Travel Weekly Group Ltd

💸 Bhutan, in partnership with Binance Pay and DK Bank, becomes the first country to introduce a national-level crypto payment system for tourism. Over 100 merchants across Bhutan, including remote areas, accept payments through Binance Pay, covering airline tickets, visas, accommodations, and more. The system offers low transaction fees with zero gas fees. Travellers can pay using over 100 cryptocurrencies like BNB, BTC, and USDC, enhancing a cashless, seamless, and secure travel experience.

📅 The Advantage Travel Partnership has formed a strategic alliance with corporate travel technology provider Atriis. This collaboration aims to enhance the Partnership's One Stop Business Hub capabilities, allowing TMCs and corporate clients to manage travel programs more effectively through a unified platform. Atriis' technology integrates with existing systems, supports sustainable travel choices, and aligns with environmental objectives. Stephen Baxendale and Omri Amsalem, CEO and co-founder of Atriis Technologies, underscore the partnership's focus on operational simplification, efficiency improvement, and future-ready solutions.

🏨 Travelgenix and global accommodation wholesaler Stuba announce a partnership, making Stuba a premium supplier on the Travelgenix platform. The integration offers users instant access to a global network of hotels, real-time availability, and rich content, aiming to help travel businesses scale effectively. Stuba joins over 1,000 airlines and suppliers already on the Travelgenix platform, enhancing choice for independent agents and growing tour operators. CEO Andy Speight emphasizes the leveling of the playing field for smaller players against big competitors. Michael Wiles of Stuba is excited about the collaboration, focusing on quality hotel content and reliable delivery for travel sellers.

🎵 Over 90% of children plan to watch Eurovision this year, with 66% of adults saying it influences youth to learn about cultures and visit new places. Spain, Italy, and Switzerland are top 'adopted' countries for British kids. 60% learned about European geography through Eurovision, 55% want to visit countries featured, and 43% are motivated to learn new languages. Italy (36%), Spain (27%), and Switzerland (26%) are most desired travel destinations. Google searches for ‘Bara bada bastu’ soared after KAJ's 2025 song debut. 70% of children became Eurovision fans following UK's Sam Ryder 2022 performance. easyJet, as the Official Airline and largest in Basel, will fly over 47,000 visitors to Eurovision's semi-finals and Grand Final on May 13, 15, and 17, increasing seat capacity by 6,000 from last year.

🌍 Sojern reports steady travel demand matching 2024 levels, with a trend towards cooler climates and local getaways. European travelers are shifting towards cooler destinations, with intra-European flights to the UK up 12% and London bookings at 75%. Notable events like Coldplay’s tour and Glastonbury boost UK travel. Flight bookings show increases to Estonia (+32%), Iceland (+17%), Norway (+11%), Portugal (+7%), Spain (+3%), and France (+1%), with Portugal also experiencing a 13% rise in hotel searches. Paris maintains popularity post-Olympics, while Italy's Jubilee Year sees Rome leading. Switzerland's international flights increase by 2% YoY, potentially boosted by UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. UAE sees a 4% rise in flight bookings and a 20% increase in hotel bookings. Southeast Asia reports a 5% YoY flight booking increase for Singapore and a 2% rise for Thailand. East Asian outbound travel favors regional destinations. Australia's travel demand grows by 10%, with significant rises in visitors from New Zealand (+14.6%), China (+12.4%), and the US (+9%).

✈ Sabre activated Air France and KLM's NDC content in its travel marketplace, offering Sabre-connected travel agencies access through various tools like Sabre Red 360 and Launchpad™. Sabre now provides more NDC content from airlines than any other global distribution system. Air France-KLM EVP Angus Clarke highlighted the benefits, including improved fares, promotions, extra options, and innovative offers such as Seat and Extra SAF Bundles. Sabre EVP Roshan Mendis emphasized the shift to a flexible distribution environment and the vision for a marketplace with personalized offers at scale.

📍 ATPCO has partnered with 3D SeatMapVR by Renacen for an immersive aircraft shopping experience. Users can virtually tour aircraft interiors during the booking process for insights into seat features and layout. This service, part of Routehappy Visuals, is available to Routehappy airline subscribers also subscribed to Renacen. AmTrav, part of TravelPerk Group, is the first to integrate this content, showcasing Virtual Tours for Gulf Air, Iberia, and Iberia Express, with more airlines to be added. This initiative aims to boost traveller confidence and ancillary revenue opportunities.