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Let’s head to this week’s curation of the top travel news about innovation, trends, and startups:
- Nature all around you? Launched in 2021, Raus provides users with a platform for nature-based stays. The German startup announced a new category focused on families, groups, and companies. In addition to this news, the company has received an additional €3 million in funding—all of which will be used for growth initiatives. The platform is often fully booked, and users love it: social activity is high, indicating a solid community.
- Safe travel payments for everyone. Travel payment solution Fly Now Pay Later has announced a partnership with Worldline, a digital payments provider, to streamline integration for travel merchants. The UK-based startup is the leading BNPL provider across the travel industry. This partnership will provide end-to-end integration for all Worldline’s merchants who arrive on TravelHub—its platform.
- Shorter wait times and more flexibility at airports. As part of an update to improve passenger experience at Geneva’s Airport, they just expanded the partnership with SITA. The main focus of the deal is to speed up passengers’ journey from check-in to boarding by installing self-service units at those stages.
- Flexible environments for work and living. The rise of the modern lifestyle has created a demand for fully furnished homes that can be rented short-term. Barcelona-based startup Ukio has secured €27 million to expand its rental platform. Founded in 2020, the rental startup has just secured fresh funding to grow its tech and develop more widely across Western Europe by the end of 2023.
- Tourism tech made in Rio. Rio de Janeiro’s tourism sector received the high-end digital presence it deserves with the relaunch of Visit.Rio, a platform that promotes attractions in Rio and brings together all the necessary information for tourists who want to visit. A similar platform to those used by other busy cities around the world like Paris, London, and Miami, Visit.Rio collects information about hotels, bars, and restaurants throughout the city. The platform provides a list of tourist attractions and tours, updated cultural agendas for each neighborhood, and information about transportation options.