Innovation - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 31

1 min

Trybe bags over £20M in Series A investment…

💻 Trybe announced a £23.3 million ($30 million USD) Series A investment from Five Elms Capital. The funds will enable global expansion across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, and accelerate AI development in their spa and leisure management platform. Trybe, experiencing rapid growth, aims to modernize technology for operators, enhancing guest experiences and maximizing revenue. Co-founder Ricky Daniels and Five Elms partner Ryan Mandl emphasize Trybe's innovative solutions in a market limited by outdated systems.

2 min

A Propellic report outlines travel…

📈 Propellic's "AI Travel Megatrends 2025 and 2026 Playbook" reveals AI's impact on digital travel marketing. By 2025, non-click searches will hit nearly 60%, causing 15%-25% organic traffic drops. Over 55% of travel keywords now prompt a Google AI Overview, with 56% of bookings done directly on owners' sites. AI prioritizes user experience, necessitating structured content for better AI summarization, emphasizing Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). By 2026, adaptable brands will thrive, says Propellic's CEO, Brennen Bliss.

Google lays the groundwork for agent-led checkout

💸 Jan 12, 2026, at the National Retail Federation conference, Google launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). UCP enables AI-driven transaction management, from discovery to checkout, directly within Google interfaces. Initial focus is on retail, with potential expansion to travel. Major payment players like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal support UCP. Businesses retain data control, while purchases use Google Wallet. UCP integrates with Google’s Agent Payments Protocol and the Model Context Protocol for travel, positioning Google at the forefront of AI commerce.

1 min

Universal Commerce Protocol – Shopify

🛒 ECP, derived from Checkout Kit, offers a seamless embedded checkout experience. It features crucial UI extensions, supporting bidirectional messaging, payment, address selection, and agent branding. This integration ensures a cohesive user interface, removing any disjointed feel from the checkout process.

1 min

Prove Agentic AI's Impact on Operations and Revenue | Alan Young posted on the topic | LinkedIn

💻 Faction emphasizes aligning teams and simplifying workflows before implementing AI. Unstructured workflows and unreliable data are issues AI amplifies, not solves. Companies deploying AI for speed find underlying inconsistencies exposed. Faction aligns teams around shared goals, simplifies workflows, and cleans data. A solid foundation allows AI to automate tasks, reduce cycle times, and ensure predictable performance. Success comes from preparation, not merely adding AI.

6 min

Why Travel AI needs a new UI

🗺️ Since mid-2024, travel AI faces challenges with chat-based UIs as users demand immersive experiences. Generic AI chatbots struggle with diverse travel needs, compelling users to visit over 240 pages for a booking decision. Structural issues include siloed data and misaligned business incentives. By 2025, AI enhanced operational efficiency in travel; however, the focus is shifting towards user experiences. 2026 is expected to prioritize immersive interfaces over smarter chatbots, adapting to traveler needs and enhancing engagement.

1 min

#traveltech #ai #productdesign #ux #futureoftravel | Mohit Soni

💻 Travel AI's evolution? Not just smarter models, but innovative User Interfaces. Current AI chat interfaces trap travelers in a "Scroll Trap," making decisions cumbersome by relying on memory for organizing flights and hotels. Travel decisions are emotional and visual, requiring a Dynamic UI for a holistic experience. A smarter LLM isn't the answer—it’s about enhancing user experience through design. 🌍 #TravelTech #AI #ProductDesign #UX #FutureOfTravel

1 min

ChatGPT's Commerce Strategy: Web Search vs. Intelligence | Juozas Kaziukėnas posted on the topic | LinkedIn

🛒 Commerce on ChatGPT: 53% of shopping-related prompts trigger web searches, unlike less than 10% for other tasks. ChatGPT relies on web searches to gather information and select products instead of using its AI model to directly answer commerce-related questions.

The Take by TRAVHOTECH – CES 2026 Day Three

🤖 NVIDIA's "Agentic World" showcased AI agents performing tasks like robotic testing and managing wind tunnels on Day Three at CES 2026. Surgical AI was demonstrated, offering real-time surgical guidance. Quantum computing by Helios, discussed by Dr. Alistair Milne, highlighted the practical use of atoms in processing data. Autonomous robot cars and holograms were featured, along with delivery robots in China. Meta's AI glasses were in high demand, and Samsung had concluded its participation. The event wrapped up with discussions on future tech implications.

5 min

2026: The Year AI Agents Check In For Us: What the Meta-Manus Acquisition Means for Travel and Hospitality Leaders

📈 Meta plans to acquire Manus AI for an estimated $2-3 billion. Manus, an execution layer AI, reportedly attracted 2 million people to a waitlist after its spring 2025 debut, reaching $100 million ARR within eight months. Meta aims to integrate Manus into platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, transforming AI from assistance to execution. A legal case between Amazon and Perplexity AI, initiated in November 2025, may influence AI agent commerce, with implications for the travel industry’s future.

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