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Here’s your weekly roundup of the latest trends, innovations, and startup news in travel:
- From paper maps to digital guidebooks. The Finnish startup Reveel raised 650k in pre-seed round. Their platform turns paper maps into digital guides accessible via smartphones, aiming to revolutionize visitor experiences globally. The platform uses AI to provide multilingual content and digital guided tours, offering destinations a hassle-free solution to enhance visitor experiences. Reveel aims to address the outdated on-site experience by providing a generalized platform solution for destinations worldwide.
- Less Chinese tourists in Europe in 2024. If you’re in Europe, you might see fewer Chinese tourists around this year. That’s what the latest survey from the European Travel Commission suggests. It looks like some European hotspots might need to go a bit smart & creative and to attract those Chinese travelers. One big reason for the drop of interest? Seems like more and more Chinese tourists are planning to stick closer to home for their travels, especially with several Southeast Asian destinations relaxing their visa policies.
- New fund betting on travel startups. TravelTech.vc has just launched its second VC fund, dedicated to spotting the most innovative travel tech startups in Europe. Led by industry veterans from Booking.com, Expedia, Google, and Meta, they’re on a mission to support innovation in three key areas: client-focused tech, immature technologies, and efficiency gains. With a substantial €50 million fund, they’re ready to invest in the next generation of travel tech. Great to see this gaining traction in Europe.
- Everything Taylor Swift – even travel. Remember when I mentioned last week that I’m not exactly a Taylor Swift expert? Well, that’s why I’m glad that Skift dug up some data and insights about all things Taylor Swift lately. It’s great to get a North American perspective on what she’s all about, especially with the Super Bowl weekend around the corner – seems like it’s the perfect timing. And just in case you’re wondering, yes, her influence stretches even into the travel world.
- Not your usual travel partner. February has been active with new collaborations between Netflix and the travel industry. First up, they’ve teamed up with the French government’s Atout France to draw tourists to France. Plus, Expedia Group is Netflix’s inaugural global partner in its ad-supported plan, launching a campaign dubbed “Made to Travel” to spotlight select destinations. I always enjoy seeing different industries coming together to make the most of travel.