Why airlines should take advantage of passenger drones
Drones have evolved from being a young boy’s toy to a tool for photography and surveillance. In less than a decade, drones are now being developed to carry passengers for airborne travel.
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Technology
Germ-free travel: The airline seat that cleans itself
Germophobes rejoice! The quest for a germ-free air travel is within reach. Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH is developing a seat infused with a disinfectant that fights off germs that come…
Bedsonline to launch Chinese language website aimed at TAs at ITB Shanghai
Hotelbeds subsidiary Bedsonline, has announced today the launch of its enhanced Chinese language website, just in time for ITB Shanghai on16-18 May.
How to choose and integrate travel and expense management software
Private jets flying to exotic destinations, limos waiting at the airport, expensive dinners meetings in Ritz-Carlton Hotel restaurants, and of course hotel…
Has Travelport’s GDS business fallen too far behind?
Travelport last week reported 1Q earnings and took a big one on the chin reporting negative bookings growth. Already the smallest of the GDS, the company was bearing the brunt of the Flight…
Lyft almost doubles market share in business travel market, Uber loses 14% in two years
The battle of ride-hailing services in the United States has been heating for years. While Uber’s problems gained the spotlight, its rival Lyft steadily rise with its quiet expansion in…
Pinterest reveals that research into stopovers is up 905%, solo adventures by 593%
In a travel report that came from Pinterest, it showed that the planning process can bring as much happiness as the trip itself. The findings come from people who use Pinterest to get travel…
Amadeus to introduce ‘Smart Cities’ to improve mobility in congested APAC cities
Amadeus announced the creation of a task force dedicated to lead its new Smart Cities offer in APAC, enabling smart mobility for the world’s most densely populated cities.
Virgin Trains now sells tickets through Alexa, offers free first-class upgrades
Virgin Trains has become the first travel operator to sell tickets through Amazon Alexa. To celebrate the moment, the company is offering free first-class upgrades to anyone named Alexa.
Snag the best deals with Egencia’s report that reveals the best time to book
Travel management company, Egencia, has released a full report showing the best time to book, how many people get access to premium travel, and who actually gets to travel without their…
Travelport to provide tech solutions for Norwegian OTA chain, G Travel
Travel commerce platform, Travelport announced a new multi-year technology and content agreement with Norwegian travel agency chain, G Travel.
Vietnam Airlines signs MoU for maintenance powered by virtual reality glasses, drones and robotics
Click! I see through my headset that an armrest in the aeroplane cabin (that I'm not even inside) is faulty. Click! I send a message to automated manufacturing plant to 3d print a new…
Did Sabre just score a new distribution deal with one of Asia’s biggest airlines?
Hot on the heels of last week’s news that Sabre had renewed its GDS agreement with Vietnam Airways, the travel-tech company has now released news of its new content distribution agreement…
Atlantis Sanya celebrates official launch with gala musical
Atlantis’ first resort in China officially opened yesterday. Owned by Fosun International and managed by Kerzner International, the opening of Atlantis Sanya was marked with a VIP packed…
Exploring ‘voice search’ opportunities in the industry
Roast, an independent research agency, has released full reports on how voice search works and how businesses in the hotel and travel industry can be optimised online.
Guesty, the property management platform behind Airbnb raises $19.75m
Guesty, a Tel Aviv-based Startup that provides an end-to-end property management platform, announced that it has raised $19.75 million in a series B funding.
Lopesan Hotel Group and Roiback sign collaboration deal to push direct booking channel
Lopesan Hotel Group and Roiback have signed a collaboration agreement to create a new website and push hotel sales by improving distribution systems.
Camper vans join the sharing economy in Europe and Australia
You can now rent the perfect campervan with Camptoo which offers all types of camper vehicles across Europe and Australia.
Voglr search engine to help travel agents with over 1,000 hotels on video
Voglr has launched its video platform especially made for travel agents, showcasing more than a thousand luxury hotels and destinations worldwide.
Ctrip invests in “next generation of travel” – Boom Supersonic
American purveyor of sound-barrier-busting travel Boom Supersonic has announced its intention to bring supersonic flight to China this week, after finalising and completing a ‘strategic…
75-million strong Indian TV channel to debut in UK
With a reach of over 75 million homes, Travelxp will become India’s first TV channel to enter the UK through the Freeview platform.
Crowdvilla ushers ‘real’ sharing economy in hospitality industry, says co-founder
Darvin Kurniawan believes that the blockchain can democratise the hospitality industry. In the last part of our interview with the Indonesian-born, Singapore-based start-up co-founder, he…
Experience beyond itineraries: we talk to a ‘serial start-up founder’
We previously posted the first part of our interview with Experience Philippines founder and CEO Giancarlo 'Gian' Gallegos, who has made us want to round up a few companions for a Random…
Airbnb works with Nuki to make physical keys a thing of the past
Nuki, a smart lock innovator, has announced it is working with Airbnb to make locking and unlocking doors easier – and much cooler.
Vietnamese traveltech startup Triip raises new funding round, readies itself for ICO
Ho Chi Minh City-based travel tech startup Triip has announced that it has raised an undisclosed funding round from Japanese strategic investor Gaiax and Vietnamese angel investor Nguyen…
You can take a virtual reality tour in Rome this summer
At the end of April, Roma Experience, in collaboration with archaeologists and tour guides, will be launching a 3D guided tour of Rome and its iconic sights.
Building connections through Random Road Trips
We sat down with EXPH founder and CEO Giancarlo 'Gian' Gallegos, who explained how taking friends and strangers off the tourist grid goes beyond business:
CTO announces plans to accept cryptocurrency when travelling to Caribbean
Travelers can soon pay with Bitcoin and the like when traveling to Caribbean nations, as the Caribbean Tourism Organization has proclaimed it will introduce the use of cryptocurrency…
The rebirth of the timeshare – for the cryptocurrency generation: we talk to the CEO of Crowdvilla
Darvin Kurniawan, the Indonesian co-founder and CEO of Singapore-based start-up Crowdvilla, entered the alternative accommodations industry by way of blockchain-powered cryptocurrency. …
Deutsche Hospitality upgrades the hotel sector with Alexa Voice Service Skills Kit
Proving to be a digitalisation trailblazer in the hotel sector, Deutsche Hospitality is currently developing several digital solutions to provide customers with state-of-the-art…
How Amadeus’s mobile app makes Cape Verde even more attractive
Grabbing some extra time on holiday is always a boon for any traveller. Even if it’s just a couple of hours, to grab a final breakfast or last drink by the pool, it can make the world of…
Hotelchamp integrates top marketing tech to drive direct booking growth
Hotelchamp, another champion of the direct booking movement, stepped up in a big way announcing the integration of TrustYou, OTA Insight, Customer Alliance, LiveChat and HotJar into their…
Accor builds F&B assets with acquisition of ResDiary
AccorHotels today announces that it has completed the acquisition of table reservation system, ResDiary.
7 tips for building a successful mobile booking app for OTAs, airlines and hotels
Travel customer expectations have changed significantly over the last several years. As with other consumer-focused industries, near universal smartphone and tablet adoption has affected…
AI primer with Travelport VP Simon Ferguson, ahead of his keynote at the Mumbrella Travel Marketing Summit
The week of 16 April is a crucial conference week for travel marketers from around the world and especially in Singapore, as both the Mumbrella Travel Marketing Summit and the Digital…
Holidays that are out of this world: Luxury hotel in space ‘Aurora Station’ is coming in 2021
Get ready for the next frontier in the hotel industry as Orion Span announces the Aurora Station, the first luxury space in space.
Travel giant Ctrip enters China rideshare market to take on Didi, the Uber slayer
Ctrip.com is jumping into China's ride-hailing market: the ever-growing global travel powerhouse received a licence to offer a rideshare app business yesterday this week.
MakeMyTrip and Flipkart announce travel partnership
MakeMyTrip and Flipkart announced a partnership that will leverage the MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, and Redbus products and services to provide Flipkart's customers with online travel bookings.
Sabre Labs reveals three tech trends that will define the future of travel
Sabre Labs 2018 Emerging Technology Report examines the roles of automation, authenticity and blockchain in the evolving travel technology landscape.
SimpliFlying launches airline crisis command centre as subscription service
The 21st century and the rise of the internet and social media has made the world more connected, and, on many occasions, a lot more judgemental. Whereas it once took a natural disaster to…
Sponsored Placements will give your hotel top ranking on TripAdvisor – for a price
Good news for hoteliers but perhaps bad news for impartiality today as TripAdvisor has launched Sponsored Placements - an advertising solution that helps accommodation businesses reach the…
UK travellers set to go loco as Skyscanner launches train bookings
To diversify the travel search engine’s offering to UK travellers, the Skyscanner app has launched the train bookings feature, now available on iOS and soon to follow on Android systems.
AirAsia takes off to Silicon Valley to find best start-ups in the world
AirAsia is making its way into US Silicon Valley in search of the best start-ups in the travel industry.
Should FlipKart launch a travel marketplace?
Is India's ecommerce giant Flipkart building plans to enter online travel? We look at the company and its history - and why it might be well-placed to build the country's biggest OTA.…
Conversocial adds WeChat support
WeChat represents an audience of over 1 bilion users in China, many of whom use it as their sole access to news, information and social networking.
However, for many international…
Travelport and Air France KLM sign new deal for content distribution, removing GDS charges for agents
Travelport signed a deal with Air France KLM to distribute its content through a private channel arrangement, allowing agents to avoid the carrier’s GDS charge.
The deal allows customers…
Hotelbeds group nets €110M from sales of Destination Management operations to TUI
Hotelbeds Group has announced the sale of its Destination Management operations for enterprise value of €110 million to TUI.
This goes against the grain of Hotelbeds' recent behaviour as…
Why customers “are only #7 on an airline’s list of priorities”
As the world’s very first multi-carrier booking system, Air Black Box is in the business of empowering airlines with the ability to “truly cross-merchandise their products”
“Hey Angie, get me an interview with your creator” – meet the man pushing the envelope of voice-activated hotel tech
Back in February, I wrote about the debut of Angie, the 24-hour interactive guest-room assistant. It’s an innovative piece of technology that’s revolutionising hospitality both for guests…
WeSwap: Why buy money when you can just swap it?
WeSwap is a fast-paced, high-growth, tech company that’s innovating the way we get travel money. Could it be the currency exchange platform that will change the world?
How to comply with GDPR: recommendations for the travel industry
The adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has become one of the hottest topics across a broad spectrum of industries. The travel industry is no exception. The GDPR…
Pair of aces: Klook double down on USD$60 million investment
With news of Klook’s successful round of series C funding, coming at the end of last year, where the in-destination platform secured US$60 million (the largest deal of its kind) to expand…
How Alipay brings benefit of Chinese tourist boom to SE Asia’s “smallest” merchants
Continuing their relentless expansion, and commitment to installing their services for the convenience of Chinese travellers and local merchants all around the world, Alipay have announced…
ANA wants to transfer human consciousness across space and time
XPRIZE and ANA announce $10million competition to develop real-life Avatars
Hotelogix to use $5 million investment for rapid expansion
Following on from the successful launch of the popular Mobile Hotel app, cloud-based hotel property management system provider, Hotelogix, has raised $5 million USD to sink into building…
Airbus BizLab signs Indian start-ups in new push for ‘Make in India’
Neewee and EFLIGHT, two start-ups accelerated at Airbus Bizlab India, have signed their first contracts with Airbus and subsidiary NAVBLUE to bring to life their unique innovative ideas in…
EANS’s new travel API is faster, leaner and more efficient
Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) has announced EAN Rapid, a new API solution which allows EAN’s partners to provide greater choice to their customers and is built with the flexibility to…
Artificial Intelligence: SITA’s drive to make lost baggage a distant memory
Not content with creating robot baggage handlers at Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport, SITA is now promising to end the frustration and expense of lost baggage…
RedDoorz evolves with US$11 million pre-Series B fundraise, pilot property model
We have been following RedDoorz as it scales up towards becoming the leading accommodation marketplace in Southeast Asia.
This travel company will give you US$7,000 to explore Europe this summer
Attention, travel bloggers! If you’ve ever dreamed of living the jet-set life, this is your chance to go on an all-expenses-paid adventure in Europe.
10 sustainable tourism start ups compete for Booking.com development grant
Booking.com have announced the 10 sustainable tourism start ups that will be joining the 2018 Booking Booster Programme in Amsterdam in May 2018. Building upon its successful launch in 2017,…
‘I built a travel data start-up because of a selfish desire to keep in touch’
Andres Fabris earned a finance degree from the University of Texas at Austin in the hopes of working in the finance side of the IT industry. Instead, he has spent 23 years growing, then…
Startup brings the heat to Vietnam’s hospitality, tech industries
BedLinker is a Vietnamese joint stock company providing technology solutions that allow hotels, travel agents and tour operators to work together. The start-up founded by Thuan Dao, whose…
Amadeus boosts NDC push with new programme
Amadeus recently unveiled a dedicated programme in line with IATA’s push towards product differentiation, time-to-market, full and rich air content accessibility, and a transparent shopping…
MakeMyTrip Ltd renews OYO partnership
India’s largest online travel services provider, MakeMyTrip Ltd, formally announced that it entered an agreement with award-winning budget hospitality company OYO. The agreement entails…
‘Opaque booking format works for both hoteliers and guests’ – Travelspice co-founder
We sat down with Travelspice co-founder and CFO Ankit Manglik for a short chat on the success of its opaque booking format, its future plans, and why its team chose “Kitney Mein Chahiye?” as…
Orbiting space pods could be the final frontier of hotel rooms
If you’ve got millions to spare, you could finally make that reservation in outer space via Bigelow Aerospace's B330-1 and B330-2 launching in 2021.
Startup that lets multiple travel groups meet halfway hailed in 2018 Business Travel Show
Group trip organisers and business travellers in multinational organisations can now breathe easier thanks to a new platform where they can plan multi-origin group travel for face-to-face…
Hong Kong Airlines’ new partnership to harness connectivity as aircraft fleet grows
Sabre Corporation announced today an agreement with Hong Kong Airlines to implement Sabre AirCentre Crew technology, a solution that offers a range of crew scheduling, management, services…
Online auction system empowers hotel guests to trade up
Hotel ICON is the first in Hong Kong to partner with UpsellGuru to offer online bidding for upgrades and ancillary provisions to its direct booking guests.
New lodging solution lets travel buyers access almost 1 million hotel choices
Texas-based Sabre has partnered with Bedsonline, TravelBound and the Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) to make their content available in its new inventory and rate options solution.…
Aviation Festival Asia 2018: introducing HappyOrNot APAC director Chris Armstrong
Aviation Festival Asia is coming into land this Tuesday and as part of my previews of the we speak to HappyOrNot APAC director Chris Armstrong, to find out more about how he got to play…
Swayy wins 2018 Travel Technology Disrupt Award
Swayy, a new service that allows hotels and travel companies to connect with digital influencers, has won the 2018 Travel Technology Disrupt Award.
Reclaim adventure by going Anywhr
Anywhr, an opaque bespoke tour booking start-up under the National University of Singapore’s NUS Enterprise programme, operates on the belief that “travel is more than just recycling…
New revenue stream dawns for luxury hotels with DayBreakHotels
DayBreakHotels, a Rome-based travel tech start-up launched by Simon Botto, Flavio Del Greco, Lorenzo Stabile and Michele Spadone in 2013, recently caught the attention of Hotel Jumpstart,…
Aviation double feature set to touch down in Singapore
Next week is a busy time for aviation folks in Singapore with two extremely popular events, craftily working together, to create an incredible three days for the industry in Asia, and as a…
BackHotel Lite – Roiback pocket booking engine already present in five countries
BackHotel Lite, the new simplified version of Roiback’s booking engine for small chains and independent hotels, is already being used in five countries worldwide: Spain, Mexico, Indonesia,…
SiteMinder and IDeaS Revenue Solutions study finds hoteliers fear robot-run future
A white paper by SiteMinder and IDeaS Revenue Solutions has found that while hoteliers fear a future where their properties are run by robots, they believe artificial intelligence (AI) may…
Banyan Tree Samui now offers guests their own smartphone
Banyan Tree Samui, a luxurious 88-villa beachfront resort on one of Thailand’s most compelling island destinations, is now offering its guests a Portier smartphone along with the room keys…
Virgin Group: Richard Branson and India announce $55 billion Hyperloop project
Richard Branson and The Indian State of Maharashtra announced their intent to build a Virgin Hyperloop between Pune and Mumbai, this weekend. Beginning with an operational demonstration…
Book, bid and win: UpsellGuru enhances up-selling strategy for hoteliers
UpsellGuru, based in Germany with a satellite office in Malaysia, has become a favourite of boutique chains and independent brands in the luxury side of hospitality for this reason. Launched…
Helsinki Mayor and Tencent woo millions of Chinese with new WeChat mini-program
Internet service giant Tencent and the City of Helsinki launched a ground breaking WeChat Helsinki mini program on Thursday 15 February, as part of the city's Chinese New Year celebrations.…
Duetto secure record-breaking $80 Million investment from Warburg Pincus
Duetto, hospitality's only 'Revenue Strategy Platform', announced have the closing of an $80 million Series D financing round led by funds affiliated with Warburg Pincus, an American global…
Robotic bartender now serving in Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi introduces Robo Bar, a cutting-edge robotic bar system created by Italian tech company MAKR SHAKR.
Start-up led by ‘wonder twins’ keeps vacation rental managers in touch with guests
Twins & former vacation rental hosts Amiad & Koby Soto realised the need for an all-in-one technological solution to manage & automate logistics in Guesty.
Can hoteliers trust TrustYou?
Hospitality and travel professionals should not miss this Q&A with CEO and co-founder Benjamin Yost
Centara Hotels & Resorts signs up with TreePay and WeChat Pay
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, yesterday signed an agreement with TreePay Co., Ltd., a specialised payment facilitator, to develop a system to allow Chinese…
Google’s latest update boosts power of direct booking channels
Google's latest travel update promises to bring ease and convenience to the consumers while boosting the power of direct bookings.
Young travel tech rock star seeks to connect traveller and hotelier needs
We sat down with Tink Labs founder and CEO Terence Kwok to learn why this sharp-eyed Hong Kong native and his product have both reached rock-star status in the hospitality and tourism scene.
SITA scoops prestigious award for groundbreaking biometric tech
SITA has won the respected Aviation Technology Achievement at Air Transport World’s 2018 Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards. The award was given for SITA’s work with JetBlue and the…
Filipino startup bares tech updates, celebrates gains
Tripkada, the Philippine curated trip-joining start-up platform, launched its joiner app for iOS, gave stakeholder updates and revealed its expansion plans.
Start-up carves its own niche in the alternative accommodations scene
We recently touched base with Valéry Linÿer, CEO and founder of MagicStay, to show us how a rental platform dedicated to business travellers holds its own.
Say hello to Angie, the 24-hour interactive guest-room assistant
We’ve met Siri on iOS. We’ve met Alexa on Android. And now, say hello to Angie - a voice-activated, guest-room assistant for the hotel environment.
TravelKoin the new blockchain travel service: “In terms of innovation and disruption, this is huge”
The problems with business to business payments in the travel industry are numerous and abundant. A single booking from a travel agent, inclusive of flights and accommodations, can pass…
Wanup reinvents how travellers get rewards, launches new tech solution at Sunborn London
Wanup has just announced a new tech solution for guests of its partner hotels and it was introduced recently at the Sunborn London Yacht Hotel.
Data accuracy biggest barrier to personalisation for hotel and travel marketeers
A survey from Travel Technology Europe reveals that many hotel and travel companies want to embrace greater personalisation in their marketing but are being held back by data accuracy…
Travel and booking APIs for online travel and tourism providers – which could you make use of?
According to the study by Fuel and Flip.to, travellers visit 4.4 unique websites to book their holidays. These sites tend to be ‘all-in-one-place’ platforms, done through combining data from…
“Every musician is born an entrepreneur” – how piano theory helps the founder of a messaging start-up
We got in touch with Unified Inbox CEO and founder Toby Ruckert, to figure out how seemingly disparate interests could create a platform that allows for a harmonious relationship between…
Startup adds more spice to Indian travel, tech sectors
Opaque hotel booking platform Travelspice was recently named 2018 Travel Tech Startup of the Year by the ELEVATE100 entrepreneurship programme.
Future of Travel summit fires up travel tech startup race
Miami brings the heat into the US travel tech scene as LAB Miami Ventures announces its shortlist of startups for its first annual Future of Travel summit.
Expedia reveals the most Instagrammed sights in UK
Expedia has looked at the volume of Instagram posts and number of unique hashtags over the past year to come up with a list of 12 of the most Instagrammed spots in the UK.
Big Ben has 2.5…
Kansai Airports trial SITA robot KATE to slash queues and reduce wait time
Kansai Airports, the operator of Kansai International Airport (KIX) and Osaka International Airport (ITAMI), is working with SITA on a trial of KATE – SITA’s intelligent check-in kiosk. KATE…
Stay One Degree: First social network for luxury home rentals
As the sharing economy continues to grow, more and more consumers are enjoying the convenience and flexibility it brings to the table. Brands like YouTube, Uber, and Airbnb have had a major…
6 essential apps to take on your next big adventure
Going off-the-grid? You'll be needing these 6 essential apps for your next big adventure.
Unpacking traveller needs made easy with Unified Inbox
IoT and AI come together through Unified Inbox (UIB), which enables people to talk with all of their smart devices through a single integrated API.
MagicStay accelerates growth securing EUR 1.5 million investment
B2B alternative accommodations rental platform for business tourism recently earned EUR 1.5 million (US$1.86 million) in its latest fundraiser.
Davos 2018: Alipay partners with SIX Payment Services for Swiss launch
Alipay, the online and mobile payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group (“Ant Financial”, “Ant”), has announced that Alipay is soon to be made available to most local…
WATCH: Hotel in Japan introduces self-driving slippers
The ProPILOT Park Ryokan in Hakone combines Japanese traditional hospitality with Nissan’s autonomous driving technology to give guests some quirky amenities. It’s the first of its kind and…
‘Talk less, listen more:’ Harnessing data out of customer sentiment with Twistar
Twistar, a mobile device that harnesses feedback into actionable data, provides engagement that businesses can customise & customers can enjoy.
Booking applications account for 60% of mobile travel purchases
Criteo’s Q4 2017 Travel Insights Report reveals the increasing influence of mobile shopping in the travel industry.
Travel companies with mobile apps saw 60% of their bookings take place…
Chatbot helps agents identify travel interests for clients
Contiki’s chatbot is a new tool for agents to better understand their clients’ travel interests.
The operator has launched Tiki, a chatbot on Facebook Messenger, which helps agents and…
Keeping revenue and guest satisfaction handy
Handy has made it possible for hotel operators to engage with guests through all stages of the travel journey, even as they step out of the actual hotel.
China Southern leverages Sabre intelligence for international growth
Sabre Corporation the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, has signed a multi-year agreement to provide Sabre’s Market Intelligence with Global Demand Data (GDD)…
Frozen Lime Asia partner up with Rategain in strategic alliance
Frozen Lime Asia, a consultant specialising in revenue management, distribution, sales and marketing for hospitality and tourism sectors, has announced its strategic alliance with RateGain,…
Preferred Hotels & Resorts reveal revenue of $1.35 billion in 2017
Preferred Hotels & Resorts, has announced its 2017 year-end results. In 2017, the company generated $1.35 billion in reservations revenue on behalf of its member properties worldwide, a…
Demystifying air travel with Mystifly
Mystifly has become the definitive anywhere-to-anywhere B2B global airfare marketplace.
Airlines get branded boost with Travelport
Travelport has announced that more than 250 airlines now benefit from its rich content and branding merchandising tool which gives agencies and travel bookers a 'graphically rich experience'…
TTC launches trade-centric online travel portal
The Travel Corporation (TTC) has created an online initiative, My Travel Portal (MTP).
MTP provides agents with a simplified solution for delivering the service of personalising client…
TrustYou boasts multiple guest feedback solutions in one login
TrustYou ushers in the new year with a new all-in-one guest feedback platform, which features a singular login account and a streamlined user interface.
Hotel industry buyers invest in marketing technology and loyalty programmes
A survey from Travel Technology Europe shows that hotel industry buyers are investing in marketing and loyalty programmes in response to the growth of the sharing economy.
The findings…
Do as the locals in Asia do with the Be app
Ryan shared that the Be app’s secret lies in keeping the balance between what visitors want and what locals recommend. ‘It’s important that the Be app stays authentic in terms of locations…
What to Pack This Winter: Must Have Travel Essentials
Winter is just around the corner, which means vacation. But with so many products on the market these days, it’s often hard to know what to pack. And while everyone is different, from a…
European start-up GoEuro reaches 20mn visitors per month
GoEuro, the European platform for travel by train, bus and flight, today revealed it has reached 20 million visitors per month.
The European start-up, which has built a platform for…
Travel tech innovation race at full speed with ‘Hotel Jumpstart’
Five companies recently pitched for Hotel Jumpstart, a mentorship-driven accelerator programme to support the most innovative travel tech startups.
CES 2018: WATCH: Marriott unveils ‘hotel room of the future’
Marriot International partners with Samsung and Legrand to introduce the world’s smartest hotel room at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018.
Opening Asia to branded budget stays, one RedDoorz at a time
RedDoorz aims to be the Uber of budget accommodation: its ecosystem allows owners of unbranded spaces to showcase their properties & reach out to travellers who want to avail of quality…
Tetra Hotel: Redefining the future of hotel architecture
Tetra Hotel is a futuristic boutique hotel that evolved from the building blocks of Tetra Shed – a multi-award winning tessellating modular building system.
Hospitality technology trend predictions for 2018
As technology evolves, hospitality accommodation providers are continuing to invest in cloud-based solutions, platforms and apps, and increasingly expanding on the installation of intuitive…
Marriott International apologizes for online gaffe, website in China temporarily closed
Shanghai authorities close down Marriott International Inc.’s website in China for listing Chinese-claimed regions as separate countries.
Future Travel Experience unveil FTE Startup Hub with corporate partner JetBlue Technology
The FTE Startup Hub has been developed to make it as easy as possible for corporate innovators and startups in the air transport and travel sector to connect both digitally and physically,…
CBInsights reviews 2017 trends in travel tech start-ups and investments
Tech analyst company CBInsights argues that travel tech is evolving faster than Pokemon.
Amadeus launch @flightbot AI – great news for TAs
Amadeus has developed an AI-powered bot in partnership with GoHero.ai (based in India). The bot connects LINE users with travel agents, using a messaging platform powered on GoHero’s AI and…
Marriott International lights up the sky with ECHO technology
Marriott International, Inc. recently launched its “Travel Brilliantly” campaign using optical illusions created by Lightvert, a disruptive media tech company, and Kinetic, a digital…
NYC start-up keeps customer care real on chat, social and mobile
Bad travel and hospitality services. Scripted customer care messages. Slow assistance. Mix them all together with social media, and you have a potential customer service hot spot for travel…
Travel Technology buyers to prioritise spend on customer experience
A new survey from Travel Technology Europe shows that travel and hotel technology buyers will be prioritising spend on new technologies that improve the customer experience in 2018.…
Pocket translator to open opportunities for Chinese travel
Travellers from mainland China took more than 62 million outbound trips in the first half of 2017 with an increase in preference for self-guided tours, as per the China Tourism Academy.…
Hospitality 2.0
Information and communications technology (ICT) has made its mark in many industries. The hotel and hospitality industry is no exception to this, with everything from reservations to house…
Hotel marketing strategies to implement in 2018
In this ever-changing world, the hospitality business is in constant evolution. So, for professionals in the hotel marketing industry - staying up-to-date is a must. Here are some of the…
Packdat start-up! Disrupting the travel market with Felix Lee
Felix Lee Zheng De looks like any other Singaporean engineering student: lanky, bespectacled, wearing jeans and trainers, raring to go anywhere. What sets this twenty-something apart is that…
Oman Air new website puts locals first
Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has launched a new dedicated Oman homepage on its website. The new homepage has been designed to specifically cater for the travel…
Buddy up on budget adventures with Tripkada
Friendly, generous, caring, adventurous. These make us Filipinos the best chums or ‘barkada’ in virtually everything, particularly when travelling. Now, a local start-up weaponises these…
The new Indian wayfarer: young, digital, globetrotting
India remains a favourite of global travellers for its natural beauty and impressive architecture. So how do we explain the recent trend of Indian vacationers going to faraway continents…
Taj Hotels: new websites smash the language barrier — good news for TA’s
The influence of technology on the hotel industry has never been more prominent than it is today. With a digitally heightened future for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, Taj…
Air New Zealand trial ‘babel’ tech with Google Pixel Buds
Air New Zealand is turning to technology to tackle the language barriers that often arise during travel. The airline is one of the first corporates globally to trial a customer service use…
Centara sign with Oracle and IDeaS Revenue Solutions to “develop best-in-class infrastructure”
Centara Hotels & Resorts has announced it will migrate to the Oracle Opera enterprise-level property management system (PMS) and IDeaS Revenue Solutions for its G3 Revenue Management…
WeChat Pay launches flagship at New Chitose Airport
New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Japan has the world's first WeChat Pay flagship airport, with two terminal buildings, for both domestic and international services, connected to the payment…
OTA Insight to help hotels leverage the power of AI and Machine Learning
I’ve been impressed with the progress with both product and customers OTA Insight, has made in 2017…they have been crushing it!
Sabre and Fareportal commit to longterm contract extension
Sabre Corporation has renewed its long-term partnership with Fareportal to provide advanced shopping technology and access to Sabre's exclusive inventory of travel services including air,…
Adventoro opens Malaysia to tourists like never before
Adventoro Travel Technologies has announced its official global launch. The new online platform aims at helping people from anywhere in the world to discover and book adventure-based tours…
Mafengwo raise $133 million to lead Chinese online travel industry evolution
Mafengwo, a Chinese independent online travel platform, has announced that it has closed its Series D fundraising round of $133 million. New investors in this fundraising round include…
E-Fan X: the hybrid engine which could change the way we fly – forever
Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens have formed a partnership which aims at developing a near-term flight demonstrator which will be a significant step forward in hybrid-electric propulsion for…
Discover Hilton’s Connected Room tech: simple, quick – intuitive
Hilton have unveiled Connected Room, a first-of-its-kind, high-tech guest room that enables guests to personalize and control every aspect of their stay from one central point - their mobile…
agoda: Union Pay deal to generate customer convenience – and profit
UnionPay International announced today the signing of a comprehensive cooperation agreement with agoda, one of the world's fastest-growing online travel booking platforms.
Fiji Airways and Travelport unite to satisfy demands vital to APAC travellers
Travelport have announced the signing of an agreement with South Pacific airline, Fiji Airways. With this agreement, Travelport will provide the airline with a mobile application powered by…
‘Strengthening the Airport Value Proposition’ or how to hack an airports customer appeal?
The fundamental value of an airport - the ability to attract passengers who want to fly there – remains unchanged. But as passenger volumes continue to rise worldwide, the competition…
COSI Hotel: new brand uses tech to create “freedom, connections and shared experiences”
The new COSI Hotel on Samui island is now officially open and welcoming independent, tech-savvy travellers. It is as different from a traditional hotel as a new smartphone is from the mobile…
How does new Sabre and Far Eastern Air Transport deal affect agents?
Sabre has announced an expanded three-year partnership with Far Eastern Air Transport, opening a wider variety of travel options within Taiwan and internationally. Established in 1957, Far…
How WeChat will prep Chinese for Dubai, UK and Australia with CityExperience
WeChat has showcased its CityExperience Mini Program in partnership with Tourism Australia, VisitBritain and Dubai Tourism, aiming to enhance the overseas travel experience of WeChat users,…
Going IPP in the world: Global Transcreation set to transform international marketing
IPPWORLD hits the scene with an entirely new website designed specifically for international businesses in the hospitality, hotel, travel, lifestyle and retail industries.
Achieving gender diversity must start at the top says Booking.com CEO
Booking.com has revealed findings from a unique global study conducted to better understand the perceptions of women working in non-tech roles within the technology industry. The data…
Blockbusters: Cryptocurrency pioneers OwlTing launch world’s first blockchain hotel management service
OwlTing, a Taiwanese technology company focusing on blockchain & e-commerce, is launching "OwlNest Blockchain Hotel Management Service," an integrated lodging management platform to help…
Q&A with Rachel Grier, Asia-Pacific managing director for IDeaS Revenue Solutions
Travel Daily sat down with Rachel to discuss tech, MICE and how IDeaS Revenue Solutions has released the potential of “free sell”.
Unite and Concur: why WeChat has joined forces with corporate travel giant
Concur, an SAP company and a global provider of travel, expense and invoice management solutions, today introduced an electronic fapiao (a Chinese tax receipt) solution, developed to…
How Anantara Vacation Club plan to enhance customer experience
Anantara Vacation Club, has the deployed the Aspect Unified IP contact centre platform to enhance the club's customer engagement and outbound marketing operations in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
New Thai lifestyle hotel eyes up cash rich Millennials
A new lifestyle hotel concept for millennial travellers has launched its flagship hotel in Bangkok, Haven’t Met Silom.
Air New Zealand experiments with blockchain technology
Air New Zealand is exploring the use of blockchain-based systems within its business, reinforcing its global reputation for innovation and embracing new and emerging technology.
How JETGO is making its first steps towards the majors
JETGO Australia has announced its’ first steps into the GDS channel of distribution, linking their Zenithâ PSS to Sabre for broad distribution in multiple international markets.
Airbus and JAL employ world’s first mixed reality trainer
Airbus, in cooperation with Japan Airlines (JAL) and JAL Engineering has developed a prototype application supporting new training solutions, taking advantage of the world’s most advanced…
Cathay Pacific to Gogo-go online and rolls out wifi in 2018
The Cathay Pacific Group will introduce high-speed Wi-Fi to its Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 fleets from mid-2018, in response to its customers’ growing demand for inflight connectivity. This…
Airbnb fires back at Queenstown Lakes over controversial regulations
Queenstown Lakes District Council unanimously voted to proceed with public notification of revised rules for Residential Visitor Accommodation.
Should the travel industry invest more in AI?
The travel sector is being urged to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the booking process, as more than a quarter of UK holidaymakers find it too difficult to pick the…
TRVL: Apple alumni rewards consumers for being own TA’s
TRVL, the new peer-to-peer travel booking platform, is revealing the secrets of the Travel Industry, giving travellers full access to industry rates and exclusive deals, pays a commission…
Sansiri diversifies: 650 million investment to industry pioneers
In a bid to move beyond real estate development, Sansiri Public Company Limited has invested US$80 million (HKD 650 million/ SGD 110 million) into six leading global technology and lifestyle…
Hotel Jen’s new service staff are tireless, obedient and just a little bit different
Hotel Jen today marks a new milestone as the first international hotel brand to use autonomous relay robots in Asia.
PyeongChang 2018: Will Visa’s new ‘wearables’ make the podium?
Visa, the payment technology partner at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, has introduced three commercially available wearable payment devices.
Brits want better mobile technology from travel industry
More than half of UK holidaymakers are frustrated by the lack of mobile innovation when travelling abroad, according to new research.
Mobile technology group, Apadmi, found that 54% of…
GEG rolls out WeChat pay in Macau
Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) launches a partnership with ICBC (Macau) and WeChat, making it the first hospitality and entertainment group in Macau to accept WeChat pay throughout its…
Hong Kong Airlines and Sabre unite for American expansion
Sabre Corporation has announced a multi-year agreement to provide Sabre MIDT Network Plus data to Hong Kong Airlines. The purchase is expected to be central in providing the airline with…
SITA has the tech for APACS’ 2 billion extra customers
With the latest 20-year air passenger forecast predicting more than half the world’s growth will be in Asia Pacific, 2.1 billion additional passengers by 2036, more than double the current…
JacTravel launches in-memory computing software
JacTravel, the UK based B2B accommodation wholesaler, is rolling out its new FIT booking platform using in-memory computing software which will reduce search response times, whilst at the…
Traveltek unveils next-generation cruise platform
Traveltek Group Ltd has unveiled its next-generation cruise booking platform on the opening day of WTM.
Traveltek CruiseNX offers travel and cruise specialists enhanced capabilities…
ITB Asia 2017: bigger, better and bolder
Asia's leading travel trade show, ITB Asia 2017, organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd, has completed its milestone anniversary event with record-breaking numbers. The tenth edition…
Why is age the secret to Airbnb success?
Airbnb celebrates the UN’s International Day of Older Persons. This year, the theme for was “Stepping into the Future”, something Airbnb claims it is seeing senior people do all over APAC.
Ctrip double-down on tech’ advantages at ITB Asia 2017
Ctrip.com International highlighted the importance of South East Asia and the potential of the region to become a hotspot for China's rapidly growing outbound travel market, at the 10th…
Klook raise US$60 million to secure global future
Klook announced yesterday that it has completed a near US$60 million Series C funding. This round of investment, representing the largest deal ever for an in-destination service booking…
Sabre: predictive analytics represent a tectonic shift for hospitality
Sabre Corporation has developed the hospitality industry’s first analytics platform to use artificial intelligence to help maximize total hotel revenue. SynXis Analytics Cloud is Sabre’s new…
What Archipelago gains with smart online move
RateGain, has announced its tie-up with Archipelago International, Indonesia's leading hospitality management company. RateGain will manage online rates and inventory distribution for…
Eco Expo Asia: What are the advantages of eco-vehicles?
The 12th Eco Expo Asia will be held from 26-29 October at the AsiaWorld-Expo. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, and co-organised by…
Sheraton Bali channels “the power to engage and touch human emotions”
Innovation, a theme that is synonymous with Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort as they recently embarked on an exercise to enhance the pre-arrival experience for visitors planning a stay at the…
Air New Zealand unleash artificial intelligence in Oz
Air New Zealand’s artificial intelligence-backed chat-bot, Bravo Oscar Tango (Oscar for short) has received his first international promotion – beginning work online in Australia.
eRevMax: ‘putting hoteliers at the centre’
Hospitality technology company, eRevMax will be attending ITB Asia, being held at Marina Bay Sands Singapore, to talk about technology and innovation in travel.
Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley revolutionizes guest convenience with mobile phone access
Luxury Australian resort The Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, has successfully implemented several of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality's innovative security technologies, including ASSA ABLOY Hospitality…
Tujia.com grows fivefold since 2016
Tujia.com founder and CEO, Luo Jun, announced via an internal message that following the separation of Tujia’s online and offline departments, the online platform has successfully completed…
Hotelogix Mobile Hotel app launches at ITB Asia 2017
Hotelogix is set to launch its revolutionary mobile app, Hotelogix Mobile Hotel, at ITB Asia, 2017.
Tour East Thailand and Expedia to operate ‘Expedia Local Expert’
Tour East Thailand, the leading destination management company in Thailand, has signed an exclusive agreement with Expedia, the world’s largest online travel company, to operate the Expedia…
Angie Hospitality brings guest rooms online
Angie Hospitality, creator of the world's first 24-hour interactive guest room assistant, is expanding its global presence by demonstrating the product at the 2017 Hong Kong Electronics…
Sabre outlines strategy for innovation
Sean Menke, president and CEO of Sabre Corporation told senior executives gathered at an industry conference in Dallas that the continued growth of low cost carriers (LCCs) and downward…
Sabre to reboot lodgings content delivery
Sabre Corporation have disclosed news of development for Sabre Content Services for Lodging. A new technology solution which will integrate multiple sources of content, including the…
Carnival Corporation will deliver best wifi in cruise industry
Carnival Corporation Will Deliver Best Wi-Fi in Cruise Industry with Launch of MedallionNet
Delta Air Lines to introduce free in-flight WhatsApp, iMessage and Facebook
Delta Air Lines will become the first airline to offer free WhatsApp messaging, enabling its customers to stay fully connected with friends whether on the ground or in the air. Access to…
