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.

Amadeus acquires AirIT, targets North America with airport technology
News
Amadeus acquires AirIT, targets North America with airport technology
By Kevin May | April 23, 2015
Amadeus is looking to bolster its airport tech expertise with acquisition of AirIT, a division of ground service giant Fraport. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Orlando, Florida-based... Read More
The opportunity to improve margins in travel (but with no margin for error)
News / Technology
The opportunity to improve margins in travel (but with no margin for error)
By Viewpoints | April 23, 2015
The travel industry, like so many others in the internet age, is seeing margins on its core products being squeezed like never before. NB: This is an analysis by Bob Dufour, president at Fusion.... Read More
TripsByTips splits - community platform sold to Expedia, Mairdumont picks up B2B business
News / Distribution
TripsByTips splits - community platform sold to Expedia, Mairdumont picks up B2B business
By Kevin May | April 23, 2015
Eight years after its formation as a travel community, TripsByTips is moving to pastures new - in two ways. The Germany-based company, which started out life as a consumer-facing platform in 2007 a... Read More
Capturing consumer clusters and how they might shape travel
News / Technology
Capturing consumer clusters and how they might shape travel
By Linda Fox | April 22, 2015
Four have become six as Amadeus revisits its Traveller Tribes study, with the original published back in 2007. Things have definitely moved on and not only in technological advances but also in the... Read More
Baidu and the changing face of destination marketing
News / Distribution
Baidu and the changing face of destination marketing
By Viewpoints | April 22, 2015
Baidu is the most popular search engine in China and the fifth-largest website in the world, based on average daily visitors and page views. NB: This is an article by Aaron Stewart, a foreign corre... Read More
Indian Railways takes cue from THack, launches ticketless booking
News / Technology
Indian Railways takes cue from THack, launches ticketless booking
By Nick Vivion | April 22, 2015
In an effort to go completely paperless, the Indian Railways has created a mobile ticketing system for its unreserved seating. The app features a full workflow that allows mobile users to search for d... Read More
Startup pitch: GTRIIP brings biometrics to hotel check-in [UPDATED]
News / Technology
Startup pitch: GTRIIP brings biometrics to hotel check-in [UPDATED]
By Nick Vivion | April 22, 2015
UPDATE: The team from GTRIIP has decided to take a specific focus on hotels and has decided to make its primary headquarters in Silicon Valley so that it can be more ideally positioned for sales with... Read More
Hotel pricing mechanisms need a direct approach
News / Distribution
Hotel pricing mechanisms need a direct approach
By Pamela Whitby | April 22, 2015
Hoteliers have been telling us for years that the public needs to be better educated about what rates really stand for. NB: This is an analysis by Pamela Whitby, editor at EyeForTravel. That’s e... Read More
Planning and booking service Minube raises $1.6 million for Latin America push
News
Planning and booking service Minube raises $1.6 million for Latin America push
By Kevin May | April 22, 2015
European startup Minube has captured Euro 1.5 million ($1.6 million) in funding to spearhead its expansion across the Atlantic Ocean. Fundación José Manuel Entrecanales (FJME) led the round through... Read More
Ceetiz, the French activities startup, nabs Euro 3 million funding round
News
Ceetiz, the French activities startup, nabs Euro 3 million funding round
By Sean O'Neil | April 21, 2015
Ceetiz.com, a tours and activities booking website based in France, has said it closed its first fundraising of Euro 3 million last month. Participating investors included the BPI, Entrepreneur V... Read More
Could Twitter's new Buy Now button gain traction in travel for in-destination bookings?
News / Online
Could Twitter's new Buy Now button gain traction in travel for in-destination bookings?
By Nick Vivion | April 21, 2015
Along its journey to commercialization, Twitter has been experimenting with elements of e-commerce to turn tweets into transactions. The idea is that a business can push out a media-laden tweet wit... Read More
All in the mind? Artificial Intelligence in travel
News / Distribution
All in the mind? Artificial Intelligence in travel
By Viewpoints | April 21, 2015
Yes, the death of travel agents at the hands of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been greatly exaggerated yet again. NB: This is an analysis from Larry Smith, partner, Thematix. For those who kn... Read More
MakeMyTrip buys travel planning startup MyGola
News
MakeMyTrip buys travel planning startup MyGola
By Kevin May | April 21, 2015
Online travel agency giant MakeMyTrip has dipped into the coffers of its Innovation Fund to buy fellow Indian travel brand MyGola. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. MakeMyTrip says it has pu... Read More
Virtual reality, B2B data visualization, and interactive itineraries emerge at THack Seattle
News / Technology
Virtual reality, B2B data visualization, and interactive itineraries emerge at THack Seattle
By Nick Vivion | April 21, 2015
Seattle was the latest stop on the THack global travel hackathon train — and, despite the town's reputation for a consistent light drizzle, the weekend was picture perfect Puget Sound. As the sun s... Read More
No, Amazon isn't launching a travel site, but it did this instead
News / Distribution
No, Amazon isn't launching a travel site, but it did this instead
By Sean O'Neil | April 21, 2015
No, Amazon is not creating a travel brand to compete with the Expedias of this world, a spokesperson has said. But today its sub-brand Amazon Local has added some modest improvements to how it mar... Read More