Latest News

Latest News

Stay up to date with the latest travel technology news, startup updates, and industry developments from across the global travel ecosystem.

Flight Centre buys quarter of Argentinian online group Bibam for $7 million
News / Distribution
Flight Centre buys quarter of Argentinian online group Bibam for $7 million
By Kevin May | April 12, 2017
Flight Centre Travel Group is trying to flex its digital muscles once again - this time taking a 24% stake in Bibam, an Argentinian web travel brand. Bibam is the holding company above consumer-fac... Read More
Hotels and newspapers: still together after all these years
News / Technology
Hotels and newspapers: still together after all these years
By Michele McDonald | April 12, 2017
In 1927, the Hotel Statler in Boston became one of the first to offer complimentary newspapers to its guests. Since then, most other verticals in the luxury travel industry from hotels, to airlines... Read More
Zen Rooms attracts $4.1 million Series A
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Zen Rooms attracts $4.1 million Series A
By Martin Cowen | April 12, 2017
Budget hotels in southeast Asia continue to attract investor interest, with Zen Rooms the latest to secure funding in a $4.1m Series A round. The news has been widely reported, with Zen Rooms shari... Read More
Not just pre-trip - hotel uses drone to showcase resort once guests are in
News / Technology
Not just pre-trip - hotel uses drone to showcase resort once guests are in
By Kevin May | April 12, 2017
It's the kind of drone initiative that wouldn't work so well for a city hotel, or one without much going on around it - but not every hotel is in Mauritius. Accor's Sofitel brand in the country has... Read More
Rateboard brings in €500,000 in seed funding
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Rateboard brings in €500,000 in seed funding
By Linda Fox | April 12, 2017
Rateboard, a startup for revenue management technology, has raised €500,000 in seed funding. Austria-based Next Floor Venture Capital provided the funds to the company which has developed a cloud-b... Read More
VaycayHero back online following closure and then asset sale to RedAwning
News / Distribution
VaycayHero back online following closure and then asset sale to RedAwning
By Kevin May | April 11, 2017
Rental startup VaycayHero has "relaunched" after its recent sale to fellow rental network RedAwning. The reemergence of the brand as a standalone comes after the original site was suspended on 31 J... Read More
Startup Pitch: WorthyTravelers looks for an authentic niche
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Startup Pitch: WorthyTravelers looks for an authentic niche
By Martin Cowen | April 11, 2017
WorthyTravelers is not the only business looking to appeal to people who are interested in booking authentic experiences, which are recommended by experts, working with influencers to promote the site... Read More
Airbnb Trips - six months on, still in the treehouses, igloos and yurts phase
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Airbnb Trips - six months on, still in the treehouses, igloos and yurts phase
By Viewpoints | April 11, 2017
Last November, Airbnb announced to the world its next wave of innovation to the strains of Maroon 5 with a dash of Lady Gaga. Trips was to be the next layer in the customer travel experience after... Read More
TravelBird refines travel advisor interactions using artificial intelligence
News / Online
TravelBird refines travel advisor interactions using artificial intelligence
By Marisa Garcia | April 11, 2017
TravelBird has become the latest travel company to adopt artificial intelligence for customer service through a partnership with DigitalGenius. The new predictive customer care system, which will r... Read More
Travel-Ticker returns, then disappears again via sale to HotelPlanner
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Travel-Ticker returns, then disappears again via sale to HotelPlanner
By Kevin May | April 11, 2017
Just 12 months or so after coming back from a three-year hiatus, Travel-Ticker has been sold to HotelPlanner... and immediately closed once more. Since its return, Travel-Ticker has been based in U... Read More
Regulator finds two-thirds of travel websites are misleading consumers
News / Online
Regulator finds two-thirds of travel websites are misleading consumers
By Kevin May | April 10, 2017
Shock levels will be determined by your level of cynicism - but a probe of more than 350 travel websites has shown that 235 did not display reliable prices for flights and hotels. One of the most c... Read More
MetroResidences raises $2.8 million to expand corporate travel long-stays
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MetroResidences raises $2.8 million to expand corporate travel long-stays
By Kevin May | April 10, 2017
Japanese ecommerce brand Rakuten is backing fellow Asian web brand MetroResidences with a $2.8 million investment. The Singapore-based startup is the sister-brand of existing short-term rental serv... Read More
Does a transition to digital retailing make sense for an airline?
From Our Partners / Distribution
Does a transition to digital retailing make sense for an airline?
By Sponsored Content | April 10, 2017
We know that the existing digital relationship between airlines and their passengers is unstructured and needs rethinking. The transition to a new fit-for-purpose digital retail environment, based on... Read More
The impact of emerging technology on corporate travel
News / Technology
The impact of emerging technology on corporate travel
By Linda Fox | April 10, 2017
Egencia has been taking a look at how technology such as artificial intelligence will effect the corporate travel world in the near, medium and long-term. Alongside Phocuswright, the Expedia-owned... Read More
Startup Pitch: IQPlanner forges a well-trodden but still wide-open path
News / Online
Startup Pitch: IQPlanner forges a well-trodden but still wide-open path
By Kevin May | April 10, 2017
IQPlanner wants to put web-based trip planning back in vogue with its UEX-focused service going live in the last few weeks. The UK-based is one of the new breed of services that are starting to com... Read More
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