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Here is this week’s curation of the main news on innovation, trends, and startups from the travel industry. Let’s go:
- Snackbotting around the terminal. Munich Airport introduces the world’s first “snackbot” robot, offering drinks and snacks for purchase via cashless methods. Developed by German-startup Robotise, the 110cm-tall robot moves autonomously and stops when passengers come near it or step into its path. This is part of Munich Airport’s goal to improve logistics, research passenger acceptance, and create added value for travelers, reinforcing its status as a premium innovation hub.
- 🦄 New unicorn alert. Let’s take a moment to celebrate the rise of a new unicorn? It’s not just about a fancy valuation, but what it represents for an industry that was barely hanging on during the pandemic just a few years back. It’s a sign of hope for all the players shaping the industry forward. This week Mews joined the “unicorn club” after raising €101 million in their latest funding round. Cheers to that! In addition, they also announced a new partnership with Amadeus, to empower hoteliers to customize their tech setups, enhancing guest experiences, streamlining journeys, and cutting administrative tasks.
- Digital identity in travel. SITA’s investment in Indicio’s Series A funding highlights how crucial digital identity solutions are for travel. They’re teaming up to shake things up in how passenger data is managed and secured, making travel smoother and safer. Great to see players moving forward with digital identity solutions for travel.
- Bursting the chatbot bubble. Earlier this week Kayak has announced the launch of some interesting AI tools. One example is PriceCheck. Imagine snapping a screenshot of your flight info, and then their new tool goes to work, hunting down better deals for you? I think this is pretty cool. They’ve also rolled out “Ask Kayak” which makes it easy for travelers to get personalized results for their trips. the new tool lets users narrow down choices by typing in specific needs, like preferred airline, departure time and prices. This new rollouts reflect part of Kayak’s ongoing work with AI, and we are curious to see how they will keep pushing the bar when it coems to using AI for better travel solutions.
- Hotels brands & hotel chains. One of my favorite business newsletters Morning Brew did a very easy-to-follow video explaining how different hotel chains launch various brands – and what it means for business. It’s in really simple language, so anyone can grasp the ins and outs of the hospitality industry strategy. It’s short, but definitely worth a watch!