Innovation

📶 B2B white-label eSIM provider Hubby eSIM partners with UK travel agent consortium Avantage Travel Partnership. Advantage members can now offer branded, affordable mobile internet globally. Hubby reports 1.6 impressions per user daily, 14 minutes in-app engagement, and a 35% click-through rate on promotions. The partnership aims to enhance customer experience, reduce support calls, and create upsell opportunities. Hubby offers multi-country plans, family sharing, 24/7 support, and home number retention.

🌎 Gen Z, often called "Zoomers," are revolutionizing travel with digital maps and solo adventures. Snapchat's Snap Map, with 400 million users, facilitates real-time cultural exploration. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z plans socially, utilizing AI for travel planning and digital maps for inspiration. AI aids in itinerary creation, while social maps offer insights into local hotspots. The travel industry can capitalize by integrating into these digital platforms, aiding discovery rather than promoting traditional tourism.

📈 Jan 16, 2026 - AI-driven Google Ads shift focus in hotel marketing from price-led messages to value messaging, prioritizing experience, quality, and trust. Clear communication now outweighs discounts, driving guest confidence and conversion. Hotels benefit from richer, informative websites, while human oversight guides AI tools. Automation improves safety, reducing brand risks in campaigns. Successful strategies emphasize relevance over price competition. Source: [WordStream](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/2026-google-ads-trends).

🚀 Google’s AI Commerce Protocol is shifting discovery and commerce towards AI-driven models, emphasizing messaging, pricing, and trust signals over traditional web pages. Lenny Rachitsky’s insights from 320 podcast episodes highlight specific strategies for travel tech, such as targeting narrow use cases and integrating community into products. Meanwhile, Google announced the Universal Commerce Protocol to standardize AI agent interactions with retailers. McKinsey has engaged a creator economy advisor, underscoring the growing importance of creators in strategic distribution.

📱 RMS and Salto have teamed up to integrate Salto's cloud-based access control with RMS’s hospitality platform, benefiting over 7,000 businesses globally. This initiative allows operators to issue digital mobile keys directly via the RMS reservation screen. Guests can use smartphones to access rooms, gyms, pools, and parking, enhancing security and convenience. Adam Seskis, RMS CEO, and Michael Cianfaglione from Salto Systems highlight improved guest experiences and operational efficiencies through this partnership.

💸 Marketplaces face challenges from LLMs like ChatGPT, which could disrupt customer acquisition and engagement, especially in sectors with fragmented, heterogeneous supply. Expedia and TripAdvisor may struggle, while DoorDash and Uber are less affected. Key factors include supply aggregation difficulty, marketplace management, transaction frequency, and purchase consideration. E-commerce giants like Amazon hold leverage against LLMs. To remain competitive, marketplaces should enhance AI search, manage supply, and avoid customer experience degradation. High market share offers leverage against LLMs.

💻 In 2026, AI-powered, staffless hotels may become a reality, as Ulrich Pillau, CEO of Apaleo, shares insights on Pillow Talk Sessions with Jessica Gillingham. Apaleo, based in Munich, is revolutionizing hospitality with open, API-first platforms, contrasting legacy brands with agile, digital-first players. Key focuses include AI integration, hybrid hospitality, and leadership mindset. To compete, legacy brands must adopt open systems and tech flexibility, especially in midscale and economy segments. The future thrives on interoperability and real-time guest responsiveness.

📝 Tokyo, Japan, January 15, 2026 — Shiji Japan launches Reviewpro Reputation, aiming to enhance guest experiences across hotels and restaurants. The tool supports over 80 review sites and 45 languages. Japan's 2025 Guest Experience Benchmark showed a GRI™ of 84.20%, improving by 0.7 points from the previous period, but below Asia's average of 89.60%. Globally, Reviewpro serves 60,000 hotels, aiding in transforming feedback into actionable insights. Shiji supports over 90,000 hotels worldwide.

📈 April 16 is the date of PERFORM, a global summit for hotel leaders. HotStats data reveals a 19% increase in Global RevPAR since 2019, but booking costs rose by 25%. Labor cost inflation contributes to low flow-through, challenging hoteliers to focus on profitability, not just revenue. The summit offers strategies from various industries and encourages team participation. Early bird registration ends January 31. PERFORM invites hotel owners, executives, and leaders to shape future profitability strategies.