More Inclusive Cities

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Ready for our weekly curation of the top news on travel innovation, trends and startups? Here we go:

  • Branson bets on diversity, sustainability and customer-centricity. From boats to plans to spaceships, Sir Richard Branson is quite the travel guru. He pioneered taking a customer-centric approach to air travel and created a brand that other providers have since tried to emulate. He entered the cruise sector, and through promoting diversity, has democratised access to the luxury yacht environment. Now he is taking on the space race and is keen to advocate travel that protects the planet we live on. Richard Bransons recently did an interview with Conde Nast and shared what he’s excited about in travel at the moment.
  • Up-design to upgrade and upsell. While this summer has been an incredible season for the travel industry with hotels finding themselves completely booked out. At the same time, travellers want more out of their experience, and having room upgrades and beautiful design really does matter. Travel tech company Oaky has found that its upgrade to hotel rooms has delivered 75% more room upgrade revenue to its customers. It’s also been able to help boost revenue through upselling things like spa treatments and food and drink deals. So let it be clear, travellers want to treat themselves – personalization and aesthetics makes it happen.
  • How cities are becoming more inclusive spaces. The way cities are designed and planned is changing. Reflecting our changing societies and changing needs, cities need to adapt. Now, some of the top travel destinations are also paving the way in new perspectives to urban design, creating spaces that are more inclusive and accessible to visitors of all backgrounds. In Vienna, for example, public spaces have been redesigned from a female perspective – from wider pavements for prams to better lighting in parks and football pitches reimagined to encourage female participation. Barcelona and Paris have also gained a feminist perspective, and the cities are opening up as a result – with more bike lanes and pedestrian zones in development.
  • Getting the squad on tour has been made easier. Organising group travel is a complicated affair. One of the most challenging aspects is making sure payments are made in a way that is fair and accessible to everyone involved, and for when the friendship group is ganging together for a getaway, there’s always one unfortunate soul who has taken the task on board. At the same time, group travel is soaring in popularity amongst the millennial generation of adventure seekers. SquadTrip is aiming to fill the gap. The startup has just launched a platform that will help travel professionals target millennial travellers by offering flexi payment options – including payment installments, apple pay and promo codes – all in one easy-to-use platform. So it’s never been easier to get the squad together!
  • Hospitality continues to digitalise. The hospitality sector is running fast down the digitalisation track. One big trend is increased digitalisation of ordering and payment systems, giving consumers a mobile-based experience and the restaurant/hotel clearer real-time oversight. Manchester-based wi-Q has developed a platform – called Dash – that hospitality venues can use to manage food and beverage orders in real time, customers can also use it to order and pay via their mobile. It all helps speed up order management, prep and delivery – enhancing the experience for all and meeting new consumer habits and demands. The startup just raised £3 million.
  • Harnessing AI to make booking and planning travel smoother. As travel companies hunt for ways to make travel and tourism simple and easy for travelers, AI-based tech is in demand. Lithuanian-based startup Eddy Travels has been helping consumers find cheap travel deals with its AI travel assistant. It’s just been snapped up by global digital travel marketplace TripAdd as they move to enhance their offering with even more consumer-centricity. Eddy Travels took part in last year’s FutureTravel Summit Pitch Competition – so what does the future hold for this year’s participants?
  • Startup and corporate collabs to enhance traveller experience. One of the biggest trends de jour in the travel industry is, of course, the move towards consumer centricity and personalisation. Startups are the ones leading tech development on this, bringing innovations that allow for hyper-personalization. Today, travel titan American Airlines have announced a new partnership with Spotnana – a Travel-as-a-Service platform – that will allow travellers enhanced booking flexibility and a more seamless and tailored experience.

Short-term Rentals on the Spotlight

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Here is our curation of the top news on travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • Roam free with Celitech’s expanding e-SIM coverage. One hurdle travellers have to overcome is of course the all-important cell coverage. After all, part of travelling is being able to share experiences with friends and family back home, and on a safety and purely logistical level, we need to have phone coverage at most moments of our day. California-based Celitech has developed a proprietary API that enables travel businesses and apps to offer eSIM services which can be bundled with other products, creating additional revenues for partners. It can also help travellers save as much as 80% of data roaming. The startup just raised $1.2 million to expand into new markets.
  • Zumper jumps into the growing short-term rental market. Flexible, short-term rentals seem to be the trend of the year. It’s a market that just keeps growing and growing as more travellers look for options that will enable them to enjoy workcations, the digital nomad lifestyle and more flexibility and comfort whilst away from home. Now, American rental platform Zumper is launching a short-term rental marketplace to tap into this growing segment. The company just raised an additional $30 million in its Series D round to launch the product. Via the platform, which compares about 500k listings, users can book short-term rentals at no additional fees – meeting both user demand and landlords’ rental possibilities.
  • Second home co-ownership reaches new possibilities with Flyway. UK-based startup Flyway is reimagining how second home co-ownership can work – taking an approach that blends the Airbnb model into home ownership. The Flyway marketplace lets travellers pick their level of ownership in a home, allowing them to adjust depending on their individual budget, needs, location and preferences. It takes a personal approach to real estate and makes the option to have a second home much more accessible. The company has just raised $10 million and plans to pick up its first properties in the real estate hotspot of London.
  • Short-term rental market getting long-term confidence. Guesty, the holiday rental platform based in the US and Israel has just bagged an eye-catching $170 million in new funding. The startup also just tripled its valuation and doubled its revenues since its last raise! Guesty’s proptech solution enables property managers and rental providers to simplify complex operational processes. They can use the platform to manage listings from multiple online travel agencies (like Booking.com or Airbnb) and use tailor-made tools such as payment processing, guest communication services, automation tools and more. It’s an all-in-one solution that is helping the short-term rental market skyrocket and this latest investment marks a strong sign of confidence that current trends are here to stay.
  • Flexi-living might be the future and Landing is banking on it. Landing, a startup that is helping push forward flexible living, has just raised $125 million in Series C funding. Landing offers something that screams Millennial – a membership-based network of furnished, flexible-lease apartments across the US. It allows members to move freely throughout the network of apartments, choosing where they want to stay, when they want and for how long they want. As remote working looks to be here to stay and millennials and GenZ, in particular, continuing to prioritize this approach to life and work, flexible living might just be the next big trend – sitting at the intersection of travel, real estate and work innovation. Landing says it saw a 380% membership increase in the past year and has big plans to keep expanding for years to come.
  • Connecting people, culture and stores: the story of WeRoad. WeRoad is one of Europe’s most exciting travel tech companies at the moment. This year, the company hit €30 million in revenue and with over 30k customers, it’s a global adventure travel brand with a massive social following. So what’s the secret? Founder and CEO, Erika De Santi revealed the vision behind WeRoad in an interview with EU-Startups, stating that the “mission is to design and deliver experiences worth living and sharing, rewriting the rules of the travel industry, every f*cking step of the way.” Erika will also join us at this year’s FutureTravel Summit – get your ticket today and hear her inspiring insights and journey in person!

TravelTech Startups: Latest News Investments

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This week we head directly to our curation of the top news on travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • Aero’s premium airline secures $50 million. It seems that luxury air travel is picking up pace. Not only have we seen airlines stepping up the levels of luxury available, enhanced sitting and sleeping provisions, but also the rise of premium air travel. Aero Technologies, a premium private jet operator has raised $50 million in Series B funding to expand. Offering flights in the US and Europe on a custom 16 seat aircraft, Aero has made itself known in key hubs like Ibiza, Mykonos and Los Cabos – talking about luxury. Now, the aim is to fly to even more destinations and bring premium travel to a growing global market.
  • Hyper-personalised experiences don’t have to mean the end of privacy. AI platform Qloo is bringing experience operators the ability to better predict and understand consumer tastes and preferences – and they are doing it with a privacy-centric approach. The company has just raised $15 million as the demand for personalisation in travel and entertainment soars. Qloo currently delivers cultural AI that powers inferences for clients serving over 550 million customers globally in 2022. It works by correlating and processing data across entertainment, culture, and consumer products, giving the most accurate and expansive predictions of consumer taste based on demographics, preferences, cultural entities, metadata, and geolocational factors.
  • Scan, Split, Tip, Pay – A new way to dine out. We’ve all been there. You go out for dinner with a group of friends and when it comes to ordering and paying, things get a little complicated. From deciding what to order, getting the waiter’s attention to order, to then deciding how to split the bill and leave a tip – when there’s a group involved the waiting and mental maths is growing old. Based in Dubai, Spades is an app changing the game. It allows users to scan the menu of a restaurant, directly order via the app, before then splitting and tipping. Currently, it’s operating with 250 restaurants in UAE and has launched in Saudi Arabia with MJS Holding, a chain with 20+ restaurants. Along with expanding to Singapore and South-east Asia, It is looking to raise a bigger round of $8-$10 million.
  • Using tech to power human connection, SiteMinder acquires GuestJoy. As the hotel industry moves towards using tech to enhance communications and add a personal touch to guest experiences, SiteMinder has just acquired hotel guest engagement suite GuestJoy. Earlier this year, SiteMinder is a next-gen platform that has massively enhanced how accommodation providers grow their presence online. Now, with this deal, SiteMinder will be able to empower hoteliers to automate and digitise their guest communication. Doing so makes for happier guests, and happier revenue streams for those in the industry. The deal is expected to be closed by the end of this year and reflects a new era of hotel commerce – that is digital and ultra personal.
  • Get the group together: travelling a trip just got easier. Putting a group trip together is one of life’s little challenges, and for those that are able to make it past the whatsapp group chat stage: Congratulations. Now, though, it’s being made a lot simpler thanks to tech innovation. Reposite, a group travel planning startup has just raised $7.5 million to develop its online workspace that enables group trip planners to pull together all the processes involved in putting a group trip together in one place. Currently available in the US, the team now wants to develop a data-driven matching platform to make recommendations to trip planners and match them with suppliers more efficiently.
  • Hotel app Shackle picks up $5.5 million. Aiming to digitise the hotel guest experience and bring hoteliers more insights into their customers, Shackle has just secured $5.5 million to grow. The European app lets guests check in, enter their room, order room service and make payments all from the app. So, next time you check in at the airport you don’t have to worry about faffing around at reception – just a few clicks and you’ll have a comfy hotel bed with champagne on the way (if that’s your vibe of course). Connecting hotel services directly to guests is good news for the hotel as well. It promotes more streamlined hotel operations and gives back data on guest behaviour and needs all in one system. Talk about a win-win.
  • PriceLabs snaps up Rental Scale-Up as demand for industry content grows. You don’t have to convince us that the travel and hospitality industry is full of exciting news, innovation and thought leadership, and startup PriceLabs clearly know it as well. The dynamic pricing fintech has acquired Rental Scale-Up, a media company that produces news and analysis on the short-term rental industry. It’s a space that has seen a lot of activity in recent times with the growth of staycations and the resurgence of the digital nomad – it’s meant that financial solutions for this sector are equally soaring in demand. With this acquisition, PriceLabs wants to enhance the content available for their customers, giving them more in-depth insights and analysis and continue to shape the sector for years to come.
  • The financial world is banking on travel. This year the travel space has been busy – to put it lightly. And with that, there have been a lot of financial developments. One trend we’ve spotted has been that lots of fintech providers and banks are starting to buy into travel, offering travel cards, BNPL options and so forth. The latest development is that Citi is now launching a travel booking platform in partnership with traveltech heavyweight, Booking Holdings’ brands Booking.com and Rocket Travel. It’ll launch this autumn and replace the existing City Thank You Travel Center. Via the platform, users will be able to compare hotels, flights and car rental options and can then bool and pay with their Citi card or loyalty points (or go wild and combine them).

Space Travel, Predictions and Profits

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This week we head directly to our curation of the top news on travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • The travel space race is firmly on. We all know about billionaire plans from Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson to launch a new era of galactic tourism, but now there is another player on the market. And they want to make space tourism more available to more travellers. Space Perspective is on the brink of transporting explorers to the edge of space, using carbon-neutral tech. These flights won’t be rocket-propelled, but rather more gentle, propelled by a patented SpaceBalloon. Taking a look inside the Spaceship Neptune, travellers will find themselves in a sleek, designed Space Lounge – designed to create a relaxing environment. It’s a space tourism option that is more mellow than the traditional image of being jet launched into the galaxy that normally comes to mind. Space Perspective’s first commercial space flights are planned to take off in late 2024, and tickets are going for $125k per passenger, the trip lasting a total of 6 hours.
  • There’s a new travel careers directory in town. With the growing talent shortage in the travel and hospitality sector leaving businesses in disarray, travellers exasperated and the whole industry facing an increasingly problematic predicament, Travel Massive has launched its new careers directory: Travel Careers. The marketplace is designed for travel pros, digital nomads and creators, giving them a one-stop-shop to find the perfect travel job for them, helping gaps be filled and the travel world to work with more harmony again. For everyone out there looking for their next hire – here you can list vacancies and grow your talent pool, reaching travel pros from around the world, accessing global reach to untapped talent.
  • Airbnb’s profits are flying high. What a good feeling it must be to announce the most profitable Q2 ever – that’s currently the case for Airbnb, with income of $379 million on $2.1 billion revenue. The company has been making leaps and bounds in recent years and in the past couple of months it has added even more features to the platform. Its commitment to constantly evolve and update its product offering is certainly paying off, and it’s now able to offer travellers and thrill seekers a stay and experiences in all corners of this wonderful planet. The company has reported that while growth continues to remain strongest in non-urban areas, Airbnb says it is now seeing clear signs of travellers returning to cities. You might remember in a recent newsletter update we shared that Co-Founder Joe Gebbia announced he was stepping down, wanting to focus on new ventures and family-time. He said the decision was made because Airbnb was in good hands – and this news sure shows it!
  • Predicting evolving travel demands is getting simpler. ZYTLYN, a Swiss startup, is helping travel companies make rapid and well-informed decisions to keep up with constantly changing travel patterns. It’s more critical than ever for businesses to be able to forecast and have oversight on what’s going on – travellers are jet setting once again, but they’re doing so in a different way than before: now impacted by changing regulations, prices, climate change and so forth. ZYTLYN’s platform predicts and reflects up-to-date info on where and when travellers want to go and what they’re willing to pay. It provides companies (such as airlines and hotels) with actionable predictions of demand patterns, for pricing, revenue management, and sales, to name a few – and now they just secured new funding from Velocity Ventures to grow the business forward.
  • Dynamic pricing is coming to a vacation rental near you. Giving the short-term rental industry a democratised and affordable dynamic pricing and revenue management tool, PriceLabs has just picked up $30 million from Summit Partners. Dynamic pricing has been implemented in the travel industry for some time now, but it’s generally being used by the big providers, the big names with the cash to spend on fancy tech and comprehensive platforms. PriceLabs wants to bring the competitive edge to small business owners giving them the chance to more easily manage personal rental property and efficiently adjust prices based on demand fluctuations. The company already powers over 150,000 listings in more than 100 countries and is scaling fast. It’s able to update prices automatically through direct integrations with different property management software solutions – regardless of whether it’s a cabin in the woods or a super-chic Parisian pad.
  • Trains, coaches, buses, cars and full pack of booking options. From taxis to food deliveries, Uber may have started out life as a ride-hailing service, but it’s since expanded to a platform with an extensive range of use cases. Now, in the UK, Uber is adding train and coach travel to its app via a fully integrated tie-up with Berlin’s multimodal travel platform, Omio. Omio’s app gives users the chance to select and book from a range of transport options and it’s one of Europe’s most prominent travel startups. In recent years, the unicorn company has been expanding into B2B partnerships, making its inventory available to partners so they can add transport booking options to their own apps and platforms. This new tie-up is the latest and we will be keeping a close eye to see how it goes.
  • Boeing is building sustainable aviation in Japan. Aviation giant Boeing has unveiled its plans to open a new research and technology centre in Japan as part of plans to develop future-proof aviation solutions. Air travel is frequently called out for its carbon emissions and environmental footprint. Moving the industry to a climate-neutral and sustainable point requires plenty of investment, innovation and commitment to collaboration. This new announcement from Boeing encompasses all of this. Working with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, this broadens the pair’s cooperation agreement to now include a focus on sustainable aviation fuel, electric and hydrogen powertrain technologies, and future flight concepts that will promote zero climate impact aviation.

Travel Luxury, Subscriptions & Innovation

In case you missed the amazing group of people we got together to join the jury of this year’s FutureTravel Pitch Competition, here they are! We’ll be joined by: Christoph Schuh, Michele Luperini, Meryem Aydin and Isabelle Gallo. They are expert investors with extensive experience and expertise in the travel & hospitality sector – let’s say it’s a perfect fit to evaluate this year’s finalists. We can’t wait for this year’s FutureTravel Summit! PS: How cool would it be to see the same gender ratio amongst our applicants? 🙂

Here is our weekly curation of the top news on travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • Investment rolls in for startups personalising booking experiences. With this summer seeing travellers get back into the rhythm of organising trips and getaways, travellers want more freedom and simplicity in the process. Helping players in the travel industry do just that with a Travel-as-a-Service cloud-based booking platform, Spotnana has now crossed the $100 million funding mark after its latest fundraising round. The New York-based startup is now focusing on modernising infrastructure and developing the platform.
  • Travel subscriptions are the new black. Travel records have been broken in many aspects this summer – one of the less exciting being the prices that travellers have paid to jet off and enjoy some well-earned downtime. It means that travel firms have had to rethink how to make travel affordable and competitive, to encourage people to continue to book trips. The shining star? The rise of the subscription model. Similarly to the buy now pay later boom in commerce, travel is no-longer seen as needing to be a one-off payment. According to the startup OTA Ultimate Travel Club, membership of their subscription holiday tool has doubled each month. Not bad, uh…
  • Renewed faith in hospitality innovation. The hospitality sector has undergone dramatic change in the past couple of years. Perhaps slower than other sectors to jump on the digital transformation bandwagon, the sector is now more than making up for it with digital innovation raising eyebrows and disrupting the market across the world. Reflecting this, Mews, the next-generation hospitality cloud for hotels, hostels, apartments and more, has formally launched Mews Ventures. Following successful acquisitions by Mews, this launch is aiming to bring together the brightest minds in hospitality and tech to identify new ways to bring excellent guest experiences and empower further development in the sector.
  • Luxury guest experiences now delivered by an app, not a friendly face. Dubai-based Qstay has just raised $6.5 million after an impressive year of growth. The startup offers guests a tech-driven luxury experience via a mobile app that includes access to pools, gyms and spas as well as hotel-like amenities in its properties. It’s a new approach to luxury travel that uses technology to give travellers the stay of a lifetime and one that can be fully personalised. The startup now has about 200 vacation rentals in the UAE and Europe, with another 200 already signed. Then, with the app, guests can access nearby top beach resorts and the like.
  • Aviation workers want to fly away from the sector. Anyone who has tried to catch a flight this summer can confirm it – airlines and airports have a lot of work to do. Not only has this summer been disruptive for travellers, but also for the staff trying their best to manage and control a downwardly spiralling situation. Now, it’s been reported that almost half of all airport and airline workers (41.4%) are considering quitting the industry – pay and stress are the two key reasons why. Ouch.
  • Air bye and bye! Co-founder of Airbnb Joe Gebbia to step aside. Growing one of the most disruptive and influential travel tech companies is impressive work. Now, one of the brains behind Airbnb – one of the world’s most iconic travel firms which erupted into the market back in 2008 – has decided to step aside to pursue new projects and enjoy more family time. Joe Gebbia headed up the company’s product development team. While we are sure some well-earned rest is in the pipeline for Joe (maybe even a stay in an Airbnb or two), he has said he is ‘bursting with more ideas to bring to the world’ and we can’t wait to see what that entails!
  • Hyperlocal and hyper-digital – trends here to stay. KKday, the mobile-first ecommerce travel platform based in Taipei, has secured additional funding to bring its Series C round to $95 million. It’s a reflection of the impressive bounce back made by travel firms willing to immerse themselves in digital innovation and bring hyperlocal experiences to travellers with a tech-first approach. The startup spent the past year building strong foundations and preparing new digital approaches, getting ready for the travel boom that has been seen this summer right across the world. Now, with travel growing steadily in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and beyond, the company has rebounded since the pandemic thanks to its forward thinking approach – expanding also into new verticals and rolling out rezio (KKday’s all-in-one SaaS solution to manage bookings and inventory for merchants on multiple channels).

Talent Shortage & Airport Chaos 👀

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This summer, airports have been characterised by one thing: chaos. Delayed flights, crazy queues and trips cancelled altogether – travellers are facing a frenzy of disruptions. So how are airports responding? Well, Heathrow has implemented a controversial flight cap. Although it was originally planned to end mid-September, it’s now expected to last until the end of October.

Schiphol did the same, and now, Frankfurt’s Airport has announced they will be restricting flights to allow it to cope with increased passenger numbers. I do my best to keep an optimistic view in this newsletter, but we can’t be naive: these are challenging times for travellers flying around Europe.

Putting that aside, it’s been a quieter week than normal in the travel space when it comes to innovation, trends and startups. But here is what we found:

  • A software company has just raised $25m to help airline companies to upsell. The solution offered by Gordian Software enables travel sites, including Hopper, Trip.com and Priceline, to sell ancillaries such as baggage and premium seat selection for their airline partners. Travellers can pack their bags and get ready for the upselling upswing. The startup experienced revenue growth of 350% in the past 6 months and is also looking to triple its headcount by the end of 2022 – clearly there’s lots of appetite for upselling!
  • A lot of financial institutions have joined forces with travel tech companies to provide a quick way to incorporate new travel solutions into their offerings. It’s a collaborative energy we like to see. The latest news is a new partnership between GetYourGuide and American Express. They’re bringing a new exclusive booking site for card members, giving access to an inventory of tours and activities as well as experiences and discounts.
  • Summer is a busy season for the attractions industry. And it’s been amazing to see that the trends we identified in the industry are at full bloom also across different sectors. If you’re curious to find out what’s influencing attractions and experiences, make sure you check out the report we did in collaboration with IAAPA. Want more insight and takeaways? You should also take a look at the upcoming IAAPA EXPO Europe taking place this September.
  • So, the ongoing job shortage in travel and tourism is turning even more dramatic, and to be honest, it’s blowing our minds. The impact of this can’t really be understated and getting these vacancies is turning into a major challenge for the industry. If you are currently hiring, do let me know and we’ll be happy to provide you with our rate card to promote your open positions on this newsletter – maybe your next hire is among our FutureTravel audience? 👀
  • Last week we announced the launch of the FutureTravel Pitch Competition. Awesome to see the applications coming in! We are looking for exciting early-stage startups from all across the world who are bringing innovation to the travel and tourism industry. We will select 10 finalists to pitch on stage during this year’s FutureTravel Summit, and the winner will get a prize package worth $56,000! This is in addition to valuable insights and feedback from our amazing jury members. If you know someone who is building something new in this space, feel free to forward this newsletter to them 🙂

The FutureTravel Pitch Competition is Here! 🏆

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I couldn’t think of any other picture for this week’s edition of the FutureTravel Newsletter. Not exactly travel related, and you might have seen it also in other news sources you follow. But this is just too beautiful not to share – and to be honest it is also crazy (!) to think that this is where we live. I mean… what!

Anyway, while great things are happening in space, there’s also plenty of action here on earth. Today, I’m so proud to announce that we are opening the application phase for this year’s FutureTravel Pitch Competition!

We are looking for early-stage startups, from anywhere in the world, which are ready to shape the future of travel. This is a big highlight for our upcoming FutureTravel Summit – it’s an opportunity to shine the spotlight on 10 startups who are ready to innovate the industry, and to connect them with decision makers and industry leaders from all around the world during the event. Apart from that, the winner will get a prize package worth $56,000 on top of valuable feedback from top investors! The application phase will be open until August 19th.

Apply for the Pitch Competition

If you are not an early-stage startup, this probably didn’t sound as amazing to you as it did to those founders, I know. But I bet you would love the opportunity to share the stage with speakers like the Director of Innovation, Education and Investments at UNWTO, the CEO of Barceló Group and the SVP Operations & Head of Business Transformation at Radisson Hotel Group. Not bad, right?

We have been receiving amazing applications from travel professionals from all over the world to join our agenda and we are so proud of what we are building with this event. Are you ready to bring your insights to the stage during this year’s FutureTravel Summit? You can submit your speaker application through this link. Also: we will announce the full event agenda in the upcoming weeks – stay tuned.

Now let’s head to our weekly curation of the top news on travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • Flight subscriptions are taking off. We all want to jet off and get back to exploring all this world has to offer, and it’s getting more financially-friendly to do so. Barcelona-based Caravelo, a startup that’s pioneering flight subscription and revenue optimization models for airlines, has just picked up a €3 million funding boost. The company is flying high, expecting a 4x growth by the end of 2022. Flight subscriptions are good for airlines and travellers – it makes booking that trip all the more appealing and also gives providers a steady stream of income – win-win and a big plus for fintech innovation in the travel sector.
  • Hospitality businesses now have a level playing field in the google review game. Amid growing labour shortages in the hospitality sector and increased customer demands, achieving customer excellence is getting tricky for lots of businesses. At the same time, leaving reviews on our experiences is a growing pastime and for most of us, checking out Google reviews is a must-do before deciding on a restaurant, bar, hotel and so on. Helping businesses in the hospitality industry optimise how people experience their visit and activate staff on-the-spot to provide better attention to guests, Dutch startup Viqal has now raised €500k in pre-seed funding. The startup has developed a tech powered by acoustic smart sensors and AI that analyses customer experience in real-time, giving instantaneous and actionable info to employees.
  • Digital marketplaces are bringing real-life experiences – and they’re skyrocketing. As British startup Holibob announces a $12 million Series A round, it’s clear that digitalisation of travel is fueling a renaissance of in-person, real-life experiences. The travel industry perhaps perfectly emulates how tech can enhance real-life, rather than take away from it. The startup’s tours and attractions digital marketplace enables companies in the industry to connect the right products with the right travellers at the right time. It’s been successfully driving growth for partners like Amadeus, KAYAK and Secret Escapes. This funding comes after the firm acquired TourismSolved in April and reported a 6-fold growth in the past 6 months.
  • Dubai-based Swvl is taking on the shared mobility sector with its latest acquisition. Across the world, there’s a diverse array of mobility platforms and services – all underpinning an aim to offer smart, affordable and accessible transport to the masses. Marking itself as a global leader in the space, Dubai’s transit tech specialist Swvl has announced plans to acquire Mexican shared mobility platform Urbvan Mobility. This will be the 6th acquisition for the company in the past year – after picking up smart bus platform Zeelo and Volt Lines in April as well as European mobility platform Door2Door.

Experiences & Flight subscriptions

  • Flight subscriptions are taking off. We all want to jet off and get back to exploring all this world has to offer, and it’s getting more financially-friendly to do so. Barcelona-based Caravelo, a startup that’s pioneering flight subscription and revenue optimization models for airlines, has just picked up a €3 million funding boost. The company is flying high, expecting a 4x growth by the end of 2022. Flight subscriptions are good for airlines and travellers – it makes booking that trip all the more appealing and also gives providers a steady stream of income – win-win and a big plus for fintech innovation in the travel sector.
  • Hospitality businesses now have a level playing field in the google review game. Amid growing labour shortages in the hospitality sector and increased customer demands, achieving customer excellence is getting tricky for lots of businesses. At the same time, leaving reviews on our experiences is a growing pastime and for most of us, checking out Google reviews is a must-do before deciding on a restaurant, bar, hotel and so on. Helping businesses in the hospitality industry optimise how people experience their visit and activate staff on-the-spot to provide better attention to guests, Dutch startup Viqal has now raised €500k in pre-seed funding. The startup has developed a tech powered by acoustic smart sensors and AI that analyses customer experience in real-time, giving instantaneous and actionable info to employees.
  • Digital marketplaces are bringing real-life experiences – and they’re skyrocketing. As British startup Holibob announces a $12 million Series A round, it’s clear that digitalisation of travel is fueling a renaissance of in-person, real-life experiences. The travel industry perhaps perfectly emulates how tech can enhance real-life, rather than take away from it. The startup’s tours and attractions digital marketplace enables companies in the industry to connect the right products with the right travellers at the right time. It’s been successfully driving growth for partners like Amadeus, KAYAK and Secret Escapes. This funding comes after the firm acquired TourismSolved in April and reported a 6-fold growth in the past 6 months.
  • Dubai-based Swvl is taking on the shared mobility sector with its latest acquisition. Across the world, there’s a diverse array of mobility platforms and services – all underpinning an aim to offer smart, affordable and accessible transport to the masses. Marking itself as a global leader in the space, Dubai’s transit tech specialist Swvl has announced plans to acquire Mexican shared mobility platform Urbvan Mobility. This will be the 6th acquisition for the company in the past year – after picking up smart bus platform Zeelo and Volt Lines in April as well as European mobility platform Door2Door.

Attractions, Investment and Talent Hunting

  • 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 vacation this 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.

Cities are sold out for the Summer 🗽

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Here is your weekly overview of the top news around travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • Berlin, NYC and Dublin sold out for the summer. This summer, business travel is booming. Not only are companies enjoying that staff can travel more freely again, but employees are also taking the chance to stay longer and convert business trips into workcations. Recent research by AltoVita shows that some cities are now ‘sold out’ – Dublin, NYC and Berlin are all reaching the limit of corporate accommodation occupancy. Looks like the crowds are back.
  • Bunk beds and beauty sleep – and it’s economy class. Air New Zealand has just introduced bunk bed-style sleeping pods to its ultra-long-haul journeys which passengers can book on time slots of 4 hours. It looks a little like a spaceship but it’s a chance to get some beauty sleep. It comes just as the airline adds new nonstop links to Europe and east coast US
  • Collaborating instead of competing. In the context of flight cancellations, delays, growing customer complaints, and, that’s not to mention the need for travellers to be more sustainable in their travel choices, airlines need to adapt. In one remarkable approach we’ve just seen – rail operator Deutsche Bahn is joining Star Alliance. Yes, a rail operator and an airline alliance. It marks greater connections between rail and air travel and an interesting glimpse into the future of transport.
  • The plastic-free movement is sky-high. As sustainable travel and tourism has hotly become a key focus of the industry, LATAM Airlines is the latest airline to ditch plastic – and they aim to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2023. It’s part of the airline’s wider mission to lead eco-friendly travel, which also includes working towards achieving zero waste to landfills by 2027, offsetting 50 percent of its domestic emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. We’re eager to see which airline will embark on a similar mission next.
  • Hotel forecasting just got smarter. This summer, travel is back and it’s booming. While it might mean travellers are getting to kick back and relax, the teams running hotels have been left a little frazzled. From rapidly growing occupancy rates (hey, even some cities are sold out..) to the new trend of last-minute booking, existing forecasting and hotel business intelligence solutions aren’t really stepping up to the plate of what’s needed. Plugging the gap, Amadeus is launching a solution that lets hoteliers gain the most accurate picture of market conditions to enable more effective revenue management strategies and differentiate their offer. With daily updates, it better reflects new trends and the digital age of travel.
  • Travel history is coming back to life. The iconic Orient Express is making an incredible comeback with the support of Accor. The train, which pioneered luxury trail travel 140 years ago, is one of the most iconic travel stories of all time. It’s inspired books, been featured on the big screen, and now, is undergoing a revamp in time for the Paris Olympic Games. Taking a contemporary vision of luxury, the unveiling in 2024 will invite guests to relive the legendary original Orient Express cars dating from the 1920s-1930s. I’m obsessed with this story – where do I sign up?!
  • Closer connections between hotels and guests is on the way. It’s fair to say that most hotels aim to give guests a pleasant and enjoyable stay. One key part of that is having strong connections between guests and hotel teams. Purposeful touch points, accessible guidance and help, and the ability to communicate easily across channels are some of the fundamentals that make it happen. Aiming to remove friction in the guest journey and at the same time give hoteliers one single platform to manage all points of contact and connection, Cloudbeds has acquired Whistle and will integrate the messaging software into its management platform. It’s a move that will unify communications and create better experiences – and perhaps a deal we can expect to see replicated elsewhere.
  • Take holidays and reduce carbon footprint. Launched in 2021, GreenGo has just picked up €1.2 million for its platform that promotes sustainable vacations. The platform requires accommodation providers to sign the GreenGo charter – which includes things like developing eco-friendly energy, transparent and water management as well as sustainable food and water arrangements and low-foot[front heating options. It means that hosts are held accountable to being sustainable with their travel offering and guests can have more peace of mind over the impact of their getaway and essentially, go green.

Cities are sold out for the Summer

  • Berlin, NYC and Dublin sold out for the summer. This summer, business travel is booming. Not only are companies enjoying that staff can travel more freely again, but employees are also taking the chance to stay longer and convert business trips into workcations. Recent research by AltoVita shows that some cities are now ‘sold out’ – Dublin, NYC and Berlin are all reaching the limit of corporate accommodation occupancy. Looks like the crowds are back.
  • Bunk beds and beauty sleep – and it’s economy class. Air New Zealand has just introduced bunk bed-style sleeping pods to its ultra-long-haul journeys which passengers can book on time slots of 4 hours. It looks a little like a spaceship but it’s a chance to get some beauty sleep. It comes just as the airline adds new nonstop links to Europe and east coast US.
  • Collaborating instead of competing. In the context of flight cancellations, delays, growing customer complaints, and, that’s not to mention the need for travellers to be more sustainable in their travel choices, airlines need to adapt. In one remarkable approach we’ve just seen – rail operator Deutsche Bahn is joining Star Alliance. Yes, a rail operator and an airline alliance. It marks greater connections between rail and air travel and an interesting glimpse into the future of transport.
  • The plastic-free movement is sky-high. As sustainable travel and tourism has hotly become a key focus of the industry, LATAM Airlines is the latest airline to ditch plastic – and they aim to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2023. It’s part of the airline’s wider mission to lead eco-friendly travel, which also includes working towards achieving zero waste to landfills by 2027, offsetting 50 percent of its domestic emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. We’re eager to see which airline will embark on a similar mission next.
  • Hotel forecasting just got smarter. This summer, travel is back and it’s booming. While it might mean travellers are getting to kick back and relax, the teams running hotels have been left a little frazzled. From rapidly growing occupancy rates (hey, even some cities are sold out..) to the new trend of last-minute booking, existing forecasting and hotel business intelligence solutions aren’t really stepping up to the plate of what’s needed. Plugging the gap, Amadeus is launching a solution that lets hoteliers gain the most accurate picture of market conditions to enable more effective revenue management strategies and differentiate their offer. With daily updates, it better reflects new trends and the digital age of travel.
  • Travel history is coming back to life. The iconic Orient Express is making an incredible comeback with the support of Accor. The train, which pioneered luxury trail travel 140 years ago, is one of the most iconic travel stories of all time. It’s inspired books, been featured on the big screen, and now, is undergoing a revamp in time for the Paris Olympic Games. Taking a contemporary vision of luxury, the unveiling in 2024 will invite guests to relive the legendary original Orient Express cars dating from the 1920s-1930s. I’m obsessed with this story – where do I sign up?!
  • Closer connections between hotels and guests is on the way. It’s fair to say that most hotels aim to give guests a pleasant and enjoyable stay. One key part of that is having strong connections between guests and hotel teams. Purposeful touch points, accessible guidance and help, and the ability to communicate easily across channels are some of the fundamentals that make it happen. Aiming to remove friction in the guest journey and at the same time give hoteliers one single platform to manage all points of contact and connection, Cloudbeds has acquired Whistle and will integrate the messaging software into its management platform. It’s a move that will unify communications and create better experiences – and perhaps a deal we can expect to see replicated elsewhere.
  • Take holidays and reduce carbon footprint. Launched in 2021, GreenGo has just picked up €1.2 million for its platform that promotes sustainable vacations. The platform requires accommodation providers to sign the GreenGo charter – which includes things like developing eco-friendly energy, transparent and water management as well as sustainable food and water arrangements and low-foot[front heating options. It means that hosts are held accountable to being sustainable with their travel offering and guests can have more peace of mind over the impact of their getaway and essentially, go green.

What Awaits Attractions

Attractions and parks keep reinventing themselves to continue to be relevant and attract returning visitors. Using advances in data and technology, parks and attractions can ensure they are answering consumers’ high demands, needs and wants. In this report we unfold the key trends shaping the industry further. 

Sign up below to receive your free copy of the “What Awaits Attractions” report directly on your inbox.

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⚡ FutureTravel Report: What Awaits Attractions 🎡

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We open this edition sharing a new report! <3 Together with IAAPA, we took a deep dive into the attractions industry, exploring 5 key trends that are shaping how travellers and guests are interacting with attractions and experiences. Unpacking these trends, we also reveal interesting insights into how businesses and operators can put them into action and future-proof their attractions. Spoiler alert: they are also hosting their annual IAAPA EXPO Europe in September! It was amazing to come up with this report and pull it all together – we hope you enjoy it 🙂

Download here

This week we kept our weekly news curation shorter, this way you can use the time to properly enjoy the content of the report above. In any case, here we go to the top news around travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • The talent shortage is making an impact. We all know it: across markets and around the world, a talent shortage and struggle to recruit is being felt. The travel and hospitality sector is not immune – amidst a 16 year high of global talent shortage, it’s been reported that 74% of restaurants and hotels are having a hard time when it comes to hiring. ManpowerGroup undertook a global study, surveying 40k employers to get an overview of the situation and unpack what can be done about it.
  • The search is on for sustainable traveltech innovators. The travel and tourism sector is remarkable. Not only has it bounced back from a global crisis that completely rewrote the rules of the game, but it is now paving the way forward in responding to sustainability challenges. UNWTO is calling on young travel tech innovators to join their Awake Tourism Challenge – seeking to find startups and entrepreneurs working to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The application phase is still open and has incredible benefits for those brave enough to take up the challenge. Enter by June 30th!
  • Hybrid flying is soon to be a reality. The aviation industry is under mounting pressure to do something about its carbon footprint, and now, what some not so long ago may have called a pipedream, hybrid planes are soon to be a reality. Spanish airline, Air Nostrum, has just ordered 10 Airlander 10 aircraft, with delivery scheduled for 2026. Made by UK-based Hybrid Air Vehicles, the airships could cut emissions by 90% and are soon to be taken to the sky. Perfect for short range flights, like Liverpool to Belfast or Oslo to Stockholm, the planes might be a little slower but they’ll be more comfortable and sustainable and they don’t even need a runway. Yep – the future is here.
  • Through the turbulence and out the other side.This summer, one thing is definitely standing out – travel is back, and it’s back with a bang. Omio, which saw 98% of its revenues evaporate overnight back in Spring 2020 has just raised $80 million and is reporting revenues to more than double that of pre-pandemic levels. It shows just how resilient the travel industry is, and how these companies that took the time to keep building and innovating during these rocky years are now reaping the benefits.
  • Hop on the mystery tour. Not every traveller loves organising their trips. From deciding where to go, to what to do, how to get there and so on and so forth, there are a lot of decisions to make. Problem solved: UK-based startup Journee has just picked up €2 million for its end-to-end travel platform that takes care of it all. All travellers have to do is answer some simple questions and the tech does the rest, matching the travel to the destination.

Your next museum guide might be a robot 👾

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

Here is your weekly curation of the top news around travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • Navigating mazes at the airport. Being in the airport doesn’t need to be a stressful experience for travellers, but too often it can be. From managing their bags, dealing with language barriers to travelling with the whole family, there can be a lot to organise and take care of. Making it simple with an airport-assistance platform that enables travellers to book a dedicated airport helper, SkySquad has raised $1 million in seed funding.
  • Sustainable travel education for professionals. As the result of a partnership between WeTravel and Tourism Cares’, all travel professionals can now access a free education course focused on sustainable tourism. The 10-modules course is offered as part of WeTravel Academy and provides easy-to-follow and concrete steps to help businesses implement sustainable practices in their travel business. The course is widely available for travel professionals eager to be part of the change in the industry, letting them go “from zero to hero” in just 60min of class. Exciting!
  • Keep your audio to yourself. Bringing together unique acoustic innovation with the aim to enhance passenger experiences, Safran has just announced a new seat that is fitted with a headset-free and high-quality individual sound experience. The seat allows passengers to enjoy high-quality sound, no matter what position they find themselves in, and can do so without their audio affecting neighbouring passengers.
  • Booking ground transportation is getting overhauled. You book the flights, the hotels, even the attractions and activities. But when you land in your destination of choice – how are you getting from A to B? Navigating ground transportation in different countries around the world can be daunting and anxiety-inducing. This week, though, there’s been a lot of action in this sector. In Europe, Berlin-based Distribusion raised €30 million for its platform connecting transport providers and travel brands to make booking easier for travellers. Meanwhile, Israeli company Bookaway has geared itself up for further expansion having now raised $70 million and made an exciting new acquisition.
  • Robots are the new museum guide. While museums might normally be associated with places documenting history, culture, and the makings of humanity and society – they often lead the adoption of tech and digital innovations to enhance visitor experience. LG has just introduced the LG CLOi GuideBot, designed to revolutionise the customer experience virtually in museums, convention centres, movie theatres, hotels and the like. It can be used to support security staff, advise visitors on offers, updates and general information and generally bring a flair of the future to guest experience.
  • Aprés-pandemic and after more luxury. As we enter into the first summer that is relatively restriction-free since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, it’s been found that travellers have set the bar higher when it comes to what they expect in their holiday let. According to Breezaway, travellers now put cleanliness and safety as key priorities, with expectations rising steeply.
  • Dynamic pricing in the attractions industry. For the travel and attractions industry, dynamic pricing is a match made in heaven. It allows providers to manage pricing on a sliding scale, making the most of peak times and low-seasons. Reflecting a growing interest in the space, Swiss firm Smeetz has just raised $4.1 million for its data-driven intelligence tailored to museums, amusement parks, music venues and theatres. The company recently expanded to the UK and France and now wants to go stateside.

Hotels, data and influencers ✨

→ Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly curation of the top travel news, straight to your inbox.

Here is your weekly curation of the top news around travel innovation, trends and startups:

  • Short-term rentals just got a facelift. Aiming to help more people join the booming short-term rental space, Showplace has just landed $2 million for its smart hosting platform. The company is making it easier for new hosts to set up their listing and start leasing with the likes of Airbnb and Verb by pulling together in one place all the design Inso and household products a host could need. Now, short term rentals can be beautiful, fully stocked, and ready to go quicker than ever before.
  • More data insights bring more travel perks. US company Journera is using data from the whole travel journey – from take off to landing – to open up new possibilities for both travelers and travel companies. The idea is that using tech can unlock insights into travel habits and preferences to enable travel companies to offer more to adventure-seekers. The company just picked up more $10 million.
  • Searching for insta-ready travel plans. Here is a specific funding round from a startup that called our attention this week. The Chicago-based startup Tripscout raised $14 million to grow their hotel booking platform through Instagram. Having a business fully centred around one of the top social platforms, made Skift to raise a bigger question: Is Instagram the new Google for travel?
  • Hunting for innovative traveltech founders. The UNWTO is calling young founders and travel entrepreneurs to join their Awake Tourism Challenge. The message is clear: tourism is waking up from a big hit, but the industry has been showing its potential as a major force of recovery. The organization is looking for innovative traveltech founders across different categories working to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. The application phase is open until June 30th and the benefits are very attractive for projects and companies that are just starting up.
  • Pics or it didn’t happen. In the age of constant social sharing and content consumption, documenting trips and travel experiences with photos and videos is second nature. But the pressure of capturing the moment can be a tough burden to bear, and how do you make sure the whole adventure is documented? Well, memory marketing platform Fotaflo has now partnered with Peek, a leading experiences booking software and marketplace. Tour guides using Peek will be able to capture the travelers experience using Fotaflo which then automatically delivers personal albums to the traveller – ready to upload to insta.
  • More exclusive and personal hotels – it’s thanks to data. The more you know a person, the more you know how to make them happy. With this logic, data is now increasingly being used by the hospitality sector to get to know their clients, in turn, helping them to improve guest services and raise revenues. Israeli company Duve has just announced a $10 million funding round for its tech that helps hoteliers enrich guest experiences through comprehensive data collection, tailoring experiences built on their needs. And well, the guests are ready for their five-star experience!
  • Local off-the-beaten-track tourism is supporting communities across Europe. Travel experiences that are more personal, more local, and are more community-focused continue to be popular as tourism strives to become more sustainable. UK-based Rabbie has just picked up £7 million on their mission to share hidden gems and secret spots with travelers prepared to get away from the regular tourist traps. The company has expanded to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland and commits to support local communities through travel.
  • Love-hate relationship: influencers and hotels. Influencers are a powerful marketing channel for hotels and now that travel is back, they are ready to get their job done. The future seems to be very promising for content creators, with the industry on course to grow to approximately $16.4 billion just this year alone. But it’s still challenging for some hotels to set this relationships right. Who are your favourite travel influencers, *|FNAME|*?

Workcations, boats and more ⛵

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This week we are jumping straight into our curation of the top news on innovation, trends and startups in the travel industry. Here we go.

  • Train or plane? Joining the exciting trend of rail and fly, German rail company Deutsche Bahn is due to integrate its services with Spanish airline Vueling. This means that airline passengers will be able to easily book trains at the same time – connecting transport and mobility to encourage more sustainable choices. Great to see partnerships like this moving forward!
  • Uber is upping the game. Moving around cities since 2009, Uber is now going full force in capturing the end-to-end travel journey. Already offering trains and car rentals, many new features are coming soon on its app, such as Uber Travel, Uber Explore, Uber Cash and even a party bus option. Taking an Uber on a night out now definitely has a double meaning…
  • Holiday frenzy’s financial hit. Hotels are getting booked up – fast and with a price. It’s now thought that European hotel prices, from Ireland to Spain, are now even higher than pre-pandemic levels. What else has been high? Costs.
  • Localization, crypto and corporate takeovers. Omri Morgenshtern has had quite the journey within the travel tech industry. The soon-to-be CEO of Agoda recently gave a fascinating interview revealing his takeaways from the experience, including how to survive a corporate takeover as a startup, how to keep innovating, and what’s next on the travel agenda.
  • Taking the brakes from travel. Global fintech provider Fly Now Pay Later is now teaming up with Portuguese carriers, SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines to offer passengers the chance to pay off their trip over 12 months. Safe to say that new innovations and options like ‘pay later’ and subscriptions are opening up travel experiences for a whole wider audience.
  • Aye Aye, Captain! While travel innovation is firmly on the agenda, more and more travelers are looking for new and interesting ways to spend their well-earned vacation. At the same time, Europe is growing an interesting marketplace economy. Combining the two, UK-based Borrow A Boat is making renting a boat as easy as renting a car. The company just raised over £1 million in just 24 hours!
  • Business travel is sky high. American Express Global Business Travel has just reported that transactions have recovered to 72% of 2019 levels – it’s a fact: in-person is the preferred option and businesses are getting back to the sky. And they just started trading as a public company in the NYSE – bravo!
  • Carbon neutral travel is a new reality. Air travel has long had a bad rep for its carbon footprint and many providers have been looking for ways to be more sustainable. Swiss is now giving passengers a simple way to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by their travel while they book. It not only makes travel more sustainable but it also gives travelers more agency over environmental impact.
  • Workcations push more expansions. With the steadily growing trend of people traveling for extended periods of time – likely driven by the workcation phenomena, UK-based Situ has just announced further expansion into APAC.