Innovation

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Innovation and technology news for the hospitality industry: AI, digital tools and how hotels are transforming, from 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers.

Vibhu Gaind, RBH Hospitality's CIO, to Speak at Hotel Owner Conference in London on November 3, 2026.

💻 Vibhu Gaind, CIO of RBH Hospitality Management, will be a speaker at the Hotel Owner Conference on 3rd November 2026 in London. Gaind, with over 26 years in hospitality tech, leads RBH's IT strategy, ensuring modern tech integration. Since joining RBH in 2000, he has provided 24/7 hotel support and managed IT projects. He also serves on IHG’s European and Global IT Committees, influencing major hotel tech developments.
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  • 3 min

Shiji Unveils Scheduled Activities and Resource Commissions for Meridian Experiences, Enhancing Hotel Revenue Operations Globally

🏨 Berlin, Germany, June 23, 2026 – Shiji, a leader in hospitality tech, unveiled new features for Meridian Experiences. They introduced Scheduled Activities, allowing flexible group sessions, and Resource Commissions for automated staff incentives. These integrate within the Daylight PMS workflow, enhancing revenue operations. Key functionalities include session-based scheduling, comprehensive participant management, and commission tracking. Shiji supports over 91,000 hotels globally, with 5,000 employees providing critical hotel tech solutions worldwide.
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Interview with Stefano Cuoco: Miramis CEO Discusses Italian-Swedish Hospitality Fusion and Entertainment's Role in the Future

🏨 Hosted by Adam Mogelonsky, Hospitality Net’s Brand Insiders, this video series explores innovative hotel brands. Featuring Stefano Cuoco, CEO of Miramis Hospitality, the interview lasts one hour. Watch or listen on Hospitality Net to discover Cuoco's insights on blending Italian and Swedish influences in hospitality. The full video is available [here](https://www.hospitalitynet.org/podcast/4133088/stefano-cuoco-of-miramis-on-blending-italian-soul-with-swedish-precision-and-why-hospitalitys-future-is-entertainment).
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Independent and Small Properties Convert Less Than 2% of Website Visitors into Bookings, Reports HotelTechReport

🏨 Independent and small properties convert less than 2% of website visitors into bookings, meaning 98 out of every 100 visitors to a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) leave without booking a room. Indirect channels provide visibility, but choosing the right online booking engine can strengthen your direct channel and improve conversion rates. Improving direct bookings can significantly enhance profitability for B&Bs, highlighting the importance of selecting an effective booking engine solution.
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OAG CEO Filip Filipov Advocates for AI-Driven Travel Industry Focused on Trusted Intelligence Over Price-Driven Models

💻 Filip Filipov, CEO of OAG, spoke at the Phocuswire Europe event in Barcelona, emphasizing a shift from price-driven to AI-driven travel. The current system focuses on the cheapest options, but Filipov advocates for intelligent, connected itineraries. The future travel industry requires real-time data and trusted identity, enhancing consumer trust in AI. The goal is personalized, context-aware experiences, where success hinges on owning trusted intelligence, not merely the interface.
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Quick on the Net and HBX Group Expand Partnership to Enhance Localised, Multi-Currency Booking Across 170+ Countries

📈 Quick on the Net Limited and HBX Group, operational in over 170 countries with 3,500+ employees, have extended their 12-year collaboration. Their aim is to enhance booking experiences through localised, multi-currency interfaces. Quick on the Net focuses on adapting user journeys and content for various regions, while HBX Group provides technological reach. The partnership emphasizes seamless, multilingual services to improve conversion rates and simplify booking processes, leveraging Quick on the Net's MoneySaver network.
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Navan Launches All-in-One Corporate Events Platform in US, Expanding to UK and Europe This Week

📣 US: Navan Events is now available, launching in the UK and Europe this week. The tool centralizes meetings and corporate events management, including venue sourcing, hotel RFPs, attendee registration, travel management, and spend analytics. Navan aims to streamline processes, reduce manual tasks, and improve financial visibility. Galen Grady highlights its ability to unify event management for seamless planning. Following BoomPop's integration in February 2026, Navan Events targets both small and large events.
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  • 4 min

AI-Referred Visitors Spend 70% Longer on Travel Sites but Convert 28% Less Due to Verification Loop

📈 AI-referred visitors to travel sites in May 2026 spent 70% longer per visit but converted 28% less. From a Yext survey of 1,120 US adults in March 2026, 62% verified AI recommendations via Google. Trust in AI search recommendations fell from 82% to 54% in Q2 2026. The verification loop often directs travelers through OTAs like Booking.com. The conversion gap shrank from 86% to 28% since late 2024. AI visibility invites; verification closes.
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BCD Travel Implements AI-Driven Hotel Selection, Transforming Corporate Booking by Pre-Filtering Options for Travelers

📱 Jun 23, 2026: Travel management companies (TMCs) are automating hotel bookings using AI. BCD Travel introduced Model Context Protocol on its TripSource platform, filtering hotels by policy, traveler profile, and rate. American Express Global Business Travel and Spotnana also enhance agentic search. Hotels face challenges as AI requires clear, machine-readable data for selection, affecting visibility and compliance. Hotel spend accounts for 30% of corporate travel budgets with 82% routed through booking tools, shifting the competitive focus to AI compatibility.
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OpenAI's ChatGPT Ad Platform Sees $100 Million Revenue in Six Weeks, Opens to All Advertisers

💸 Jun 23, 2026, OpenAI launched ChatGPT's ad platform for all advertisers, reducing the entry point from $200,000 to self-serve access. Within six weeks, the platform hit $100 million in annualized revenue. A Floodlight study revealed 84% of ad slots were empty and often unrelated to queries. Hotels face two challenges: earning ChatGPT recommendations and securing ad slots, as achieving one doesn’t guarantee the other. Early entrants can secure slots cheaply due to low competition.
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