Innovation

🚀 The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, taking place from 28 April to 1 May, will focus on AI in travel, with a 104% rise in visitor registrations. Cassie Kozyrkov, ex-Google AI leader, and futurist John Duffield will speak on AI's impact and future. AI-related sessions include ethical considerations, aviation, and business travel. Travel tech exhibitors increased by 25%, signaling a $10.7 billion industry opportunity. ATM 2025 expects 55,000 attendees and 2,800 exhibitors from 161 destinations.

🚂 GCC Railway project to connect Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait by 2030. Kuwait signs US$8 million contract with Proyapi for 2,177-km railway design. Construction progresses in Oman, Saudi, and UAE. Network links ports, industrial sites, and tourism destinations: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Muscat, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah. GCC Grand Tours Visa launching in 2025. SAR tenders US$7 billion Saudi Landbridge with 1,500+ km of new track. Saudi's North Train Passenger Line is 1,250 km; East Line is 733 km. Dream of the Desert, a luxury train with 34 suites, debuts in Q3 2026. Etihad Rail developing UAE network; Dubai-Abu Dhabi in 30 mins at 350 km/h, passenger service date unannounced.

🏨 Eurostar unveils its new Service Centre at St Pancras International, featuring three seated desks for ticketing and support, plus five self-service ticket machines. Two desks are wheelchair accessible with hearing induction loops. The aim is to enhance the customer experience, following the recent completion of Eurostar’s Border Control Enhancement Works Programme. The Service Centre is open daily, except Christmas Day.

🏨 Eurostar unveils a new Service Centre at St Pancras International aimed at improving ticketing and customer support. The facility includes three seated desks, two of which are wheelchair-accessible, featuring hearing induction loops. Additionally, five self-service ticket machines are provided. These developments follow Eurostar's Border Control Enhancement Works Programme, enhancing passenger flow through border controls. The Service Centre operates daily, except on Christmas Day, signifying Eurostar's dedication to an enhanced customer experience.

💻 HBX Group, a B2B travel technology marketplace, is elevating the travel industry with advanced AI integration, optimizing hotel distribution and customer service. AI manages 20% of customer service at HBX, offering rapid response. Xabier Zabala, COO, emphasizes AI's role in improving efficiency and market adaptation. AI solutions handle booking, service, and partner management, including omnichannel service, content, anomaly prediction, and agent training. The AI anticipates customer needs, enhancing user experience and operations. HBX ensures data protection and complies with GDPR, continuously auditing AI models for bias and alignment with company values.

🏨 HBX Group is enhancing the travel industry with advanced AI, handling 20% of customer service contacts via AI, enabling real-time decision-making and faster responses. COO Xabier Zabala emphasizes AI's current impact, improving efficiency and personalization. Their AI-based solutions include omnichannel service, anomaly detection, and training for complex cases. They aim for predictive AI to anticipate needs, adhering to GDPR and other regulations with continuous AI performance monitoring to ensure responsible use.

💸 Golden Corral, with over 50 years of history, is expanding its buffet restaurants and increasing off-premise sales through a national rollout of the Qu’s unified commerce platform and Decision Logic suite on the AT&T retail network. The upgrade required an overnight transition, with HonorBuilt ensuring on-time, on-budget completion. The new "Cloud Corral" platform has reduced training time from several shifts to approximately 30 minutes and allows franchisees to adjust pricing. The full brand rollout was completed in 2024 within seven months.

💾 Golden Corral, a 50+ year-old buffet restaurant chain, rolled out the Qu's unified commerce platform/POS nationally, leveraging the AT&T retail network and Decision Logic suite. The technology shift, managed by HonorBuilt, included overnight hardware installations to minimize disruptions. The new system, "Cloud Corral," centralizes menu management and reduces training time from several shifts to about 30 minutes. The complete rollout, enhanced by HonorBuilt's end-to-end solution, was executed in seven months and completed in 2024.

📈 Golden Corral, with a history spanning over 50 years, has implemented an expansion strategy by enhancing its buffet restaurants, increasing off-premise sales, and improving digital ordering. They've rolled out the Qu’s unified commerce platform / POS, leveraging AT&T’s retail network for standardization. HonorBuilt played a crucial role in the tech upgrade, ensuring a smooth nationwide hardware installation in all locations. The new "Cloud Corral" system has notably reduced employee training time from several shifts to approximately 30 minutes. In 2024, the full brand transition to Qu’s platform was completed within seven months, with HonorBuilt overseeing the end-to-end deployment.

💰 Fora Travel, featured as a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup in 2023, secured $60 million in Series B and C funding on April 25, 2025, with investors Insight Partners, Thrive Capital, Forerunner Ventures, and Heartcore Capital. The startup, operating in 92 countries with over $1 billion in sales, empowers individuals to become travel agents, combining AI with human expertise to revolutionize the travel industry.