Travel Weekly Group Ltd

🤖 2025, Boom introduces BAM, the first Business Agentic Manager targeting the Short-Term Rental industry, enhancing autonomy and efficiency. The innovation follows a $12.7 million funding round led by Avenue Growth Partners. BAM automates 75% of guest communications and completes 100% of review management autonomously. Report times drop from hours to under a minute. The shift to Business as a Software (BAaS) allows property managers to focus on growth and strategy, boosting satisfaction and retention.

🏢 84% of consumers prefer rewards over issuer reputation. 55% dine/drink pre-flight, 60% (71% Gen Z) want streamlined experiences. Wellness tourism is projected to grow from $637 billion (2022) to $1.35 trillion by 2028. 62% might switch cards if benefits are lost. Personalisation and partnerships are key for loyalty programs. AI enhances experiences, offering lounges, spas, and local discounts. Loyalty is evolving to include wellness and personalisation, aligning with broader lifestyle trends.

🛫 As of 2025, 60% of travelers use AI responses for travel planning on Google. Google’s AI Mode, launched earlier this year, enables dynamic searches like “family-friendly tours in Costa Rica.” Less than 10% of bookings via AI Mode go through traditional OTAs, versus 56% directly with hotels. AI recommendations score over 4.3 out of 5 in trust. Average query lengths have doubled, emphasizing conversational searches. Propellic advises adapting strategies for AI-driven travel planning.

💻 Focus Group has launched Hospitality Cyber, a modular cybersecurity framework for hotels, restaurants, and venues via its Focus on Hospitality division, supporting 200+ UK businesses. This service targets rising cyber threats like phishing and fake OTA campaigns, especially with digital check-ins and cloud PMS. The platform integrates 24/7 SOC, Cyber Essentials, and ZTNA to secure connections, ensuring compliance with GDPR and PCI DSS. Monthly vulnerability scans and advanced email protection enhance security measures.

📹 Expedia's "The Science of Wanderlust" study surveyed 7,000 travelers across seven markets, revealing key content preferences. Video influences travel decisions three times more than static images, with 71% favoring video. Authenticity builds trust, with 52% valuing transparency. Optimal video length is 2-9 seconds. 41% value AI content with human input. Generational divides show younger audiences prefer videos and influencers, while older groups favor brand messaging. Partnered destinations include GoTürkiye and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

🗺 AI-powered platform Sojern launched its first European Destinations Advisory Board for 2025. This inaugural meeting took place in Paris with notable members from across Europe, including Emma Gordon from Marketing Manchester and Eleni Mitraki from GNTO. The board focuses on audience measurement, sustainability, and AI-led personalization to bolster destination marketing. Sojern's initiative aims to drive Europe's tourism industry forward by collaborating with tourism leaders to develop innovative solutions for global growth.