, ratings, reviews, channel insights, and demand forecasts. The company says in a press release today that they will leverage the funding to further build out the platform with a focus on machine learning and AI capabilities. "Our customer-first approach has allowed OTA Insight to create a simple-to-use platform that addresses the needs of revenue managers across a broad range of accommodation types," Adriaan Coppens, CEO and co-founder of OTA Insight. The platform boasts more than 16,000 properties in 134 countries as customers. Some of the global and regional-leading hotels that use OTA Insight's platform include: Carlson Rezidor, Hilton, Accorhotels, Louvre, Choice, Best Western, Kimpton, SBE and NH Hotels. For more information on OTA Insight, visit www.otainsight.com.
Cloudbeds hires AI visionaries, Amit Popat and Nikhil Shah
Cloudbeds announced the strategic hiring of AI visionaries Amit Popat, Head of Machine Learning, and Nikhil Shah, Head of Data Science. This move marks a significant investment in artificial intelligence by Cloudbeds, aimed at developing unparalleled applications for the hotel industry and ushering in a new era of what’s possible for hoteliers. Leveraging over a decade of rich, comprehensive data from Cloudbeds’ industry-leading hospitality platform, this step toward integrating intelligence and machine learning into the platform will empower hoteliers to unlock insights and enable automation and real-time recommendations spanning the property’s entire operations. Popat and Shah, both mathematicians who met at the University of Cambridge, bring a wealth of experience in utilizing AI and machine learning to translate advanced analytics into tangible value for hoteliers. Their expertise in applying causal inference to hospitality data, combined with Cloudbeds’ extensive data sets, will position the company at the forefront of technological innovation in this sector. Adam Harris, Co-Founder and CEO of Cloudbeds, commented: "The hospitality industry has long sought a solution to break down departmental silos, enabling revenue, marketing, and operations teams to work together collaboratively to drive profitability across the entire hotel. Amit and Nikhil are two of the brightest minds in AI and ML, and they’re helping Cloudbeds achieve just that. These individuals are scary brilliant, and they know hospitality. All we have to do is give them a place to thrive with the resources they need and plenty of snacks. We are more than excited about the applications this will have for our hotelier customers." Popat is a distinguished machine-learning expert with a remarkable career spanning senior roles at Valtech and London Town Group. He went on to establish his own AI software consultancy firm, where he pioneered cutting-edge AI analytics and marketing solutions for FTSE-250 companies and multinational giants such as easyJet, Shell Energy, and Herbert Smith Freehills. Shah holds a PhD in large-scale computational optimization from Imperial College London. He went on to co-found S-Cube, an award-winning energy tech spin-out from his PhD. Shah has since worked with global industry supermajors such as Chevron, Woodside and Petrobras, spearheading impactful research and practical applications in the upstream energy sector. His capacity for innovation and strategic foresight has led to significant algorithmic advancements for optimizing high-stakes drilling investment decisions. Together, Popat and Shah co-founded the AI analytics and e-marketing platform Hotel Cloud in 2020, an intelligence platform designed to maximize revenue at every stage of the guest journey. Their combined expertise in creating practical applications of data science and machine learning across hospitality management will now fuel Cloudbeds’ vision of developing the industry’s most comprehensive, intelligent platform serving hoteliers.
AI-based project to optimize vessel performance forecasting concludes testing
Maritime technology company Yara Marine Technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) application developers Molflow, and Chalmers University of Technology and social science specialists from Halmstad University and Gothenburg University have collaborated over 3 years to develop and trial an AI-based semi-autonomous voyage planning system. Initiated in August 2020, the Via Kaizen project explores how AI and machine learning can enable more energy-efficient voyage planning for ship operators. Funded by the Swedish Transport Administration Trafikverket, the project utilized pre-existing tools, to enable a higher degree of digitalization and automation in vessel operations. These included Yara Marine’s propulsion optimization system FuelOpt and performance management and vessel data reporting tool Fleet Analytics, as well as Molflow’s vessel modelling system Slipstream. Existing work practices onboard and user needs were analyzed during the design process to ensure the technology facilitated processes and decisions with the greatest impact on energy efficiency. The resulting system was trialed onboard two vessels, a PCTC car carrier operated by UECC and a Rederiet Stenersen product tanker. The wide-ranging results indicated successful energy efficiency optimization based on estimated time of arrival (ETA), with one of the two trial vessels opting to continue using the system. Mikael Laurin, Head of Vessel Optimization at Yara Marine Technologies, said, “The Via Kaizen project speaks directly to where shipping is at the moment — where the intersections of digitalization, decarbonization and crewing determine our success in addressing climate change. The use of AI and machine learning to plan and predict energy-efficient voyages has significance for an industry looking to lower emissions while addressing rising fuel costs. Similarly, new technologies can streamline operations but require collaboration and buy-in from stakeholders across the board, necessitating crew familiarization and training, proactive design, and new corporate strategies. As a result, the insights and information gained from the project carry broader significance for our industry’s future.” The Via Kaizen project demonstrated that incorporating machine-learning algorithms for improved predictive modelling of ship propulsion power can result in more accurate performance forecasting and optimization. It also evidenced the necessity of constructive collaboration between technology developers and users, as well as between ship operators and their customers. Joakim Möller, CEO at Moflow, said, “The Via Kaizen project afforded an invaluable opportunity to explore and advance industry understandings of the role big data, data handling and model development can play in supporting lower emission strategies and maximized fuel efficiencies. Recent advances in vessel data tracking and analysis, weather information, and more can be used to gauge where operations have the potential to be streamlined. As the maritime industry seeks to utilize good data to inform decision-making, AI and machine learning can play a key role in processing and simplifying available data for clear, actionable outcomes.” Throughout the trials, crew played a key role in determining the success of energy efficient voyages. This shows the necessity giving ship crews and management every opportunity to engage with, understand and embrace the value of AI-powered ship operation support technology in assisting daily operations onboard and ashore. Martin Viktorelius of Halmstad University said, “Maritime’s ability to successfully decarbonize is dependent on its highly skilled workforce, and necessitates that we invest in creating seafarer support for digitalization and decarbonization. Clean technologies must prioritize intuitive, user-friendly interfaces and understand existing operations to maximize crew support and uptake of AI-powered solutions. The Via Kaizen project engaged with crew to explore and establish key parameters that crew indicated hindered their support of voyage efficiency.” Simon Larsson from Gothenburg University said, “The Via Kaizen project documented potential challenges to implementing energy efficient voyages — notably, the impact of crew training and corporate processes that either facilitated or hindered the effective use of AI tools to improve efficiency. These findings are not specific to the project and have wider ramifications for an industry seeking advanced solutions to rapidly reduce emissions. While crew training will afford a much-needed bridge to build understanding and accelerate support for AI-powered voyage efficiency solutions among seafarers, it is just as important that we ensure effective channels of communication with management and corporate processes.” Following the conclusion of this project, additional funding has been secured from the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova to further explore a selection of its findings.
Egencia enhances travel approval with first of its kind AI recommendation tool
Egencia has launched a unique recommendation tool that uses machine learning to automatically generate personalised settings for their customers’ travel approval processes. The new tool will significantly simplify and reduce the time that it takes for companies to set up travel approval workflows on Egencia’s platform. In addition, the company announced future plans to integrate with the Slack enterprise messaging app, adding a new channel for quick and easy travel approvals. Setting up travel approval processes can be complex and time-consuming. Corporate travel managers must configure multiple variables across all travel options and different locations. Egencia’s travel approval recommendation tool generates tailored recommendations for approval workflows that can be implemented immediately across online, offline and mobile app bookings. The approval recommendation tool analyses a company’s needs based on industry, geographical location, company size, projected annual travel spend and the number of travellers. A machine learning model, built with data from over 65,000 approval workflow combinations used by thousands of customers around the world, finds best practices that match the company’s profile. The result is an instant recommendation for a travel approval policy that can be implemented in just a few clicks. Francisca Zanoguera, VP of Data and Analytics, comments: ‘Our customers expect us to provide data insights to help improve their travel programmes. We are going one step further to make it even easier to use those insights to quickly create personalised, effective approval policies. By powering our travel management tools with AI, we continue to deliver an intelligent travel experience for travel managers and travellers.’ Egencia’s most recent machine learning innovation was its market-leading dynamic hotel rate cap policy. Egencia also plans to integrate the travel approval tool with business messaging app Slack in 2022. This will further streamline the approval process for those that approve travel, saving time and effort. Egencia’s data shows that approvers respond to requests quickly, with action taken on 70 per cent of approval requests within one hour, and on 90 per cent within 24 hours. The upcoming integration with Slack will let approvers choose to complete those tasks in their preferred channel, whether it’s the messaging app, online or via email. This makes it easier to continue to respond rapidly to travel requests and help to ensure efficient policy management.
Avian: How a startup is making life better for travel agents all around the world
Challenged with the self-appointed task of revolutionising the way commission and incentives are managed by airlines and travel agents (TAs); Avian is a startup on a mission to drag the complex and convoluted process kicking and screaming into the future, with the application of some 21st-century smarts, deep data and machine learning. To find out more about the company and its plans I spoke to CEO and co-founder, Mickey Haslavsky -- listed in 2017's under 30 list by Forbes magazine -- to discover how exactly Avian are taking on this herculean task and what is in store for TAs and suppliers in the future. (L to R) co-founder and CTO, Oran Epelbaum, alongside founder and CEO, Mickey Haslavsky TD: Before we can into the real meat of the interview, tell me a little bit about your background and how you first conceived of the idea, that has become Avian. Mickey Haslavsky (MH): Well, I come from a technology background and previously co-founded a company called RapidAPI, which was, and still is, the largest API market place in the world, allowing for developers to connect to APIs, using one simple hub and one platform, to browse through all the API’s which exist in the world. My cofounder Oran Epelbaum, an essential component in Avian, has twice been the CTO of two large cybersecurity companies in Israel. We had been exposed to the world of NDC (new distribution capability). And as NDC is mainly about API’s I, naturally, had an interest started watching NDC APIs for a long time. "Nobody speaks about the future of business and commercial communication" When Oran and I teamed up and began working to help distribution and sales within the airline industry, we soon saw the problem airlines had with keeping track of the commission and incentives data. Then we realised this an issue throughout the industry and from there we began working with agencies as well. We began by asking why has NDC adoption been so slow, and what we realised was that everything is around technology in the distribution space -- but nobody speaks about the future of business and commercial communication between TAs and airlines. We asked, specifically, how will TA’s be incentivised to use new products and distribution methods. This is a big problem for TAs, who struggle to manage backend and frontend incentives, coming from potentially hundreds of airlines, at any given moment -- because they are paper-based. Conversely, the struggle for airlines, or indeed any supplier, is the management a lot of different incentives, from hundreds or even thousands of different agencies all around the world. This has become a very big problem. TD: OK, so you have an idea for a concept, how did you then put it into action? MH: Basically we developed online software which allows TAs to scan all of their backend agreements – all their incentives and commission contracts with airlines – allowing them to match that information with their sales performance data and show them how far off they are from achieving the targets we set up for them. what is the ROI on each one of the commission schemes and the sales of the airlines they work with, as well as providing real-time insights into what is the best product for them to sell at any given moment. On the other side, we allow suppliers – currently airlines but in the future hotels, cruise lines and car rentals – to create real-time incentive campaigns and deliver them straight to the travel agent's computer screen. TD: Are you the only guys doing this? MH: Well, there are analytics tools available that allow TAs to manually fill their commissions and incentives. But we are not taking it into the analytics level, we use deep technology and machine learning and literally given our partners insights into their supplier relationships and ROI they have on their sales. TD: What have been the biggest challenges of launching Avian? MH: When you enter the B2B world you can see a lot of challenges with data management and consolidating data all into one place, and we have had a lot of hard times building a machine that will analyse the data and make sure we can extract the most useful insights out of from this information. We are talking about billions of dollars in sales we are looking at and it is very hard to get these specific pints and information. But this is the amazing part of what we have built it literally allows you to have your big data machine learning algorithms as a service -- that’s a big deal TD: What stage are you guys at in the development of the operation? MH: We have raised 2 million dollars so far, from Village Global, network venture capitalists from San Francisco, andJourney Ventures a travel VC from Israel – along with other angel investors, of course And we already have TAs from the US, Europe and Africa now using our software, who are very happy with the service. TD: Where do you see yourselves in five or ten years? MH: Looking forward we can see how complex the booking experience is going to become. There are so many booking engines and pipelines which are evolving the market -- NDC for airlines is one example but you can see this in the hospitality industry too -- and the complexity of managing commission and incentives through all these booking engines is just going to get bigger, bigger and bigger. We want to be the place where those suppliers and distributors have the ability to communicate and manage business relationships in real-time, creating opportunities and collaborations, together, digitally by leveraging this amazing technology and insights. TD: What does the future hold for Avian? MH: Today we have the ability to track and manage incentive agreements for TAs, but we are about to launch an API that will allow online booking tools and OTAs, and even travel management companies with online booking engines, to not only track the incentive and commission agreements they have but also implement them into their search engines, imparting the ability to bring much better prices content and profitability to TAs in the very near future. We’re about to release that in a couple of weeks and I am super excited to, as it might just change the way things work in the supplier space today.
Future-Ready Travel Agencies: Insights from IBS Software’s APAC Growth
In last decade, the centre of gravity for aviation has clearly moved East. Economies in Asia Pacific have outpaced global GDP and aviation has both enabled that growth and benefited from it. IBS Software has helped airlines like the Emirates, Thai Airways, and China Airlines modernise their technology backbone so they can compete in a much more digital and data-driven marketplace. On the other hand, IBS SaaS platform helps hotel and cruise brands bring their distribution, pricing and operations together so they can grow direct relationships and reduce leakage through fragmented legacy systems. Travel Daily Media connected with Gautam Shekar, Senior Vice President and Head of the Asia Pacific region, IBS Software, to know about growth, tech-trends and more… Travel Daily Media (TDM): Can you share the growth story of IBS Software? Where did you start from and where are you now as a company? What is your impact and growth in Asia? Gautam Shekar (GS): IBS Software was born inside aviation and has grown into a global SaaS partner for the entire travel ecosystem. In a little over twenty-five years, we have evolved from an airline-focused technology player to a cloud-first platform that supports airlines, airports, hotels, cruise lines and tour operators across more than forty countries. Our teams now span seventeen offices and over five thousand people, and they work with some of the world’s most recognisable travel brands.” Asia Pacific has become the engine of global aviation, and our own growth has followed that shift. IATA’s latest figures show that Asia Pacific carriers now account for roughly a third of global passenger traffic and delivered more than five percent year-on-year passenger growth in September 2025, with some of the strongest load factors in the world. Intra-Asia journeys grew close to ten percent, led by markets like China and Japan. That is the backdrop for our expansion and for the long-term partnerships we have built with carriers across India, China, Southeast Asia, North Asia and the Middle East. If you look at the last decade, the centre of gravity for aviation has clearly moved East. Economies in Asia Pacific have outpaced global GDP and aviation has both enabled that growth and benefited from it. We have mirrored that journey by investing in the region and by helping airlines including Emirates, Thai Airways, and China Airlines modernise their technology backbone so they can compete in a much more digital and data-driven marketplace. TDM: What are the main benefits of cutting-edge SaaS technology in the travel industry? How have you helped script the digital revolution of the travel industry in Asia? GS: Many airlines are still constrained by technology that was built for a different world. It is costly to run and painfully slow to change. Modern SaaS platforms give them something very different. They provide flexibility, lower ownership costs and tight integration with a wider ecosystem, so airlines can respond quickly to what travellers want instead of waiting for big, risky upgrades. Today’s traveller shops on platforms like Amazon and books mobility on apps like Uber, then turns to an airline website that still behaves like a static catalogue. That gap is not sustainable. Cloud-native, API-first SaaS gives airlines the tools to behave more like modern retailers, with real-time offers, dynamic pricing and far more relevant ancillaries. At an industry level, this is not just an IT refresh. Studies with IATA and McKinsey suggest that better retailing techniques could unlock tens of billions of dollars in additional value for airlines by 2030. SaaS is the practical way to reach that opportunity because it lets carriers move from rigid legacy stacks to open, intelligent retail platforms without disrupting day-to-day operations. Our role has been to modernise that backbone with modular, cloud-native and AI-first platforms that help airlines improve profitability on one side and deliver more personalised journeys on the other. Those are the two levers that will define the next decade of growth in this region. IATA data shows Asia Pacific leading global traffic growth with strong load factors and rising intra-regional demand. That creates both opportunity and risk. Carriers that embrace digital retailing and modern operations will capture loyalty and yield. Those that stay tied to monolithic systems will find it harder to compete. We are working with airlines across the region to make sure they land on the right side of that divide. TDM: There are many benefits of selling corporate, group or multigenerational travel. How can your technology help turn group Holidays into Airline Retail Opportunities? GS: Group and multigenerational trips have historically been treated as a single file sitting in a PNR (Passenger Name Record). With modern retailing, that same booking becomes a canvas for individual engagement. Airlines can understand who is travelling together, personalise offers for each person in the group and surface relevant ancillaries that suit a family, a sports club or a corporate team. That changes group travel from a volume play into a genuine retail opportunity. When airlines have the right data foundation, AI can help them build tailored bundles around a group journey. The platform can suggest seat layouts, bags, meals, insurance, airport services and ground options that make sense for each traveller, rather than one-size-fits-all packages. That creates more convenience for customers and more diversified revenue for the airline. TDM: How do you help travel facilitators grow their business in an increasingly digital and AI-enabled world? GS: We treat AI as a core design principle, not as a buzzword. It helps our teams write, test and deploy code more efficiently, and it shows up in the products our customers use. For travel facilitators, that means smarter servicing, faster decision-making and far richer personalisation at every customer touchpoint. On the front line, generative AI can transform customer service. It can understand intent, surface the right policy or booking information and resolve common requests without long wait times. In the background, machine learning optimises pricing and bundling, so the right offer reaches the right traveller with less manual intervention. That combination improves the experience and lowers the cost to serve. For intermediaries, the real power of AI is that it keeps learning. Every interaction refines pricing models, merchandising strategies and service flows. Over the next five to ten years, we expect step changes in how travel is sold, from far more predictive shopping right through to proactive disruption management. TDM: What are your offerings for the Airline industry that would help provide a differentiated customer experience? GS: On the commercial side, our retail and reservations platform, iRetail, powers the full journey from shopping through to booking and fulfilment. It lets airlines move away from static fares and fixed ancillaries towards offers that reflect real-time context and the traveller’s profile. Our loyalty platform, iLoyal, then builds on that by recognising each customer as an individual. It lets airlines use data about preferences, behaviour and status to shape every interaction. That might show up as tailored seat options, curated benefits or pricing that reflects a long-term relationship. These touches create stickiness, and stickiness is what ultimately strengthens profitability. The industry conversation is shifting towards offers and orders and away from traditional ticketing concepts. We are deeply involved in that change. By aligning with IATA’s Modern Airline Retailing vision and frameworks like ONE Order, we help airlines streamline delivery whilst keeping the focus squarely on customer centricity. TDM: What do you have for the hospitality sector and cruises to improve their revenue and market share? GS: Hotel groups and cruise lines are facing the same customer expectations as airlines. Guests want simple booking flows, personalised stays and frictionless servicing across channels. Our SaaS platform helps these brands bring their distribution, pricing and operations together so they can grow direct relationships and reduce leakage through fragmented legacy systems. By unifying data across stays, voyages and ancillary services, we help hospitality and cruise operators identify their most valuable guests and design experiences that keep them coming back. That might mean smarter packaging, better loyalty mechanics or more accurate demand forecasting. The outcome is the same. Higher revenue quality and stronger competitive positioning. TDM: What has business been like for you in 2025? What’s new, especially in terms of AI for 2026? GS: From a market perspective, 2025 has been strong. IATA’s latest numbers show global passenger demand up by more than three per cent compared to last year, with Asia Pacific again outpacing the rest of the world in both growth and load factors. That recovery in demand has gone hand in hand with a renewed focus on modernisation, and we have continued to grow with our customers across the region. Looking ahead to 2026, we expect airlines to accelerate their move away from monolithic legacy stacks toward cloud-native, AI-powered retail and operations platforms. The industry is already talking less about simple digital enablement and more about true digital retail. Our roadmap reflects that, with investments in generative AI, decision intelligence and agentic workflows that help airlines act with far more speed and precision. TDM: Where do you all have offices in Asia? Why should youngsters think of joining IBS Software? What proclivity would you look for in new team members? GS: We support customers across all the major aviation markets in the Asia Pacific. Our model is not tied to one or two flagship offices. Instead, we place teams and capabilities where our airline, airport and travel partners need us. As the region continues to grow, you will see our footprint and our collaborations deepen across multiple hubs. For young professionals, IBS Software offers the chance to work at the intersection of two dynamic worlds: advanced technology and fast-growing travel markets. Asia Pacific is forecast to remain the largest aviation region in terms of future aircraft deliveries and traffic growth, and we are one of the companies building the digital infrastructure that will support that future. It is a space with a real runway for learning and impact. The people who thrive at IBS Software tend to share three qualities in spirit, even if they express them in different ways. They are curious about both the industry and the technology that drives it. They care about raising the bar on what they deliver. They value a collaborative culture that connects colleagues across geographies and backgrounds. Those traits matter more to us than any single line on a CV.
Expedia hires Google’s AI powerhouse to reshape travel’s future with bold new vision
Expedia Group has appointed Xavier Amatriain as its first chief artificial intelligence (AI) and data officer, underscoring the company’s push to position itself at the forefront of next-generation travel technology. Amatriain previously served as Google’s VP of AI and compute enablement, bringing deep expertise in machine learning, data infrastructure and agentic systems. In his new role, Amatriain will oversee Expedia’s long-term AI and machine-learning strategy while coordinating with product, B2B, marketing, finance and strategic-partnership divisions across the organisation. Amatriain said the travel sector is entering a pivotal phase shaped by “generative, agentic and truly adaptive technologies” capable of transforming how people plan, book and experience travel. “We’re creating seamless end-to-end travel experiences, and no company is better positioned than Expedia Group to lead this next wave,” he said, adding that the aim is a future in which travel becomes more intelligent, intuitive and deeply personalised. The move comes at a time when AI adoption in the travel industry is accelerating, driven by rising consumer expectations, operational efficiencies and new opportunities in predictive analytics and dynamic content generation. Expedia Group’s appointment reflects a broader trend as travel companies elevate AI expertise into senior leadership roles. In September, Skyscanner promoted chief product officer Piero Sierra to chief AI officer, a move he described as a commitment to “curiosity, learning and making travel more personal, intuitive and inspiring.” As competition intensifies, these leadership changes signal a wider shift: AI is no longer an add-on but a core driver of strategy, product design and traveller engagement.
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