Innovation

🍴 Global foodservice enters 2026 with innovation, sustainability, and digital/AI integration challenges. The 2025 Global Foodservice Outlook reveals 20% of businesses avoid sustainability, while digital tools are prevalent, AI lags. Surveying 1,207 businesses from April to July 2025, the report, led by Dr. Carlos Martin-Rios and Julneth Rogenhofer, covers diverse sectors globally. Sustainability scores average 3.3-3.5/5; AI below 3.15/5. Most firms lack AI integration plans, creating a two-speed landscape. Download the report for insights.

📈 In 2025, global hospitality saw significant shifts. Wealthy travelers made up nearly half of U.S. consumer spending, while AI-driven platforms transformed trip planning, with 18% of travelers using chatbots. The U.S. hotel market faced a 7% price drop in July, whereas Asia's market rebounded with a 21% surge in Japan's tourism spend. AI's rise reshaped booking dynamics, and automation tackled labor shortages, underscoring the need for strategic tech adoption.

📒 Since 2011, GCSTIMES, headquartered in five countries including China, US, and France, has provided sustainable solutions in over 140 countries. Their "Hello World" initiative introduces wooden fridge magnets as key cards, crafted from FSC-certified wood. This innovation aligns with ISO 14068 standards, enhancing guest experience while promoting sustainability. Supporting over 100,000 hospitality groups, GCSTIMES integrates technology with cultural preservation through products like GCS and AUROkeys.

🗺️ Multi-day online tours recorded £12.1 billion in revenue in 2024, with expected continued growth in 2025. Adalte, a B2B hub, highlights the closing of the digital breach as a key development, enabling the global distribution of over 5,000 tours online via standardised APIs. Adalte has partnered with 70 Destination Management Companies and 200 Tour Operators in the last 12 months. Despite technology readiness, many players have yet to embrace digital distribution, offering growth opportunities.

📈 AMSTERDAM, 2026: Mews' Hospitality Industry Outlook highlights AI's pivotal role in reshaping the hotel industry. With a focus on AI-ready systems, hotels must adapt or risk losing ground. AI aims to transform booking into a seamless conversation and automate tasks, changing staff roles. The report details five shifts, including enhanced guest relationships via direct channels and the evolution of staff roles. Key steps include assessing tech stacks, creating AI-ready content, piloting AI projects, and fostering team buy-in.

📈 Hotels in Europe faced a heavy reliance on OTAs, with 77% of online bookings in 2024 coming through these platforms. The solution lies in utilizing Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), enabling hotels to reduce OTA commissions, enhance personalization, and boost direct bookings. CDPs provide integrated guest data, turning anonymous visitors into known contacts and tailoring marketing efforts. This approach not only saves costs but also strengthens guest loyalty and improves revenue through better data-driven strategies.

🤖 AI offers transformational potential for hospitality, automating tasks like scheduling, and enhancing employee wellbeing. Yet, adoption lags due to outdated systems and leadership mindsets. A Singapore hotel improved staff communication using an AI chatbot, and Marriott's AI tools boosted employee retention. The industry’s conservative nature hinders innovation, with many hotels still using manual processes. Embracing AI could redefine guest experiences, as evident in other sectors. Leadership must shift from fear to curiosity to lead change.

🎁 87% of shoppers plan to spend the same or more during the 2025 holiday season, driven by higher prices rather than confidence. 66% have adopted generative AI recently; 46% will use AI tools for Black Friday. Heavy AI users report a 70% reduced need to contact customer service. In travel, 36% use airline AI, and nearly 60% are comfortable with AI-led planning. The survey, conducted in Aug-Sept 2025, polled 7,500 shoppers across ten countries.