Innovation

💻 Josiah shares insights into leveraging technology in the hospitality industry, emphasizing the importance of AI and tech adoption to improve efficiency and financial outcomes. Actabl, his company, focuses on empowering hospitality workers through tech innovation. Josiah highlights the value of educating users and ensuring tech solutions drive profits, with gross operating profit being a key metric. He stresses the need for digitization and effective process implementation to fully harness AI's potential in hospitality.

After months of development, Mirai introduces Sarai, the new generation of AI agents designed to revolutionize guest service — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across multiple…

🏨 Efficient hotel distribution requires an integrated system, not just more OTAs. Key players include PMS, RMS, channel manager, and booking engine. Integration ensures real-time data, operational efficiency, and better guest trust. Missed revenue, manual errors, or inconsistent rates indicate weak technology links. STAAH provides tools for seamless integration, enabling accurate, trustworthy room distribution. Ensure your systems communicate effectively to boost revenue, save time, and enhance guest loyalty. Don’t let fragmented systems hold you back.

💸 September 2025, Chris Hemmeter, co-founder of Thayer Investment Partners, shared a refined investment strategy, "construct and convict," aimed at making smaller investments in early-stage travel startups. Thayer's fifth fund plans to support 40-50 companies. With 5% of entrepreneurs expecting growth under 10% in 2026 and 27% predicting over 100%, 37% of startups aim for acquisition by a travel company. AI advances drive "seed-strapping," fostering rapid scaling, reshaping travel startup success.

📹 Expedia's "The Science of Wanderlust" study surveyed 7,000 travelers across seven markets, revealing key content preferences. Video influences travel decisions three times more than static images, with 71% favoring video. Authenticity builds trust, with 52% valuing transparency. Optimal video length is 2-9 seconds. 41% value AI content with human input. Generational divides show younger audiences prefer videos and influencers, while older groups favor brand messaging. Partnered destinations include GoTürkiye and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

✈️ SITA, in partnership with easyJet, launched the SITA Agent App after a year of collaboration, tested at Gatwick and four other UK airports. The app allows ground crew to assist passengers anywhere in the terminal, freeing them from fixed desks. During trials, over 1,000 crew members issued 40,000 boarding passes and checked in over 30,000 passengers, boarding 5 million travelers. At Gatwick, 1.4 million passengers were boarded in eight months, streamlining operations and reducing infrastructure costs.

💻 Mews, a hospitality operating system, acquired US-based AI company DataChat. DataChat's expertise in natural language processing and data-driven automation will enhance Mews’ development of autonomous agents for hotel operations. These agents will optimize reservations, distribution, and guest experiences. Richard Valtr, Mews' founder, emphasized that the integration will unlock data for smarter operations. Viken Eldemir, CEO of DataChat, highlighted the transformational potential for intelligent personalization in hospitality, advancing Mews' AI roadmap for improved revenue and cost optimization.

💻 Kadam Jeet Jain appointed as CTO of the roomangel Foundation. Tasked with enhancing AI capabilities for their Hive platform, Jain's experience includes co-founding Treebo Hotels and scaling it to over 1,000 hotels in 120 cities. Roomangel's Hive analyzes billions of hotel rates daily, aiming to improve yield and reduce intermediary dependency. The platform aspires to be the AI engine for verified hotel data, transforming travel through real-time, authentic information.

💻 Focus Group has launched Hospitality Cyber, a modular cybersecurity framework for hotels, restaurants, and venues via its Focus on Hospitality division, supporting 200+ UK businesses. This service targets rising cyber threats like phishing and fake OTA campaigns, especially with digital check-ins and cloud PMS. The platform integrates 24/7 SOC, Cyber Essentials, and ZTNA to secure connections, ensuring compliance with GDPR and PCI DSS. Monthly vulnerability scans and advanced email protection enhance security measures.

🗺 AI-powered platform Sojern launched its first European Destinations Advisory Board for 2025. This inaugural meeting took place in Paris with notable members from across Europe, including Emma Gordon from Marketing Manchester and Eleni Mitraki from GNTO. The board focuses on audience measurement, sustainability, and AI-led personalization to bolster destination marketing. Sojern's initiative aims to drive Europe's tourism industry forward by collaborating with tourism leaders to develop innovative solutions for global growth.