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Ronan Daniel

124 posts

RateGain Unites Adara and Sojern to Form World's Largest Travel Intent Data Platform for Targeted Marketing

🗺 RateGain Travel Technologies announced in 2025 the merging of Adara and Sojern to form a single global entity under the Sojern brand. This consolidation, acquired for $250 million, aims to create the largest source of travel intent data worldwide. The unified platform enhances predictive traveler insights and marketing strategies, increasing efficiency and revenue for hotels. RateGain's AI-powered platform focuses on improving direct bookings and simplifying growth for travel brands through integrated data solutions.
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Navan Launches AI Assistant 'Navan Edge' for Personalized Corporate Travel Management in the U.S.

🛫 Navan, on 2 March in Palo Alto, launched Navan Edge, an AI assistant for business travelers. The tool personalizes bookings for hotels, flights, and restaurants, considering preferences and real-time constraints. It offers disruption management and can rebook or alert services as needed. Serving 10,000+ companies with data from millions of bookings, it promises executive assistant-like service. Initially available in the U.S., hotel booking is live, with flights and restaurants to follow.
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Boston Consulting Group Report Highlights AI-First Hotels' Potential for 15% Revenue Boost and Operational Efficiency Gains

💻 In 2024, AI-first hotels are revolutionizing hospitality, boosting visibility, revenue, and efficiency. Boston Consulting Group's report highlights AI-driven changes: 37% of travelers use LLMs for trip planning, while digital direct bookings reach $262 billion. AI optimizers enhance room revenue by over 15%. At The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, AI accelerates room cleaning by 20%, while Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo cuts food waste by 50%. Yet, fewer than 10% of professionals fully embrace AI, facing legacy system barriers.
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Shiji Expands Move Framework to Cover Entire Guest Journey with Unified Mobile Operations at ITB Berlin 2026

📱 Showcased at ITB Berlin on March 3, 2026, Shiji extends Move, their unified mobility framework, first launched in November 2025. Now covering the entire guest journey, it integrates PMS, POS, experiences, and payments into one device. This system eliminates fixed terminals, enhancing service fluidity. Kevin King, CEO of Shiji, emphasizes a guest-centered, mobile hospitality future. Wolfgang Emperger highlights its impact on staff efficiency and guest experience, promoting operational reliability and security through a cloud-native architecture.
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Travelsoft Pay Partners with Mastercard to Enhance Global Travel Payments, Processing Over €50 Billion Annually

💳 Travelsoft Pay, launched in 2025, partners with Mastercard to enhance global travel payments using the Mastercard Wholesale Program (MWP). Supporting over 400 customers and €50 billion in annual bookings across 90 countries, Travelsoft Pay's API-first platform automates and secures payments. CEO Christian Sabbagh highlights reliability and transparency, while Managing Director Mary Cotugno emphasizes automation and scalability. MWP simplifies virtual card use, aiding cash-flow and inter-company payments in the travel industry.
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Sabre Appoints Todd Arthur to Lead EMEA Agency Solutions, Integrating NDC Content with 42 Airlines in Marketplace Model

🌐 Sabre appointed Todd Arthur as Managing Director for EMEA Agency Solutions, focusing on distribution strategy across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In January, travel-tech firms like Lleego, Vibe Systems, TPConnects, and Ypsilon.net linked to the SabreMosaic Travel Marketplace. They integrated NDC content from 42 airlines into existing workflows, including British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Airways. Atriis has activated Air France–KLM, Air India, Aeromexico, and Etihad. The goal is consistent embedding of modern content and improved service quality.
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Shiji launches Booking Studio to simplify direct hotel bookings

📅 In Berlin, Shiji launched the Booking Studio, part of the Stellaris Digital portfolio. This direct booking engine integrates with Daylight PMS to offer real-time availability, pricing, and reservations without third-party delays. Hotels gain full control over the booking process, maintaining brand identity. Booking Studio simplifies complex booking scenarios and aims to enhance direct bookings, reducing reliance on intermediaries. Krisztina Budai from Shiji emphasizes its focus on operational confidence and brand-centric experiences.
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Volotea adopts Navitaire’s Stratos for AI-orchestrated retailing

🚀 Low-cost Spanish airline Volotea will adopt Navitaire Stratos, an AI-driven, cloud-native retailing platform by Amadeus. The move enhances personalised shopping, with a unified shopping cart and expanded self‑service options. Stratos simplifies partner airline connections and integrates with third-party services like car hire. This aims to boost revenue and improve agility in a competitive market. The platform's open architecture accelerates new capability introductions, ensuring Volotea stays ahead in dynamic, data‑driven commerce.
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Happyhotel raises €6.5 million to transform…

💸 Happyhotel, founded in 2019, raised €6.5 million in a Series A round led by Reimann Investors to automate hotel room sales using AI. Operating in 12 European countries, the German startup aims to alleviate recruitment challenges and rising costs by automating revenue management tasks. Following a €2 million seed round in 2023, the AI agent is set to enhance profitability and competitiveness for independent hotels and groups across Europe.
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AI and trip bookings: who will come out on…

🗺️ WeTravel's 2026 study examines AI's role in trip planning. Analyzing 1.3 million travelers and 400+ companies, it shows AI is central to trip personalization—56% of operators now require it. By 2026, 30% of advisors review AI-generated itineraries, and 23% incorporate AI-sourced recommendations. AI boosts efficiency; 42% say it accelerates research, and 28% cut itinerary costs. Yet, only 14% report increased bookings, with 8% seeing declines, highlighting AI's mixed impact on the travel sector.
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