Innovation

🗺️ Global travel tech company Kaptio is expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, establishing a sales office in Australia amid rising demand for cloud-based travel solutions. Rebecca Esterhuizen, with over a decade of experience, is appointed Head of Region, APAC. In 2024, Australia reported 11.7 million outbound departures, showing a 21% increase year-over-year. Kaptio aims to enhance customer support through a "follow-the-sun" model and engage with local tourism bodies like CATO and ATIA.

🛫 Global Travel Collection (GTC) launched Atlas, an AI platform developed with Microsoft, to enhance itinerary planning. It aims to save 1.5 million hours annually for over 1,500 luxury travel advisors globally. Atlas integrates diverse travel systems, reducing planning time by up to three hours. Security features include GDPR and PCI compliance. GTC is exploring monetisation by featuring preferred partners within Atlas for high-end leisure, corporate, and entertainment clients.

🚗 Blacklane and Lucid Group collaborate to expand premium EV transportation in Saudi Arabia. By 2025, Blacklane aims to double operations in key cities like Riyadh and Jeddah. Lucid’s vehicles, including the Lucid Air sedan and Lucid Gravity SUV, will join Blacklane’s service. The partnership will enhance EV charging infrastructure, aligning with Vision 2030. Dr. Jens Wohltorf, Blacklane CEO, highlights the venture's sustainable mobility commitment. Lucid’s Faisal Sultan emphasizes pioneering future mobility in the Kingdom.

💻 Eran Hollander, CPO at HungerRush, discusses how tech-driven labor tools improve restaurant operations. Rising labor costs push restaurants to leverage integrated POS data for smarter staffing, examining factors like menu complexity and weather. AI-powered payroll demands interoperability, data privacy, and scalability. Cross-training gains momentum, aided by tech that supports multi-role capabilities. AI enhances scheduling and supports employee well-being. Avoiding tech missteps requires fitting tools that align with workflows. AI optimizes labor models by understanding employee preferences and improving guest interactions.

🍴 In 2025 at the National Restaurant Association Show, Kevin Corr and Partha Das from Cognizant discussed trends like unified commerce, requiring flexible, API-driven, cloud-based systems to integrate operations. Labor shortages push restaurants to use AI and automation for tasks such as scheduling and food prep. Quick-service drive-thrus process 70% of orders, now digitizing with voice AI. Digital menu boards adapt to real-time changes, introducing dynamic pricing similar to airlines and ride-sharing services.

📰 SOCi's 2025 Consumer Behavior Index reveals that 95% of consumers distrust AI for purchase decisions, despite 19% using AI tools for business discovery. Social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram, is crucial for trust, especially among Gen Z, where 34% use TikTok and 35% use Instagram for brand discovery. Reviews are vital, with 91% relying on them, and 65% favor responsive businesses. Conducted with 1,001 U.S. adults in February 2025, the survey highlights the need for brands to enhance transparency and authenticity.

📱 SOCi's 2025 Consumer Behavior Index warns hospitality CMOs about shifting discovery trends. 19% of consumers use AI tools like ChatGPT, but 95% distrust AI for purchase decisions. Gen Z heavily relies on TikTok (34%) and Instagram (35%) for brand discovery. 91% of consumers depend on peer reviews, with 40% preferring video reviews. Authentic social media engagement and review responsiveness are crucial, as 65% choose businesses that actively respond to reviews. Survey conducted in February 2025 with 1,001 U.S. adults.

📱 SOCi’s 2025 Consumer Behavior Index reveals that while 19% of consumers use AI tools like ChatGPT for discovery, 95% distrust AI for purchase decisions. Notably, 34% of Gen Z use TikTok, and 35% use Instagram for brand discovery. Reviews are pivotal, with 91% relying on them, and 65% favor businesses responsive to reviews. Conducted on 1,001 U.S. adults in February 2025, the survey emphasizes social media's role in trust-building and revenue potential.