Innovation

📅 Accor's global study, with 9,000 professionals, reveals that face-to-face meetings could increase revenue by 36%. 85% of respondents believe prioritizing in-person interactions would significantly boost revenue, with 92% considering such meetings important with external clients, and 85% with internal colleagues. The top reasons for business travel are closing deals (34%), client and contract negotiations (31% and 30%, respectively), and attending events or trade shows (30%). In-person meetings are favored for client presentations (68%), site inspections (77%), deal closures (74%), and contract negotiations (70%). Despite digital tools' convenience, a hybrid model of digital and face-to-face meetings is emerging, with a potential immense economic impact. ????

💵 Payment solutions provider CellPoint Digital secured $30 million in funding from Toscafund and Penta Capital to accelerate the launch of its Offer Order Service Delivery (OOSD) payment orchestration platform, designed for the travel industry. The investment aims to fuel global expansion and enhance payment services, including the expansion of its Alternative Payment Method (APM) hub. This move will support partnerships and client optimization, including a contract with Riyadh Air and a growing partnership with Sabre. CEO Kristian Gjerding highlighted the growth and demand recognition, while Penta Capital's Steven Scott emphasized CellPoint Digital's market leadership and responsible expansion.

🛫 In 2024, 78% of business travelers experienced disruptions on work trips. TravelPerk's annual Travel Disruption Report, based on a survey of 4,000 business travelers and global aviation data, indicates cancellations (27%) and transport strikes (21%) were prevalent causes. U.S. had 139,777 flight cancellations from March to September, with weather-related disruptions impacting 30% of U.S. travelers. China leads in cancellation rates at nearly 5%. Only 57% of July flights were on time due to a Crowdstrike outage. TravelPerk uses AI to double customer query handling from 2023, maintaining human agents for support.

🚘 Digital transformation in ground transport has enabled efficient travel, with connected platforms supporting bookings, route comparisons, and deals. Operators, using AI and data analysis, optimize routes, manage demand, and reduce costs, leading to more affordable travel options. 5G upgrades further smooth operations. Sustainable travel is promoted, as customers opt for trains and buses over flights, aware of the lower carbon footprint, with operators using data to minimize emissions. Digital tools enhance resilience in the face of climate challenges.

🛫 Atlas launched Athena, an AI-powered 'digital employee' to enhance airline data quality and content across 150 carriers. In six months, Athena flagged over 10,000 issues, enabling real-time resolution and maintaining seamless booking experiences. Athena automates airline API and HTML monitoring, ticketing quality checks, and data verification, deactivating and reactivating airlines based on performance. CEO Mary Li emphasizes the scale of data quality challenges in airline retailing, where Athena serves as a 24/7 solution.

💻 Guest relationship technology is pivotal for frictionless experiences and lifetime loyalty. The survey of lodging technology decision-makers will unveil top initiatives for 2025, IT budget outlook, persistent challenges, ways to rethink tech ROI, and guest & staff attitudes towards technology.

🔔 IHG Hotels & Resorts selected HotelKey as its approved cloud-based property management system for limited-service brands in the U.S. and Canada. The announcement came during the 2024 IHG Americas Investors & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. HotelKey's platform will enhance performance for IHG brands such as Holiday Inn Express and avid hotels. Deployment at 250 IHG properties is planned by the end of the year, with an aim of 1,500 properties by the end of 2025.

🏡 North America's hospitality industry has transformed, with short-term rentals (STRs) becoming a fast-growing segment in the boutique hotel market. Driven by changing consumer preferences, technology, and platforms like Airbnb, STRs now offer unique, home-like experiences. Factors propelling STR growth include balanced average daily rates (ADRs) with hotels, personalized guest experiences, strategic locations, suitability for large groups and extended stays, and ease of booking through technology. Mews, a property management system, enhances STRs by providing an integrated booking engine, comprehensive management tools, seamless communication, contactless guest experiences, and data-driven insights to support scalability. These advancements help STRs compete by blending the authenticity of STRs with hotel-like reliability and amenities.

📈 "Reclaiming the Direct Booking Advantage: Strategies for Hotels to Enhance Guest Relationships and Optimize Profitability" white paper—created in collaboration with h2c and SHR—offers strategies for increasing direct bookings, trends in guest loyalty, and digital solutions for profitability. Access requires form submission.