Automatic - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 196

Blended travel as a way of life

🖥 Blended travel, combining business and leisure, sees a rise from 53% in 2022 to 66% among US and UK travelers in 2025. Global YouGov survey shows 72% acknowledging its flexibility and enriched experiences. Crowne Plaza is adapting with new offerings. Benefits include remote work during travel (56%), growth and creativity (40% choosing new destinations), wellness (35% better routines and stress management) and cost-effective longer stays (70% value dual-purpose amenities).

Amazon Alexa+ expands into travel

📌 Amazon launched Alexa+ on Mar 5, 2025, aiming to improve travel planning with advanced AI and partnerships with Tripadvisor and Uber. The U.S. sees an early access period before wider release. Alexa+ is built on Amazon Bedrock's language models, offering conversational engagement and organization, but lacks direct booking like OpenAI’s Operator. Alexa+ can book Uber rides, assist with travel research, but may not replace the human touch in experience-based travel decisions. Its potential in travel distribution, backed by Amazon’s data, remains to be seen.

Shiji unveils comprehensive rebrand

🏠 Shiji, on Mar 5, 2025, announced a complete rebrand to unify its diverse products for the hospitality industry with 24/7 support. Embracing a "Day and Night" identity, the rebrand aims to simplify technology, enhance integration, and improve the guest experience by offering a clearer, more integrated product lineup, ensuring uninterrupted hotel operations, and a strong focus on innovation.

Mews secures $75M to expand in DACH and U.S.

💰 On March 5, 2025, Mews, an Amsterdam-based hospitality tech company, secured $75 million in funding after a $110 million round the previous year. Investment led by Tiger Global, with Kinnevik, Battery Ventures, and Goldman Sachs Alternatives. Targeting expansion in the DACH region and the U.S., Mews plans to enhance AI-driven revenue management and guest experience, and to pursue strategic acquisitions. The company experienced a 50% year-on-year growth, processed $10 billion in payments, and made $200 million in revenue. Mews has acquired Clarity and Quotelo in 2024 and 2023, respectively.

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2025 Business travel trends: The future of corporate journeys

💲 On Mar 4, 2025, Amadeus Cytric and Globetrender outline business travel transformation with AI-driven travel management automating bookings and adjustments, hybrid workspaces spurring meetings in motion, tailored airline bundles, Gen Z's influence on travel policies, facial recognition for airport efficiency, wellness-focused travel with sleep labs and cryo chambers, and a surge in regional travel amid global uncertainties. Full insights at Amadeus.

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Sabre Hospitality introduces SynXis Pay

💳 On Mar 4, 2025, Sabre Hospitality released SynXis Pay, offering over 250 payment methods like Apple Pay and PayPal, express checkout, and optimized payouts for hoteliers. Integrating multiple gateways, this solution, powered by CellPoint Digital, will be rolled out in phases to enhance booking experiences and address transaction inefficiencies.

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Social Media’s growing influence on travel planning and booking

🌍 On Mar 4, 2025, Skift Research identified social media as a primary source for travel inspiration and booking, especially among Gen Z and Millennials, with Instagram and YouTube leading the trend. A significant 57% of travelers trust and are comfortable booking high-priced travel activities via social media. While travelers aged 18-34 are most open to social media bookings, those 35-54 show mixed feelings, and the 55+ demographic remains cautious. Companies like Klook are adapting by integrating bookings on platforms such as TikTok.

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Accor’s bold reinvention: A luxury powerhouse on the rise

🏨 CEO Sébastien Bazin leads Accor's transformation, focusing on luxury and lifestyle hotels, with four major reorganizations in the past decade adopting an asset-light model. Accor expanded into ultra-luxury with Raffles and Orient Express and took a majority stake in Ennismore. Facing financing challenges in Europe and the U.S., Accor targets investments in the Middle East and Singapore. In the U.S., Accor aims for scalable growth through partnerships, maintaining a strong commitment to DEI, hiring over 100,000 employees annually, promoting internal career advancement.

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Switzerland’s luxury tourism boom: Profitable, but at what cost?

🏠 Switzerland focuses on luxury tourism, targeting affluent travelers from the US, Gulf States, China, and India. Luxury hotel stays, though only 8% of overnight stays, generate about 25% of Swiss tourism revenues. Concerns include affordability and local impact, with high-end tourism potentially altering the character of alpine resorts. Switzerland's strategy looks to balance economic benefits with sustainability, amid warnings of a "tipping point" for the authenticity of mountain resorts. Full story at BBC.

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The rise of credit card companies in travel

🏦 On Mar 4, 2025, Skift Research reported on banks and credit cards disrupting the travel industry by launching their own booking platforms, with Chase Travel's gross bookings rising from $8 billion in 2022 to $10 billion in 2023, aiming for $15 billion in 2024. Chase Travel has captured 7% of the $140 billion addressable spend on Chase cards in 2023 and targets 11% in 2024. OTAs like Expedia and Booking now fuel growth through B2B partnerships, even as they face increased competition from bank-led platforms, which are especially popular with Gen Z and Millennials.

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