Innovation

✈ Paxport, an airline solutions specialist, has formed a strategic alliance with Airxelerate, aiming to simplify the distribution and management of airline content for airlines, OTAs, and Tour Operators. This partnership is designed to remove complexities in managing allotment-based content, ensuring efficient seat sales and a frictionless booking to travel experience for travelers. Simon Taylor, Paxport's head of commercial, and Nina Sifi, CEO of Airxelerate, emphasized the collaboration's role in redefining industry standards, enhancing connectivity, and unlocking new revenue opportunities.

🚀 Travelsphere partnered with TProfile to integrate its 89 itineraries into TProfile's platform, enhancing agent experience with streamlined quoting and bespoke content. TProfile, serving over 100 travel brands, processed travel quotes worth more than £8 billion in 2024. The partnership is part of Travelsphere's trade strategy, aiming to improve customer experience and operations. Just You, Travelsphere's sister brand for solo travel, will also join TProfile soon.

🥣 Lauren Kennedy and Derek Hannum discussed food safety tech at NRF 2025 in NYC, addressing FSMA 204 compliance for high-risk foods like seafood and fresh produce, effective January 2026. Companies must record Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) for such foods; this is vital as the FDA recalls over 100 million units of food quarterly. The ReposiTrak-Upshop partnership enhances traceability, reduces waste and improves operations. Businesses are advised to prepare now, audit supply chains, adopt traceability solutions, and plan for scalability.

📌 In a podcast recorded in January 2025, Tim and Dan from Revenue Generation discussed the evolving landscape of the hotel industry, focusing on revenue and profit optimization, and the pivotal role of data science and AI. Tim narrated his career journey, starting as a reservation agent in Omaha, Nebraska, progressing through roles at Starwood Hotels and Host Hotels, and eventually founding Revenue Generation. Dan, with a background in revenue management across casinos and multifamily sectors, emphasized the importance of data-driven decisions and highlighted his work in predictive analytics. Both highlighted the need for a single source of truth for data, the importance of understanding and defining data elements, and the role of technology in accelerating decision-making. They stressed the significance of clean data, business intelligence tools like Power BI, and the potential of AI in enhancing revenue management strategies. Summary: Tim and Dan from Revenue Generation, with extensive careers in hotel revenue management, discuss the industry's challenges and the potential of data science and AI for revenue and profit optimization in a podcast recorded in January 2025. They advocate for clean data, strategic use of business intelligence tools, and adopting AI to drive efficient and faster decision-making. For more details from their comprehensive discussion on the future and current state of revenue management in the hotel industry, including the evolving use of AI, listen to the full podcast.

🏨 At Charlestowne Hotels, AI systems are employed to consolidate guest data—such as anniversary bookings or room preferences—into one dashboard, enhancing the personal touch in hospitality without replacing human staff. This AI use aims to accentuate human connection, backed by privacy-respecting techniques like federated learning and differential privacy in line with GDPR. Looking forward, tools for translating guest feedback and analyzing online sentiment will further support staff in providing empathetic, personalized service.

📊 OpenAI integrates real-time web search into ChatGPT, signalling a shift in search and marketing strategies. The focus moves from SEO to Context Experience Optimization (CXO), prioritizing content that meets user intent with nuance and conversation. Marketers face the challenge of building trust through transparent, ad-free, informative content. Digital advertising models may need to adapt as AI-driven search could alter user expectations. Personalization becomes key, with AI tools like OpenAI and Perplexity deepening user context understanding, emphasizing authentic, brand-aligned content over broad reach. This evolution demands value-driven, personalized marketing to excel in the new AI search landscape.

📡 Michael Levie, co-founder and former COO of citizenM, discussed building productive tech partnerships in hospitality on Jan. 22, 2025. Highlighted the support from Shiji Group, a global hospitality technology leader known for exceptional implementation support and solutions adopted by major brands. Episode included music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.

🏖 Bergdorf Priesteregg and Mama Thresl, Alpine resorts in Salzburgerland, partnered with Shiji for advanced technology solutions; Shiji's PMS to enhance guest experiences and operational efficiency was announced on January 22, 2025, in Berlin, Germany. The resorts, with 18 chalets and 51 rooms respectively, sought Shiji for its flexibility and innovation. Shiji, founded in 1998, now serves over 91,000 hotels worldwide. Priesteregg expanded in summer 2024 with lakeside cabins, adding to its wellness offerings, including an infinity pool and yoga platforms.

🏖️ Agilysys, Inc., a leading hospitality software solutions provider, is chosen by Kiva Dunes resort to enhance operational efficiency with 13 integrated solutions. Kiva Dunes, acclaimed for its private beachfront, tennis, and award-winning golf course, faced challenges with legacy software, which prompted the shift to Agilysys' seamless, cloud-native systems. The aim is to improve guest experiences, simplify transactions, and boost productivity. Key offerings include a comprehensive PMS, POS, Golf, Membership and Residence Management software, automating tasks and streamlining operations across sales, marketing, and catering. The transition enables better data sharing, mobile transactions, efficient check-ins, and personalized guest interactions, promising a refined end-to-end experience.

📍 Agilysys, Inc., a hospitality software solutions provider, equipped Kiva Dunes with 13 integrated software solutions to enhance guest experiences, automate tasks, and streamline operations. Kiva Dunes previously used multiple vendors, resulting in data inconsistencies and staff frustrations. The resort, featuring over 3,000 feet of private beachfront and various amenities, now has improved software covering operations from PMS and POS to Membership and Residence Management. The new system fosters better staff-guest engagement, efficient transaction flows, and an online self-service portal for members.