Travolution

💻 Accor's chief loyalty and ecommerce director, Mehdi Memici, discussed at WIT Middle East how AI drives unique experiences for loyalty members. Accor renewed its PSG partnership until 2030 and revamped its loyalty program with All Accor +, requiring member fees. In Asia Pacific, 40% of loyalty turnover comes from paid members, with an 80% usage rate. Memici emphasized AI's role in personalization while maintaining a human touch to ensure memorable experiences.

💸 Mize, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, has generated $596.2 million in incremental profit for 350+ travel companies by optimizing 7.1 million bookings worth $4.5 billion. Founded in 2016, Mize evolved from a hotel-focused platform to a multi-vertical travel technology provider. By 2022, it had 150 clients and expanded into China, East Asia, and the U.S. In 2025, Mize acquired RightRez and launched SmartRate. The company emphasizes AI-driven systems for revenue optimization in the travel industry.

🌐 Travelport, Cognizant, and Anthropic announced a partnership to accelerate AI adoption in travel retailing and distribution. A major release for Travelport's Trip Services is expected this year, aiming to automate bookings, exchanges, and embed disruption intelligence. Cognizant integrates Anthropic’s Claude model to enhance software development. Rich O’Connell of Anthropic highlights Claude’s role in modernizing travel infrastructure. This initiative underscores AI’s pivotal role in evolving travel technology.

🏕️ WeRoad has secured $58 million in Series C funding, led by Airbnb, raising its total to $100 million. Founded in 2017, the travel company plans a U.S. expansion in 2026, initially targeting Austin, Texas. WeMeet, launched in 2025, has hosted 50,000 participants across 2,000 events in 35 cities, with 150,000 app downloads last year. With 300,000 travelers over 1,000 itineraries, WeRoad addresses loneliness through shared experiences, supported by 4,000 coordinators globally. Airbnb takes a 10% stake and a board seat.

🤖 Nezasa's AI journey has progressed significantly since January 2024. By mid-2026, 80% of bugs are targeted to be automatically fixed, enhancing productivity. In summer 2024, Nezasa added an AI planner copilot and a natural language interface. They aim to launch an AI-first product line soon, transforming package and tour operations by automating complex tasks. Recent advances include integrating AI-generated coding and maintaining production-level software with tools like Claude Code, focusing on productivity gains, stability, and security.

🛫 Mews partners with Uber to streamline guest transport at hotels by integrating ride-hailing into Mews Payments. This collaboration, announced ahead of Mews' Unfold event in Amsterdam, allows hotel teams to book and bill Uber rides for guests directly. In a 2026 study, average guest transport spending is projected at $50. This initiative aims to reduce friction and create monetization opportunities for hotels. The integration pilot is set to launch this year.

🗺 Mize, an Israeli company, and Dida, a China-based platform, announced a partnership on AI-powered travel infrastructure. Mize’s predictive technology will enhance Dida’s booking processes, aiming for efficient global travel distribution. Founded in 2016, Mize supports over 300 clients globally from Tel Aviv. Dida, established in 2012 in Shenzhen, is a leading B2B player in China. Both emphasize AI as key to modern travel distribution, focusing on consistency and scalability.

💻 Shiji has partnered with Kismet to integrate hotels into AI-based search and booking platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, aiming to enhance hotel content accessibility and streamline bookings. Shiji's real-time ARI infrastructure supports this, while Kismet provides AI-ready connectivity. This collaboration is designed to help over 91,000 hotels generate direct revenue and reduce intermediary reliance by utilizing machine-readable formats. Natalie Kimball emphasizes the importance of adapting to the evolving distribution landscape.

🏠 IFTM's third annual Orchestra Start-up Village will take place from September 15–17, 2026, focusing on early-stage travel businesses. Located strategically at the show entrance, it offers a startup program with webinars, workshops, and pitch coaching. Start-ups will connect with industry leaders and the Travelsoft group. The event includes a contest judged by experts, with the winner receiving tailored support from Orchestra. The Village aims to strengthen ties between innovators and decision-makers.