Innovation

✈️ Global tech firm DerbySoft partners with AirAsia Group to implement its Global Data Network (GDN) for Flights. The decentralized, API-first network promotes direct connections among airlines, OTAs, and more, enhancing distribution control and access to traveler data. Amanda Woo, AirAsia’s Chief Commercial Officer, emphasizes future growth in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. DerbySoft’s GDN architecture fosters a continuously expanding, intelligent ecosystem, benefiting all participants and ensuring efficiency and profitability.

🏆 The 26th shortlist for the 34 Travolution Awards categories has been released, including the Mastercard B2B Payments Award. Five finalists excelled in innovation and market success. The awards ceremony will occur on Tuesday, December 2, at City Central, HAC, London. Last year's event drew over 450 attendees. Other awards, like Rising Star of the Year, remain unrevealed. Sponsors include Gail Kenny Executive Recruitment, Icelolly.com, TravelSupermarket, HolidayPirates Group, Slalom, Trip.com, and WEX.

📈 In revenue management, AI excels in operational tasks, raising the debate of in-house vs. outsourced strategic management. In-house teams align AI with hotel vision but are costly, while outsourcing offers expertise but risks cultural disconnect. For marketing, in-house teams ensure authenticity, while outsourcing provides specialist skills. Hotel Business Intelligence systems are essential for data management, with a unified commercial team structure recommended to maximize AI's potential, emphasizing collaboration and data ownership.

Independent Hotel Show, LONDON, 6th October 2025 – RMS, the leading hospitality platform for hotels, motels, serviced apartments and holiday parks, has launched the first phase of its integration with TRYBE, the cloud-based…

Berlin/London, October 6, 2025 –NUMA Group, the leading European operator of a fully digitised hospitality platform, today announced the launch of its new multi-brand strategy to accelerate its pan-European expansion.…

📱 RateGain, on 6th October 2025, launched SoHo: Social for Hospitality in Noida. It rebrands BCV to help hotels convert social media into a revenue channel. WTM research highlights that 62% of travelers rely on online content, and 72% are influenced by creators. SoHo unifies AI-powered content creation, publishing, and influencer marketing. RateGain works with 3,200+ customers in 100+ countries, including 26 of the Top 30 Hotel Chains, to boost revenue in a guest-led journey era.

🏨 Numa Group has launched Native by Numa to expand its premium offering in Europe. Targeting cities like Rome, Paris, and Vienna, it features a fully digital guest experience. With 10,000 units across 42 cities, Numa manages assets worth €2.5 billion, promising gross profit margins of 55-60% for partners. Native by Numa begins with 20 properties and 1,000 units in the UK, integrating AI to automate 90% of operations. This marks a pivotal phase in their pan-European expansion.

🎫 Custom Travel Solutions (CTS) partners with Tickitto to enhance its white-label travel subscription platforms with a ticketing and events solution. Clients can now access global inventory, real-time availability, and instant confirmation for concerts, sports, and cultural events, including sold-out shows like Taylor Swift and Broadway hits such as Hamilton. The service provides secure, verified tickets with exclusive pricing. CTS aims to enrich member engagement through diverse experiences beyond travel.

💳 Sabre, in partnership with Chargebacks911, launched a new chargeback service for the travel industry, streamlining dispute resolution via Sabre Direct Pay. The system automates dispute creation, aligns with issuer-specific requirements, and consolidates workflows. Chargebacks911 provides infrastructure and expertise. Recent Sabre partnerships include Trustly, TerraPay, CellPoint Digital, Revolut, Sunrate, WEX, and Jazz Tech for enhanced financial operations. This initiative aims to unify financial processes and improve revenue protection in the travel sector.

✈️ In October 2025, a survey of 149 corporate travel and procurement professionals by Business Travel Show America revealed that 29% of travel buyers find policy compliance a major challenge. To tackle this, 51% embed rules in booking tools, and 56% include travel policy education in onboarding. The event on October 15-16 at Javits Center, New York, will host over 100 exhibitors. Notably, 17% report progress to employees, and 24% value traveler preferences in policy-making.