To infinity and beyond? Or to ground?While we hope it’s merely a case of scaremongering, there is growing unease in the space and aviation startup scene right now. Venture capital firms are starting to tell their portfolio companies to save cash ahead of a predicted economic downturn. For startups in space and aviation innovation this is worrying news. These companies rely on a healthy cash flow to stay in flight and tightening pockets could be a frightening sign indeed. Seems like this could be a ‘year of reckoning’ for the sector. Oh-oh.
Book and plan travel is getting a whole lot simpler.For anyone going on vacationthis summer, arriving at the final destination doesn’t need to bring any headaches. With new advancement in tech and fresh thinking there are a whole host of startups making travel planning smooth and simple. Take a look here at 10 European startups leading the way, meaning travellers can sit back, relax and actually enjoy the trip.
The hospitality sector wants you… or just about anyone!As the travel industry bounces back, revenues soar and hotels completely book out, it’s not entirely plain sailing for the hospitality sector. With immense worker shortages, hotels, bars and restaurants are beginning to hire people regardless of experience, resume or background – just to fill the gap. Spain and Portugal are particularly suffering. According to CNA, Spain’s catering industry is 200k workers short and Portuguese hotels need at least 15k more people to meet growing demand. Picture this: Accor has been interviewing young people and migrants with no resume or prior job experience and then hiring them within just 24 hours. Yes, that’s how dramatic the talent shortage is at the moment.
May I take your order please?Making restaurants digital, London-based startup Vita Mojo has just raised $30 million. The company has developed a software that empowers digital, self-service ordering and makes kitchens operate more efficiently. It’s been reported that more than 80% of both GenZ and millennials prefer to use self-serve kiosks, making this tech fitting for the future. Vita Mojo also lets restaurants display nutrition and allergen info, so clients can make more informed decisions. For restaurants, it’s dishing up the newest style of smart kitchen management and providing a powerful full-suite platform for smoother operations. The restaurant experience is changing and it’ll be interesting to see how people respond.
A new era for tickets.Did you know that QR code technology was introduced in 1994? And yet it’s still the fancy trend in the ticketing industry. Seems like it’s time for something new. Something that brings more benefits to consumers, is more secure, and improves revenue for businesses. Enter NFT smart tickets. Tipped to become the future for travel and experiences, NFTs is coming to ticketing, being used as an exclusive ‘membership-style’ card. This fresh approach to ticketing enables travel and experience providers to issue smart digital tickets that allow access and deliver extra value and benefits, all while registered on the more secure blockchain.
Arrive at the hotel and the adventure begins.Marriott Hotels has furthered its partnership with TED, to bring TED-Ed into the hotel experience. The result is the creation of a completely new hotel experience, promising to spark curiosity, wonder and entertainment. Called ‘The Curiosity Room by TED’, the themed hotel rooms give guests a chance to embark on an adventure as soon as they get to the hotel. There they will find their room has been crafted into a puzzle box waiting to be solved. It’s a fully immersive experience that brings the hotel room to life. The inaugural launch is planned in San Francisco this summer before taking to Bangkok and London.
What’s next for the attractions industry?This summer there’s one bug everyone seems to be catching – the travel bug. The attractions industry is soaring this summer, but, with new expectations, new realities and new innovations – there are a lot of changes in store. Together with IAAPA, we took a look at the key trends shaping the attractions industry for the future, and you can check out the insights here.
Book in real-time real quickly. Integrations and collaborations are one way that travel innovators are optimising their offerings to consumers. This week, Tiqets, which provides instant last-minute tickets to top museums and attractions worldwide, expanded its network through an integration with Trip.com Group. Now, travellers using Trip.com’s brands – including Ctrip and Skyscanner – can book entry directly to top experiences at more than 4000 museums and attractions globally. Customers now benefit from real-time availability with the chance to add personalisation such as flexi-booking, language selection and so on. It shows the power of integration and collaboration, and how the travel industry can work together to make our much-loved travel experiences even better.
How technology will augment the human touch. Deloitte has released its Hotels of the Future report, identifying the key trends that will influence hotels going forward. One thing has been left clear, hotels are about, and will always be about, a thoughtful and connected human experience. Looking to the future, this is going to come even more personalised and tailored to each individual guest. Integrating experiences, people, culture, spaces and processes, are the five key areas hotels will be innovating in over the next few years, reimagining how memorable experiences are formed.
