Innovation

📢 TRYBE, a cloud-native all-in-one booking solution, has integrated ResDiary, a restaurant reservation and table management platform. This integration enables guests to book restaurants with live availability while organizing their spa packages, streamlining interactions between hotel, spa, and dining services. TRYBE Co-Founder, Ricky Daniels, emphasizes the enhanced guest experience and operational simplicity. Colin Winning, Director of ResDiary, highlights the benefits for hotels and guests with this innovative partnership.

🎢 Odysseus Solutions adds Windstar Cruises to its portfolio, marking its entry into boutique sailing and motor yachts. Monish Luthra, the CEO, announces the partnership which brings luxury sailing yacht options to its platform. Windstar Cruises is known for small-ship experiences with 150 to 350 guests, sailing to destinations including Europe, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Windstar will introduce two new ships, Star Seeker in December 2025 and Star Explorer in December 2026.

✈ Paxport Group is launching Air2Pay, a payment solution for airlines to lower card transaction costs via bank transfers. PaxPort, with 30 years in travel technology, aims to simplify and economize airline payments. Air2Pay integrates into Paxport's airline distribution ecosystem, reducing processing fees and payment complexities. Dave Robinson, Pax2pay's Managing Director, emphasizes their commitment to B2B travel payments and their response to airlines' demand for card payment alternatives. Simon Taylor, Paxport's Head of Commercial, highlights their unique position to deliver Air2Pay, leveraging their digital payments and airline connectivity experience.

💸 HBX Group, in collaboration with FinPay, launched its eWallet in Spain, designed for the travel industry with features like integrated financing and full transaction traceability. Available initially in Spain, the platform aims to digitize B2B payments and expand to OECD countries from June. This eWallet facilitates instant, cross-border transactions, aiming for efficiency, reduced costs, and operational scalability. HBX's Daniel Nordholm and FinPay's CEO Juan Antonio Soriano highlighted the move towards digitalization and sector-specific solutions.

📱 Fliggy, an online travel services platform, introduced 'AskMe', an AI travel assistant, developed with Alibaba Group, emulating professional travel consultants. 'AskMe' uses proprietary data and Alibaba's Qwen AI for personalised itineraries, operating 24/7. It features real-time, bookable itineraries, live pricing for flights, hotels, and attractions with budget-adjustment capabilities. Additionally, it supports voice commands and generates visually rich itineraries with interactive maps, also allowing for social media sharing.

🏠 At the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, running from 28 April to 1 May in Dubai, AI's role in advancing travel will be highlighted. AI and machine learning capture about two-thirds of global tech investment deals in travel since 2020. Danielle Curtis, ATM Exhibition Director, promises visionary speakers and innovative solutions in booking and data analysis. Cassie Kozyrkov, ex-Google AI expert, will discuss AI adoption in travel on the opening day.

💸 2025 Paytronix Loyalty Report shows loyalty check sizes rising across restaurant concepts and c-stores, yet flat sizes are also common. 50% of full-service restaurants (FSRs), 44% of quick-service restaurants (QSRs), and 31% of convenience stores (c-stores) reported over 10% year-over-year loyalty check size growth. However, 12–25% of brands experienced declines, and about a quarter of QSR and FSR brands saw little change. AI-enhanced data analytics, qualitative behavior feedback, and personalized marketing are recommended to boost loyalty spend and program efficiency.

???? The 2025 Paytronix Loyalty Report indicates that loyalty check sizes are increasing in restaurants and c-stores, yet 50% of FSRs, 44% of QSRs, and 31% of c-stores experienced over a 10% rise year-over-year. However, 12-25% of brands saw loyalty check declines, and about a quarter of QSR and FSR brands observed flat growth. AI-enhanced data analytics, qualitative behavior feedback, and personalization are recommended for driving loyalty spend and personalizing guest experiences. Rachel Peterson, a Paytronix loyalty strategist, emphasizes the importance of granular, targeted messaging for customer retention and visitation.

💾 PAR Technology Corp announced the launch of its POS Spring Release with enhancements in guest convenience, in-store resilience, and platform extensibility. The release features contactless payment options like Pay via SMS and QR code, flexibility in adding items to orders, geofencing integration for kitchen chits, tailored pricing on item modifiers, and improved tax support reflecting regional rules. Additionally, custom data management and a real-time Data Feed improve sync times and system tracking.

💾 PAR Technology Corp. introduced PAR POS Spring Release, enhancing guest convenience with secure contactless payments, including Pay via SMS and QR code, loyalty account payments, and flexible item additions to orders. Staff operations streamlined with Geofencing Integration for Kitchen Chits, customizable pricing on item modifiers, and improved tax support for regional and third-party delivery service taxes. Platform extensibility now features custom data management via API, and a Data Feed reducing item sync times to nearly instant. These innovations aim to balance stability and innovation for restaurant operators.