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Latest News

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

Cutting through the AI noise: Hospitality's next era
News / Technology
Cutting through the AI noise: Hospitality's next era
By Morgan Hines | June 22, 2026
Stakeholders from Aimbridge Hospitality, In2 Consulting, Wyndham and Another Star shared their thoughts on the AI era at HITEC 2026... Read More
Navan acquires Brazilian TMC Smartrips
News / Finance
Navan acquires Brazilian TMC Smartrips
By Cathy Walsh | June 18, 2026
The deal gives Navan a deeper presence in Brazil and advances its strategy of expanding internationally through regional travel management acquisitions.... Read More
Booking.com's James Waters on the human psyche, AI and shiny things
News / Online
Booking.com's James Waters on the human psyche, AI and shiny things
By Linda Fox | June 18, 2026
James Waters, chief business officer of Booking.com, spoke about the ways AI is impacting the travel industry and human behavior during an interview at Phocuswright Europe 2026.... Read More
PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Headlines from HITEC 2026
News / Technology
PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Headlines from HITEC 2026
By PhocusWire | June 18, 2026
All the people, partner and product news from HITEC 2026.... Read More
RealTime Reservation acquires STAY, targeting end-to-end guest experience
News / Finance
RealTime Reservation acquires STAY, targeting end-to-end guest experience
By Cathy Walsh | June 17, 2026
The deal brings together pre-arrival commerce and in-stay engagement capabilities as hotels look to drive ancillary revenue and deepen guest relationships.... Read More
Meet the winners of the 2026 Global Startup Pitch
News / Startups
Meet the winners of the 2026 Global Startup Pitch
By PhocusWire | June 17, 2026
The eight travel tech startups will travel to WiT Singapore this fall, where they will compete for audience-voted People's Choice honors and a chance to present at The Phocuswright Conference in November.... Read More
Bonafide, Visiting Media team up to improve hotel AI visibility
News / Technology
Bonafide, Visiting Media team up to improve hotel AI visibility
By Cathy Walsh | June 17, 2026
The companies said the partnership combines content management and AI optimization tools to help hotels improve how they are represented in generative AI platforms.... Read More
The new rules of travel discovery in the age of AI
Interview / Online
The new rules of travel discovery in the age of AI
By Cathy Walsh | June 17, 2026
During an interview at Phocuswright Europe, John Matson of Propellic and Carlo del Mistro of Stiplo explored how generative AI is reshaping travel discovery, brand visibility and competitive dynamics across the industry.... Read More
Besty AI closes $3.75M seed round
News / Finance
Besty AI closes $3.75M seed round
By Cathy Walsh | June 16, 2026
Besty AI is betting that automation can transform short-term rental operations, with plans to expand its platform and grow its enterprise customer base.... Read More
Germany sets a travel spending record—sustaining it won’t be simple
News / Online
Germany sets a travel spending record—sustaining it won’t be simple
By Phocuswright Research | June 16, 2026
Phocuswright's Germany Travel Market Essentials 2026 examines the market's growth, structural vulnerabilities, future outlook and more.... Read More
The hotel industry's real TikTok GO problem has nothing to do with TikTok
Opinion / Distribution
The hotel industry's real TikTok GO problem has nothing to do with TikTok
By Boštjan Koželj | June 16, 2026
Boštjan Koželj argues that hotels risk missing the next wave of AI-driven distribution because many still lack the machine-readable infrastructure needed to compete in emerging channels.... Read More
Tripadvisor to sell TheFork to American Express for $700M
News / Finance
Tripadvisor to sell TheFork to American Express for $700M
By Mitra Sorrells | June 15, 2026
The deal would expand American Express' dining footprint in Europe while allowing Tripadvisor to focus more heavily on its experiences business.... Read More
Startup Stage: Loook wants to be the storytelling layer for in-destination discovery
Interview / Startups
Startup Stage: Loook wants to be the storytelling layer for in-destination discovery
By Cathy Walsh | June 15, 2026
Loook is building a GPS-enabled storytelling platform that automatically delivers location-based stories to travelers as they move through destinations, helping tourism organizations extend engagement beyond traditional attractions.... Read More
Mayumi Nakamura Birt on reinvention, resilience and the art of the imperfect
News / Technology
Mayumi Nakamura Birt on reinvention, resilience and the art of the imperfect
By Yeoh Siew Hoon - WiT | June 15, 2026
Veltra’s chief transformation officer explains how AI is challenging Japan’s culture of perfection—and why women may be uniquely suited to thrive in the AI era.... Read More
Top investors in travel tech 2026
News / Startups
Top investors in travel tech 2026
By Linda Fox | June 15, 2026
PhocusWire has delved into who were the top investors in travel tech 2026 to uncover the startups getting funding and the sectors investors are passing on.... Read More