Innovation

💻 In 2025, Amadeus found 64% of travelers would pay for an AI travel assistant, with 17% willing to spend up to 5% of their trip's value. However, 25% faced outdated AI info, and another 25% noted AI's failure to capture personal preferences. Furthermore, 80% valued providers' disruption handling, and 81% would rebook with efficient communicators. These insights are in the "Connected Journeys" whitepaper exploring future travel tech impacts.

🌎 Technoheaven, an Indian travel tech firm, launched the TechnoHub tour operating platform, targeting the US and European markets. This platform aims to streamline travel agency operations, improving booking speed and margins. It offers integrated tools for tour operators and data-backed solutions for travel management companies. CEO Vinod Kelwani emphasized its role in enhancing efficiency and profitability in a competitive travel industry. TechnoHub empowers travel professionals to deliver exceptional experiences and scale their operations effectively.

💻 Three Travel Management Companies (TMCs) - Advantage AMS, Stewart Travel, and Take Two Eton - along with three corporate booking platforms, Travel Counsellors for Business, Roomex, and Venue Options, have partnered with Vibe. This UK-based booking technology firm emphasizes user-friendly, industry-tailored solutions. Martin Eade, Vibe's co-founder, highlights the demand for platforms designed "by travel people for travel people." The move addresses industry needs for content breadth, commercial control, and rapid onboarding.

📰 UK travellers in 2025 increasingly use Gen AI and travel influencers for trip planning. 60% more relied on Gen AI, while influencer use grew by 33%. Social media ads saw a 27% rise as a trip inspiration source. In China, Gen AI usage rose by 146%. Brits still consult family and friends 36% more than other sources. AI trip planning benefits include finding new destinations (39%) and confidence in decisions (38%), despite some inaccuracies (25%). 70% of Brits consider using biometrics at airports.

📈 Aimbridge Hospitality's Second Wave, comprising 65 team members, manages marketing for 850 hotels and is expanding globally, starting in Latin America. This in-house agency offers brand strategy, digital marketing, and AI-powered tools, like those used to rebrand The Queen Mary. Recent AI applications allowed for a rapid two-month brand transformation in Miami. Second Wave aims for proactive campaign strategies by leveraging extensive data insights, including ROI and occupancy trends, to inform marketing efforts.

💸 RMS, in Sydney, announced a strategic partnership with SiteMinder to integrate RMS's PMS with SiteMinder's Smart Platform using UltraSync connectivity. This integration automates revenue management for hoteliers by synchronizing rates, restrictions, and reservations in real time, reducing manual processes and errors. Key benefits include real-time pricing sync, automated reservation uploads, and faster response to market changes. Leah Rankin of SiteMinder highlighted the dynamic capabilities this partnership brings to hotels.

📚 Sep 17, 2025 - Simplifying motel management is achievable with hotel software, reducing no-shows, enhancing payments, supporting direct bookings, and organizing front desk operations. These improvements lead to increased guest satisfaction. Authored by Vanshikha Dhar, the article highlights technology's role in streamlining motel operations, ensuring efficiency and happiness for guests and staff alike.

💻 TIME Hotels mapped current tech, reducing admin workload by 30% across 17 properties using Daylight PMS. Ruby Hotels integrated Daylight PMS, Infrasys POS, and Reviewpro to enhance guest experiences. Middleware optimized operations for compliance in the Middle East. Langham Hotels use Single Guest Profiles for tailored service. Dakota Hotels phased in tech upgrades for smooth transitions. Simplifying tech empowers staff, boosts efficiency, and enhances guest satisfaction.

📸 Google’s Nano Banana AI Studio, powered by Gemini 2.5, revolutionizes hotel marketing by providing a cost-effective tool for generating top-notch visuals. Accessible 24/7, it ensures brand consistency across platforms like OTAs and social media, enabling faster campaign rollouts and engaging guest experiences. Implemented via the Gemini app, API, or Vertex AI, it's pivotal for hotels aiming to stay competitive and relevant in the visual-centric industry.