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PhocusWire covers technology and distribution in travel, tourism and hospitality.

Technology and distribution are the backbone of the global travel, tourism and hospitality industry. We cover, analyze and debate every development as the biggest travel brands on the planet forge their own path and new businesses attempt to challenge the status quo with fresh and unconventional approaches.

27/01/2025

For brands, the weeks following the holidays and moving into the new year represent a unique marketing window. - defined as weeks 1-5 of the year - is a period of high travel engagement.

Inspired by the fresh possibilities of a new year, travelers are dreaming of future trips. And marketers have a higher chance to capture attention and convert travelers during this period of low competition and high intent.

TikTok For Business explores how travel brands can unlock the full potential of this often-overlooked opportunity: https://bit.ly/42OyGfp

With traditional advertising budgets winding down post-Q4, travel marketers have a chance to capture attention and convert travelers during a period of low competition and high intent.

27/01/2025

Free Webinar - January 30th at 2pm ET

🗓️ Register now and mark your calendars: https://bit.ly/3EdIEwo

The travel and hospitality industry is undergoing tremendous shifts in consumer behavior, with and playing a pivotal role to stay relevant for travelers going forward.

Join this live webinar to hear from Marriott Hotels on how Snowflake Inc.'s AI Data Cloud for Travel & Hospitality enables them to:

-Deliver effective marketing campaigns
-Improve contact center experiences and grow customer loyalty
-Streamline operations and optimize revenue management

online

27/01/2025

What founder doesn’t dream of rapid and sustainable growth? In the short-term rental sector especially, the race to scale at lightning speed often leads founders to view outside funding as a kind of rocket fuel. 🚀

For entrepreneurs in the market, securing the right kind of funding can mean the difference between sustainable growth and a rushed, unprofitable expansion. And with the funding landscape only getting tougher and tighter, it’s more important than ever to make the right choices about when - and when not - to take on funding.

How do you decide which path is right for you and when to make the leap? Learn more on : https://bit.ly/42usOYc

CEO of Boom, Shahar Goldboim, finds that the best decisions when it comes to funding come from listening to all perspectives, learning from peers and staying true to your vision.

27/01/2025

Companies around the world are focused on understanding and implementing to both improve their internal operations and to better serve their customers. But what key factors should they keep in mind as they're developing their AI strategy, and why are and critical?

Glenn DiSarcina, Encora Inc's VP of business development, shares his insights on : https://bit.ly/42ltcIs

Encora is a digital engineering services company with more than 9,000 employees in 45 countries around the world.

24/01/2025

platform Tryp.com has brought in $3.2 million in media and venture funding. Founded in 2019, Tryp.com plans to put the funding towards expansion into the U.K. and Germany as well as develop its AI-powered platform further.

Read more on : https://bit.ly/42ornuB

Denmark-based Tryp.com has forged media partnerships with U.K. and German television outlets to help build reach new audiences and build its brand.

24/01/2025

Berlin-based HomeToGo, a marketplace for worldwide, has agreed to acquire Interhome from Switzerland-based retail giant Migros.

In a statement announcing the deal, HomeToGo said the acquisition would “expand its portfolio of software and tech-enabled service solutions across the entire host-to-guest value chain.”

Learn more on : https://bit.ly/3EjlIvC

HomeToGo said a purchase price in the “low three-digit million range in Swiss francs” is expected, with the deal closing in Q1.

24/01/2025

has released an artificial intelligence-powered agent tool that can interact with websites by typing, clicking and scrolling. Dubbed “Operator,” the tool can search and complete purchases for things like travel, groceries, events, restaurant reservations and more.

Users can customize with instructions for all sites or specific sites, for example to set a preference to only select fully-refundable hotels that offer free breakfast when searching Priceline. Watch this example in a video & learn more about the tool ⤵️

While still very early days, the development of agents is moving fast and raises questions about the evolution of marketing strategies and search optimization, such as whether site design should change.

23/01/2025

India-based MakeMyTrip has announced increases in gross bookings and net profit for the three months ended December 31, 2024.

The company saw gross bookings increase 27% to $2.6 billion in its earnings report for the fiscal third quarter of 2025. Adjusted operating profit rose to $46 million, up from $33 million year over year. Net profit for the company improved to almost $45 million, up from almost $39 million year over year.

Learn more on : https://bit.ly/3E4OrnP

MakeMyTrip attributed gains across its air ticketing, hotels and packages and bus ticketing business units to an increase in gross bookings and strong demand at home and outbound.

23/01/2025

Once the “Front page of the internet,” social media platform Reddit switched its tagline a few year ago to “Dive into anything” - and that increasingly includes . Its dedicated r/travel community has 12 million members, and while it’s long been used as a community-driven research tool, numbers have soared over the past year.

Reddit’s travel boom comes as more people turn to social networks and influencers for . Influencer commerce is key to Gen Z, for example, and almost 50% of the cohort make purchases based on influencer recommendations.

Get the full story on : https://bit.ly/4h7yGLu

Reddit's r/travel community boasts 12-million members and screen views grew nearly 33% in the past year, making the platform an increasingly important consideration for travel planners.

23/01/2025

And as the industry grows, so does demand for travel insurance, according to Robert Gallagher, chief operating officer and head of the Americas at Travel Guard, the portfolio of and travel-related services from AIG Travel.

And technology is making more of a difference than ever in people's ability to travel with confidence - knowing that if they need to get assistance while in-destination, their insurance provider will handle things easily and efficiently.

“In the U.S., 80% of our claims are filed electronically, up from 20% five years ago,” Gallagher said.

Watch the full discussion with Gallagher on : https://bit.ly/4arVkvD

And as the industry grows, so does demand for travel insurance, according to Robert Gallagher, chief operating officer and head of the Americas at Travel Guard, the portfolio of travel insurance and travel-related services from AIG Travel.

22/01/2025

While has been the top tech topic across the travel industry for the last two years, it appears fewer property managers are using the tech than might be expected, according to a report from Lodgify.

Only 32.3% of respondents said they were using AI. Lodgify, which created the position of "chief AI officer" in 2024, said that respondents highlighted other technologies as more useful, including channel management systems, website builders and property management software.

Read more on : https://bit.ly/4aronj4

Lodgify’s new report on the short term rental industry dives into technology, market and guest preferences trends.

22/01/2025

🔦 CEO Spotlight - Luis Maroto of Amadeus

Global travel tech businesses face many challenges right now. There are the usual economic, political and regulatory headwinds and the pressure from partners as well as shareholders. And, now there's to manage and build into the budget too.

In an interview with , Amadeus CEO Luis Maroto, who has lead the company since 2011 and overseen two IPOs, discussed the outlook for this year, the company's M&A strategy and the challenges of AI: https://bit.ly/40uUud5

Luis Maroto's career at Amadeus spans 25 years and two IPOs. He joined the company in 2000 as director of marketing finance, became CFO in 2003 and was appointed president and CEO in 2011.

22/01/2025

Amadeus has made a minority investment in Hivr.ai, a startup that provides technology for to manage meetings and groups sales. Germany-based Hivr.ai, which was founded in 2020, uses to help hotels automate more of the meetings and groups’ sales process and increase revenue.

In addition to the strategic investment, Amadeus is exploring opportunities to collaborate with Hivr.ai and make the tech available to its hotel customers.

Learn more on : https://bit.ly/40JLq5v

Germany-based hivr.ai, which was founded in 2020, uses artificial intelligence to help hotels automate more of the meetings and groups’ sales process and increase revenue.

22/01/2025

As TerraPay marks ten years since its founding, it's looking beyond its role as a company to see itself as a gateway to global opportunities for its partners, which include companies, banks, digital wallets and more.

Koert Grasveld, VP of payments at TerraPay, explains how the company’s experience in cross-border payments and its cohesive platform make it easy for payment providers to enter new markets: https://bit.ly/3BY6ueG

Now as it enters its second decade of operation, TerraPay is leaning into its digital-first solutions for cross-border payments to fuel its growth around the globe.

21/01/2025

💡 Launch Pitch from The Phocuswright Conference 2024 - Daytrip

Daytrip is a company that wants to turn ground transfers into meaningful travel experiences. Founded in 2015, the company now operates in more than 130 countries around the world, with ground transportation bookings available on its website and through its partners.

At The Phocuswright Conference in November, Daytrip CEO Tomas Turek explained that its drivers share info about local history and culture during the trip and customers can add stops along their route.

Watch the full presentation on : https://bit.ly/4gbpJ2u

Since launching in Europe in 2015, Daytrip has expanded to offer its private car service in more than 130 countries around the world.

21/01/2025

We may be standing on the precipice of an exhilarating new phase of travel startup investment, and this upcoming era could be drastically different for both startups and their investors.

Because has the potential to be so disruptive in the coming years, planning is becoming increasingly difficult for entrepreneurs and investors. This creates an abundance of uncertainty and, in tandem, opportunity.

What will all of this mean for ? Phocuswright's The Impact of GenAI on Travel Startups report provides a few theories: https://bit.ly/4g7hYuB

Generative artificial intelligence has the potential to be so disruptive in the coming years, which makes planning ahead increasingly difficult for startups and investors considering investment or exits. This creates an abundance of uncertainty and opportunity.

21/01/2025

It’s 2025, Donald Trump’s second term as president of the United States is about to commence, and the signs are clear that the new administration will be on the side of .

Many U.S. travel tech executives are optimistic about the bigger picture. For airlines and travel payment providers, deregulation creates the opportunity to upgrade products, ease compliance, and form new partnerships. But it will also reshape existing processes and relationships by changing established rules.

As with any governmental transfer of power, change is assured. These are the 5 areas where the regulatory goalposts relating to payments (and therefore airlines’ financial performance) might shift: https://bit.ly/3C5YpF9

Tom Randklev of travel payments orchestration provider CellPoint Digital considers what Donald Trump's second term in office may mean for regulatory issues impacting airlines and the broader industry.

21/01/2025

Insights from consumers on their preferences and wish-lists can provide valuable information for destinations, hoteliers, airlines and other suppliers as they vie for attention.

Expedia Group's latest research provides a view of trends that are driving travel decision-making for the year ahead. Based on findings from the Unpack ’25 report, which are carrying over from 2024, and which are new for 2025?

Learn more on : https://bit.ly/4hnb9WH

Expedia Group shares the results of its latest consumer trend report that combines data from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo with a study of 25,000 travelers from 19 countries.

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PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Sunday | September 1 2024

Booking.com is offering a fantasy come true for one winner in partnership with rapper Ludacris. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4fZkbcN United Airlines is looking to make every flyer a “main character,” according to its TikTok bio. But United has become a main character itself - at least on social media. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Z1RCFv While it’s never been more exciting to be in product tech, with new tech such as generative artificial intelligence to spice things up even more, it’s also getting more challenging to fit a growing “multiverse” of products and content into a world of shrinking screens. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Z4EeAg Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Saturday | September 1 2024

This year much of the buzz has centered on AI agents – a more sophisticated version of a chatbot, if you will, that can not only answer questions and generate content but can also make decisions and take actions autonomously. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4dKHhlE https://bit.ly/3qgCIfn Group said it believes artificial intelligence "stands to revolutionize the travel industry" as it delivered second quarter 2024 results. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3XqsQxF Lost or delayed bags can ruin a vacation or a business trip. Fears of such a calamity even led IATA director general Willie Walsh to once go 35 years without checking a bag, Walsh confessed during a speech last fall in Chicago. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4dHC0ex Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Sunday | August 25 2024

Tours and activities platform Klook is integrating booking capabilities with TikTok as part of its Kreator program for influencers. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4fVKbWm When a software update by cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike crashed Microsoft Windows operating systems around the world on July 19, each of the major airlines in the United States was forced to halt operations. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4fVKbFQ The growing importance of experiences in the travel industry has been an ongoing discussion since the fallout from COVID-19. And while there have been no signs of travelers’ appetite for experiences slowing down, at what point does it peak? ➡️ https://bit.ly/4cGA9FH Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Saturday | August 24 2024

Short-term rental specialist Sonder Holdings has sealed a deal for more than 9,000 of its units to join the Marriott International portfolio by the end of this year. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3ABfLbL I never imagined that the “all you can eat” restaurant marketing idea would come to aviation but it has, and it illustrates how much more needs to be done to regulate the sector’s carbon emissions if they are to reach net zero by 2050. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3MhaFUv The global travel industry is back on track, surging by 24% in 2023 to hit $1.5 trillion. North America, Asia Pacific and Western Europe continue to lead in terms of market size. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3YSdS4w Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Sunday | August 18 2024

CEO Greg Webb has been at the helm of global travel retail platform Travelport since 2019. He’s seen the company through a global pandemic and plenty of other changes, the culmination of a long career that includes stints at Oracle and Sabre. ➡️ https://bit.ly/46LCG05 American Airlines has hit the headlines in the past year for driving through a new approach to distribution only to dial it back in June. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4csG8hm Squake, Uptrip, Navit (formerly Rydes) and other travel startups have emerged from Lufthansa Innovation Hub in recent years. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3STUTTd Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Saturday | August 17 2024

Hungary-based Wizz Air, the seventh-largest airline in Europe, announced the launch of an all-you-can-fly subscription program across its entire network — the first of its kind in Europe. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4fLCmlY Inspirato has entered into an investment agreement with One Planet Group that represents a number of changes at the company, including staff cuts and a new CEO. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3M94cej Philippine Airlines recently faced a subtle yet very damaging cyber attack involving fake flight promotions. Rather than taking users to the airline’s official site, fraudulent ads lured users to an impersonated version that harvested credit card details. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4fM8kP4 Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Sunday | August 11 2024

A United States district judge ruled Monday that Google illegally used its market power to create a monopoly over online search, a decision with far-ranging ramifications including in travel, where the four biggest online travel agencies spent a combined $16.8 billion on sales and marketing last year — much of it going to Google. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3WCKufT It's been almost four years since the United States filed its antitrust lawsuit against Google - and a decision on the case finally arrived: A U.S. district court judge ruled Monday that Google has built a monopoly on online search - something travel companies have long voiced frustration about. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Ac4xKr Airbnb revealed its intent to eventually relaunch its Experiences sector Tuesday during its second quarter earnings call. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3YzRjl1 Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Saturday | August 10 2024

On the same day it announced a second quarter revenue increase of 1%, Tripadvisor revealed Tuesday that it’s rolling out a service that will allow its members to book hotel stays directly within its app, thanks to a new partnership with Hopper Technology Solutions (HTS). ➡️ https://bit.ly/3SIpUtq At first glance, a travel subscription seems like a consumer dream - unlimited travel, discounted travel or travel perks? Where’s the sign-up sheet? ➡️ https://bit.ly/3WCJPuV Airbnb has recorded another solid financial quarter, it shared Tuesday on its earnings call, while opening up about expansion plans, including eventual intent to relaunch Airbnb Experiences. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3SIpUJW Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Sunday | August 4 2024

The march of traditional banks and newer fintech companies into the travel space is ongoing, gathering pace even, with numerous partnerships and launches making headlines in recent months. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Wz79d1 Figuring out the most effective ways to use Google to drive traffic and conversions is a fundamental task for anyone working in digital marketing. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3SBb4ER Sabre is upping its prediction for its revenue and adjusted EBITDA in 2024 on the heels of second quarter results that exceed its prior guidance. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3WtKWgw Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Saturday | August 2 2024

Regulators in Spain have hit Booking.com with a €413.24 million fine. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3WDbGLE Travel investors are hoping for the next innovation wave to hit soon as they decide where to channel their funds. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3yr2nWW Hotel metasearch company Trivago has announced a strategic investment as a new effort to boost conversions on the same day it reported quarterly losses for the second time this year. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3SxDQGq Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Sunday | July 28 2024

Selina, a London-based hospitality company targeting millennial and Gen Z travelers looking to “stay, travel and work abroad indefinitely,” said Monday it “no longer has any reasonable prospects of avoiding an insolvency. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4bZiskj Business travel is on the up and up - and up - with record spending predicted for 2024 and a steady increase expected in the coming years, according to the Global Business Travel Association. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3A7YJl4 Ground transportation platform HQ has received an investment from Amex Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of American Express focused on early-stage investments across fintech, commerce and enterprise software. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Ylg8Rr Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

PhocusWire - Weekend Wrapup - Saturday | July 27 2024

On Friday a flawed update by endpoint virus detection and response provider CrowdStrike triggered a global outage that crippled the travel industry’s IT infrastructure. Airports ground to a halt, airlines canceled flights en masse and frustrated travelers faced long queues and delays. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3LFfLtl Google has shelved plans to remove third-party cookies, signaling a shift in its privacy policy. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Sss40a A browser cookie is a small string of code enabling advertisers to deliver highly targeted ads and track Internet users across multiple websites. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4bZhdBF Read these articles in our Latest News section on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/3px9kBt #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry

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