Innovation

🗺 The Osaka Group's new platform, Osaka Connect Dot Com, launched to unify the travel ecosystem, offers 24 products in one place including flights, hotels, and visas. Available in over 120 countries, it features AI-driven automation for real-time integration and multi-currency support. With dynamic pricing and tailored markups, it aims to revolutionize travel management for B2B and B2E markets, providing a smarter, connected experience akin to Amazon in the travel industry.

📅 Mindtrip, an AI-powered tool from San Francisco, launched B2B products to help hotels personalize guest experiences. The platform provides tailored recommendations for local attractions, dining, and activities, enhancing guest engagement pre-stay. Hotels use Mindtrip’s code snippets and templates for integration, offering a seamless experience. Magic Links and geo boundaries connect guests with trusted local partners. The Landsby praises its intuitive setup, launched in weeks, enhancing customer service and marketing expansion.

Author: Hrishikesh Bapat, Senior Product Manager @LodgIQ From pricing specialists to profit leaders, here’s what the next generation of revenue managers must master. The Changing Face of Leadership Have you…

🏆 Springboard Awards for Excellence 2026 🎉 When? 30 April 2026. Where? Park Plaza London Riverbank. Who? Hosted by Park Plaza, sponsored by industry leaders like Nestlé, HIT Training, and Sybron. What? Celebrates excellence in hospitality with categories like the new Hospitality Careers Champion Award. How? Free and easy nominations via the Springboard website by 9 January 2026. Why? To recognize and inspire talent, supporting Springboard’s mission to bolster hospitality careers. Goals: Close skills gaps and create one million new skills by 2030.

🛩 Emirates and OpenAI have formed a strategic partnership to integrate AI across the airline. They will deploy ChatGPT Enterprise and develop an AI centre of excellence. The collaboration focuses on enhancing AI capabilities, exploring use cases, and creating an AI champion network. Leadership sessions and technology team collaborations aim to optimize AI integration. Ali Serdar Yakut of Emirates and Rod Solaimani of OpenAI emphasize the transformative potential of AI in aviation and customer experience.

📈 14:00 – 15:00 GMT, online and free to attend. Learn how GEO marketing differs from SEO, its impact on hotel visibility, and AI optimization for bookings. Ideal for hotel owners, developers, and C-suite executives. Join over 7,000 professionals for interactive sessions with real-time Q&A. Hosted by BHN editor Eloise Hanson. Speaker details to be confirmed.

📈 Europe faces increasing tourism disruptions due to climate extremes like floods and heatwaves. The Horizon MYRIAD-EU project, notably supported by HOTREC, promotes a multi-risk resilience framework, aligning with the EU Green Deal. Key strategies include mapping interdependencies across sectors and adopting dynamic scenario-based modelling. Policy recommendations urge integrating MYRIAD-EU’s framework into tourism planning and enhancing public-private cooperation with incentives. A call to action emphasizes proactive, customized crisis management to safeguard tourism ecosystems.

💻 Global travel tech firm, Sabre, unveiled SabreMosaic Concierge IQ, an AI-driven chat solution aiding travel plans, bookings, and management. Featuring LLM AI, it offers personalized packages, loyalty integration, and seamless itinerary management. Virgin Australia is the first adopter. Concierge IQ enhances customer experiences through fast, accurate responses and real-time data analysis. According to Garry Wiseman, Sabre's Chief Product & Technology Officer, it revolutionizes travel retailing, increasing loyalty and conversions.

📈 The Data Appeal Company has launched a revolutionary management tool for Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), tourism boards, and travel authorities, addressing the challenge of processing vast tourism data. It integrates geo-referenced, behavioral, and sentiment indicators and is supported by hundreds of datasets. Unlike generic AI solutions, it delivers context-specific insights and actionable recommendations, enabling faster and smarter decisions. The tool simplifies operations by replacing multiple dashboards, empowering teams to focus on strategic decisions.