Innovation

🔍 OpenAI sampled 1 million ChatGPT messages monthly from July 2024 to September 2026. Information-seeking rose from 17% to 20% globally and 16% to 23% in the UK, while writing fell from 34% to 21%. Personal use accounts for 65% of messages, work 21%, and study 14%. Users aged 18–24 dropped from 39% to 31% of messages. Ahrefs estimates ChatGPT’s search volume at 12% of Google’s, sending 190 times less website traffic.

🏨 Bergwelt Grindelwald, a 4-star superior resort in Switzerland, generated over CHF 500,000 in add-on requests after adopting Canary Technologies’ Dynamic Upsells in November 2024. Mobile check-in saved front-desk staff over 25 labor hours last month while reducing paper waste. Guest messaging nearly doubled restaurant reservations during an anniversary celebration. Canary’s guest management tools integrated with the hotel’s Protel system without service interruptions, streamlining operations and improving guest communication.

🏨 HSMAI Europe launched Weekly Conversations on 28 October 2026, exploring AI’s impact on hospitality across Europe. New video podcast episodes arrive every Wednesday on YouTube and Spotify, covering revenue, marketing, distribution, operations and guest experience. The first episode features TrustYou CEO Ben Jost and Maverix Managing Director Linda Nordheim discussing AI agents, hotel discovery and automation’s potential to free employees for personal service. HSMAI was founded in the United States in 1927.

🏨 Agoda, Booking Holdings’ Asia-focused travel agency, announced Wednesday that it is available through Meta’s personal AI agent, Muse, in Singapore and Japan. A connector links Agoda’s AI travel assistant to Muse, letting users discover destinations, book accommodation and manage itineraries. The announcement coincided with Muse’s Singapore launch, one month after Expedia joined its U.S. launch. Meta also lists Expedia as a hotel-booking partner and Duffel for flights.

🏨 Who? Ahmed Fasad, Commercial Director – Middle East & Africa, HSMAI and Blastness. When? Looking ahead to 2027. Where? Middle East. What? Focusing on integrated, agile commercial strategies using data for decision-making. How? Through simplified technology ecosystems and connected commercial teams. Why? To transform data into actionable insights and maintain competitiveness amid unpredictable demand patterns. Additional Info: AI optimizes hotel operations; direct bookings should be balanced with profitability. 9th Annual HSMAI MEA Commercial Strategy Conference: Nov 17-18, 2026, Dubai.