Travel Weekly Group Ltd

🏠 Tripism, a travel planning platform serving Fortune 500 companies, has introduced a new leisure platform for business travelers, offering exclusive promotions and corporate-negotiated rates for personal trips. The initiative aims to increase employee satisfaction and retention, positioning the corporate travel buyer as a strategic organizational contributor. Developed due to high demand from corporates seeking to enhance employee benefits, the platform also strengthens supplier relationships. Adam Kerr, the CEO of Tripism, announced a pilot with four clients, anticipating a wider release soon.

🖥 Net Affinity, a hotel tech provider, merged with Hotel Tech Group (HTG) following Connected Capital's investment in Smarthotel and Hoteliers.com in 2024. The partnership aims to create a growth-oriented technology group for hotels. Net Affinity offers a booking engine and direct business tools, while the HTG product portfolio includes booking, website solutions, PMS, OTA, GDS connectivity, and payment solutions. William Cotter of Net Affinity and Pitrik van der Lubbe of HTG highlighted the benefits for clients, including unified distribution, booking, and payment solutions, enhancing guest experiences. Pegasus Capital advised Net Affinity throughout the partnership process.

🏠 Custom Travel Solutions launched an AI-powered Booking Reconfirmation Tool to automate booking confirmations and reduce errors. The tool integrates with CMS via API, verifies reservations with a human-like voice, and provides real-time updates. It is aimed at improving accuracy and guest experience in the travel industry. CEO Mike Putman claims it revolutionizes efficiency and scalability. The service is currently available for client onboarding.

🏖 AI and technology are poised to transform the tourism and short-term rental (STR) industries by guiding guests to local businesses, reducing anti-social behavior with tools like Airbnb’s anti-party screening, enhancing policy decisions and data-driven diplomacy. AI can analyze tourist spending patterns and inform dynamic pricing models for tourist taxes. Collaboration and clear communication of data, such as economic impact and job creation, are essential for the STR sector to support communities and improve its reputation.

🏦 UK-based Travelogix has entered a multi-year agreement with TMC, Blue Cube Travel, member of The Advantage Travel Partnership, in 2025. The partnership involves the implementation of Travelogix’s Analytix platform, including DataValet and DataShare modules, to enhance Blue Cube Travel’s data management and reporting capabilities. Chris Lewis, CEO of Travelogix, and Kevin Trill, director at Blue Cube Travel, both emphasize the alignment in vision and innovation that this collaboration represents for the travel industry.

✈ The 32nd Arabian Travel Market (ATM), set for April 28-May 1, 2025, at Dubai World Trade Centre, will focus on 'Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity'. Key topics include sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which doubled in production to 1 million tonnes in 2024 and is expected to reach 2.1 million tonnes in 2025. Emirates and Etihad have cut CO2 emissions using SAF on various international routes. Industry revenues for 2025 are projected to surpass $1 trillion with traveler numbers hitting 5.2 billion, a 6.7% increase over 2024, while flights are anticipated to reach 40 million. Business travel is predicted to rise, with 40% of companies planning to increase travel and 42% expecting higher spending than in 2024. Gen Z and millennials are prioritizing airport entertainment, with 43% choosing destinations based on airport offerings. The 2024 ATM had 4.5% of exhibitors from the aviation sector, taking up 10% of the space, with growth anticipated in 2025.

📈 Travelport signed a long-term content agreement with China Eastern Airlines, integrating New Distribution Capability (NDC) content. This enables travel agents to manage NDC reservations, including cancellations and exchanges. The deal aims to scale NDC adoption and enhance content accessibility through Travelport's AI-driven Content Curation Layer and Content Optimiser in Travelport+. China Eastern's Vice President Fu Jian highlighted the commitment to top-tier content and customized customer experiences, while Travelport's goal is to be the industry's leading content aggregator, simplifying NDC content access and management.

🌍 Travelsoft launches Travelsoft Services, a white-label multi-consolidator for its 1,200 clients, expanding offerings across its platforms like Atcore and TravelgateX. Based in Palma de Mallorca, it's led by Celeste Mussetti as managing director. Services include access to hotels, flights, trains, and more, with XML connections to key suppliers. Manuel Aragonés, CEO of Travel Compositor, emphasizes innovation and client growth through this initiative.

💻 Mews, a hospitality cloud firm, acquired Clarity Hospitality Software Solutions, marking its 12th acquisition. Clarity, a New Zealand-based company, opened a UK office in 2016, servicing hotel groups and venues across APAC and the UK. Mews' technology is adopted by numerous hotels in these regions. Valued at over $1 billion, Mews has over 75,000 users and increased UK customers by 42% and APAC by 16%. Mews CEO Matt Welle intends to build a global network of connected hotels. Clarity's CEO Dougall Love emphasizes technology-driven productivity and guest experiences.