Automatic

💻 Oct 2, 2025, Manchester: At the Annual Hospitality Conference, experts discussed agentic AI's impact in hotels. This AI goes beyond chatbots, handling tasks like research, reports, and scheduling. The industry is cautious, with many yet to explore its full potential in operations and guest services. Key advice included starting small and focusing on a particular domain for better results. Use cases include revenue management, predictive maintenance, and front desk automation. Culture and leadership buy-in are crucial for success.

📊 Oct 2, 2025: A survey by Expedia Group highlights that 98% of hoteliers suffer revenue losses from misused rates in B2B channels. Hotels typically collaborate with 4-6 partners, exposing rates to hundreds of indirect channels. Unauthorized resellers post 48% of rates publicly, leading to an average annual revenue loss of 6%, rising to 7% for large chains. Operational costs reach ~$40,100 annually. Expedia enforces policies to maintain rate integrity as new channels like AI emerge.

🏨 Oct 1, 2025: Independent hotels face profitability challenges due to opaque distribution and payment fees. Hotels pay 10–30% in commissions to OTAs and 5–8% on bookings to metasearch platforms like Trivago. Click fees range from $0.10 to $1.30. Cross-border transactions incur 3–4% extra charges. Small hotel finance teams spend up to 40% of their time on payment reconciliations, costing $15,000–$30,000 annually. Greater transparency and technology adoption are recommended solutions.

🛒 Oct 1, 2025: OpenAI launches Instant Checkout, allowing U.S. ChatGPT users to buy from Etsy and some Shopify merchants. The new Agentic Commerce Protocol lets merchants integrate products into ChatGPT. ChatGPT’s weekly users hit 700 million globally, appealing to retailers. Amazon and Walmart are not participating yet. This positions OpenAI as a disruptor in e-commerce, challenging companies like Google. Future AI advancements could automate purchases. In hospitality, this could impact hotel bookings, posing opportunities and risks for hoteliers.

🛫 Oct 1, 2025 – In the travel industry, consumers now view an average of 141 pages before booking. Rising travel costs and inflation push people to OTAs and budget options. Demand for authentic experiences is high, from Gen Z to baby boomers. Brands leverage AI, programmatic ads, and platforms like Amazon DSP to target audiences. Influencers on Twitch and Instagram impact choices, with half of travelers undecided on destinations, presenting opportunities for brands to inspire trips.