Innovation

🧮 TUI Musement research, conducted in June 2024 by Appinio with 1,200 adults in Germany, Spain, and the UK, found that only 22% of UK participants can easily distinguish AI-generated images, compared to 9% in Germany and Spain. Gen Z and Millennials (17%) claim to distinguish better than Gen X (11%) and Baby Boomers (6%), yet all groups struggled. 88% prefer a mix of professional and user-generated content for trust and purchasing influence, and TUI manages over 35 million images with AI, avoiding AI-generated destination images to maintain authenticity. CEO Peter Ulwahn emphasizes balancing innovation with transparency in AI deployment.

🎫 Christian Terrill joined Expian as strategic project manager to assist the company's growth, backed by recent project wins with P&O Ferries and Historic Royal Palaces. Expian, an experience-centric ticketing platform, is expanding its management team to accommodate increasing demand. Terrill, formerly with the Royal Ballet and Opera and LW Theatres, will focus on delivering ticketing technology solutions and supporting AI development. Expian's managing director, Yiannis Maglaras, emphasized Terrill's transformative project management experience as valuable for scaling operations and enhancing venue sales.

🏡 Mademoiselle Conciergerie, a luxury villa rental brand, doubled its portfolio value by leveraging eviivo's property management system, increasing annual revenues from €470,000 in 2023 to over €1.2 million in 2024 with nearly 2,000 annual reservations. Achieving 40% direct bookings, the brand manages 25 luxury villas across a 250 km region in Languedoc-Roussillon, France. Co-founders Laetitia Denux and Erwann Deverdun started the company in 2022, offering bespoke services and unique experiences at properties like Mas El Chaparo, Villa Halo, and Mas Sureda.

🏡 Mademoiselle Conciergerie, a luxury villa rental brand, doubled its portfolio value using eviivo's property management system. In 2024, revenues soared from €470,000 to over €1.2 million with nearly 2,000 reservations. Direct bookings rose to 40%, leveraging financial insights from eviivo's reports. The brand offers 25 luxury properties across Languedoc-Roussillon, France, and was founded in 2022 by Laetitia Denux and Erwann Deverdun. The company emphasizes bespoke experiences and high standards of service.

🚗 The 2024 QSR Drive-Thru Report indicates a 14-second reduction in service time from the previous year, but traditional drive-thrus still struggle, particularly with staffing shortages. QSRs are implementing technology, such as smart kiosks, AI-powered ordering, and integrated payment solutions, to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction. AI has shown to exceed human order accuracy, handling 90% of orders accurately compared to humans' 80-85%. These technological advances not only improve speed and accuracy but also assist with labor challenges and promote a better workplace environment.

🏨 A study at the Florida Governor's Conference found that under 10% of the hospitality audience had returned post-pandemic, with the remaining 300-400 being industry newcomers. Over 80% of hospitality workers in many hotels are new hires according to a Qualtrics survey of 1,500-plus stakeholders. Despite near-full staffing, quit rates are among the highest, with nearly three million leaving leisure and hospitality roles between January and April 2024, a 204% increase above the national average. Florida has hit a record high in quit rates recently, as reported by Newsweek. Meanwhile, the use of talent acquisition software in HR is at an all-time high, yet its effectiveness over the past 36 months is questioned due to low long-term retention rates. The article calls for a return to traditional staffing methods, emphasizing engagement, mentorship, and increased training investment to improve staff retention and overall industry success.

📱 Canary Technologies launched its AI Voice platform in San Francisco, California, providing AI-powered hotel assistants for traveler calls, bookings, and operations. The suite includes AI Front Desk Assistant, AI Concierge Assistant, AI Central Reservations Assistant, and AI Booking Agent. This innovation aims to offer instant support, streamline bookings, and improve guest experiences, particularly during peak demand when staff may be overwhelmed. Canary's solutions also free up hotel and call center staff, allowing for better hospitality service.