Innovation

📊 With Google's generative AI search introduction, static search results evolved into dynamic threads, rendering old SEO practices like keyword stuffing ineffective for hotels. Content must now be relevant, human-like, and respond directly to real guest inquiries. FAQs should be strategically placed, and reviews must be actively managed to improve visibility in search results. Generative AI represents the future of search, necessitating quick adaptation by hotels to remain competitive.

🛈 The Hotels Network (THN) achieved SOC 2® Type I compliance, a significant information security standard developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). This certification highlights THN's commitment to data security, confidentiality, and integrity. Critical areas audited include data security policies, firewall configurations, and disaster recovery planning. Chief Innovation Officer, Jordi Miró Bruix, emphasizes the importance of customer trust and the company's dedication to safeguarding client information. THN's continuous improvement approach includes annual audits, ensuring long-term client data protection and contributing to THN's global expansion and scalability in the cybersecurity landscape. For further security information or the SOC 2 report, THN directs to its Trust Center.

📃 VFS Global's Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) service expands to Bulgaria, Iceland, Estonia, and Slovenia from the UK, offering convenient visa application and biometrics enrollment at preferred locations. The service is a response to increased demand for personalized services and aims to save time and money by processing multiple applications simultaneously without the need for in-person appointments. Anirudh Singh, COO of Europe and CIS at VFS Global, cites the rise in demand during the pandemic and the ongoing trend of travelers seeking comfort and convenience.

🏡 Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight) launched Smart Compset, a feature within Benchmark Insight, aimed at revolutionizing hotel revenue management. Utilizing AI and data analysis, Smart Compset offers anonymous, aggregated data on Average Daily Rate (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR). Tailored for hoteliers, it factors in base rate, class, location, and star rating to produce a dynamic competitive set. Developed with hotel partners, Smart Compset is available worldwide, providing a strategic asset for revenue growth.

🏗️ Travel tech startup Turneo closed a €2 million seed investment, led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Underline Ventures, to enhance its AI-driven platform and expand its global footprint. The investment aims to help hotels offer better in-destination activities, anticipating that $172 billion of the projected $463 billion market by 2030 will flow through hotels. Turneo's platform has already helped hotels secure 8% higher guest ratings and witnessed over two-thirds of activity bookings made online during the 2024 Europe summer season.

💳 Mobile payment platforms streamline hospitality processes with options like BNPL, which can cost up to 7% per transaction. Hotel chains IHG and Marriott offer branded apps supporting various payment methods including cards, PayPal, and BNPL services like Klarna and Afterpay. Enhanced security is crucial, with 3D Secure adding an extra layer of authentication for credit card transactions. AI is integrated for transaction monitoring, detecting fraudulent activity. Personalized offers are created using data analytics, promoting repeat business and brand loyalty. Fintech is seen as key to enhancing guest experiences.

🚫 Public Wi-Fi networks pose significant cybersecurity risks including Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, malware, and ransomware. To protect networks and users, measures such as separate networks for public users, Acceptable Use Policies (AUP), enterprise-grade authentication like 802.1X or WPA3, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), logging and monitoring, and protective DNS filtering are recommended. Encouraging the use of VPNs can also enhance security. The hospitality industry must balance the provision of high-performing Wi-Fi with the necessity of securing it against cyber threats.

📱 Kris Douglas, VP of Technology at Small Sliders, focuses on enhancing the brand's digital roadmap with high-quality cheeseburger sliders. Early this year, the brand launched an integrated digital ordering system, an updated app, and a Thanx-powered loyalty program. Since February, the loyalty program is trending towards 40,000 members, despite having only 16 locations. This digital strategy aims to build customer relationships and brand momentum.

🚙 Gaurav Tuli and Betsy Mulé reported that travel tech industry, once avoided by early stage investors due to dominance by giants like Sabre, Amadeus, and Oracle since the 1970s, is now attracting VC interest thanks to successes like Airbnb and Hopper. Investment trends show a decline from the 2022 peak but maintain an upward trajectory. Market challenges are driving the adoption of new tech, with 81% of hoteliers recognizing its importance. Hospitality technology budgets have reached 4.2% of revenue in 2024, with 37% dedicated to R&D. Hotels are undergoing a digital transformation, prioritizing Property Management Systems (PMS), Guest Experience platforms, and Commercial Operations tools to optimize profitability and guest services.

🌍 In June 2024, travel was the fifth largest industry by organic visibility on the web, highlighting the importance of SEO for generating bookings and attracting customers. Experienced travel SEOs face challenges, such as the industry's composition of various sectors, competition with Google's travel products, and dominance of SERP features. Targeting middle- to bottom-of-the-funnel keywords, like "harry potter walking tour for muggles in london", with a low Keyword Difficulty (KD) score of 6, is advised. This strategy can lead to rankings on top 10 searches even for sites with low Domain Ratings. Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer is used to identify and evaluate keywords with business potential, leveraging a formula considering search volume, click-through rate, conversion rate, and revenue per transaction.