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

News / Technology

A glimpse at what Facebook Messenger and M might do for travel

By Linda Fox | November 5, 2015

Most people associate M with a Bond character but that might change when Facebook unleashes its own M. The social giant is currently Beta testing the concierge service in the US. Taking advantag... Read More

News / Distribution

Expedia acquires HomeAway for $3.9 billion

By Kevin May | November 4, 2015

So it wasn't the Priceline Group after all - Expedia has announced its intention to buy vacation rental brand HomeAway for $3.9 billion. It is the second biggest deal in travel tech in this decade,... Read More

News / Online

Tourism board brands itself on social media - tweets for tattoos

By Kevin May | November 4, 2015

Fair play to VisitRichmond, the small tourism authority for the state capital of Virginia, for taking an extremely unconventional route to getting exposure on social media. The city recently hosted... Read More

News

New TSA chief hopes new technology will smooth airport checkpoints

By Sean O'Neil | November 4, 2015

The new head of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) believes new technologies will eventually speed up and improve airport security checkpoints. Testifying yesterday before a congre... Read More

News / Distribution

Lufthansa touts Google as big-name partner, direct-connects starting elsewhere

By Kevin May | November 4, 2015

Lufthansa is forging ahead with its efforts to establish partnerships with intermediaries and other travel brands - with Google going live this week. The airline is currently embroiled in a bruisin... Read More

News / Technology

Why on earth are tours and activities not bigger online?

By Linda Fox | November 4, 2015

Something happens when you put a bunch of tour and activity guys in a room, not so fresh from a day at World Travel Market London. Initially they talk about the nitty gritty of what constitutes a t... Read More

News / Distribution

Airbnb campaign pays off, wins battle in its own backyard

By Kevin May | November 4, 2015

The city of San Francisco has voted against legislation that would have put the skids under the Airbnb model in its home city. Initial results from the Proposition F (as the proposed piece of of re... Read More

News / Distribution

Hotelbeds comes in with big APItude

By Linda Fox | November 4, 2015

Hotelbeds has developed a set of APIs to make it easier for partners such as online travel agents and tour operators to work with it. Branded APItude, the three APIs cover content, caching and book... Read More

News

RelayRides rebrands as Turo, lands $47M series C

By Sean O'Neil | November 3, 2015

RelayRides, a peer-to-peer car rental marketplace, is rebranding itself under the name Turo. The San Francisco startup says that it has closed its Series C investment round, led by old-line giant v... Read More

News / Distribution

Skyscanner to provide voice flight search for Amazon Echo

By Kevin May | November 3, 2015

Skyscanner is to be the first travel search provider to integrate with Amazon's Echo system, allowing people to find flights using just their voice. The technology works by connecting the Skyscanne... Read More

News / Distribution

David versus Goliath in action in online travel

By Kevin May | November 3, 2015

The tough reality of a startup entering a growing online travel market that was previously dominated by a major player is born out in India. Budget accommodation platform Oyo Rooms has made a name... Read More

News / Technology

Internet of Things and other digital projects driving tourists beyond London

By Linda Fox | November 2, 2015

Cities up and down the UK stand to benefit from increased tourism through digital initiatives according to a report. The WTM Trends Report 2015, carried out in association with Euromonitor Internat... Read More

News / Distribution

Airbnb, HomeAway, TripAdvisor, Booking, and Rented talk vacation rentals

By Nick Vivion | November 2, 2015

The mainstreaming of vacation rentals, regional consolidation, regulation and technology-driven operational efficiency were themes at the closing session of the annual Vacation Rental Managers Associa... Read More

News / Distribution

Travelport takes quarter distribution revenues from non-air, sees Lufthansa decline

By Kevin May | November 2, 2015

Travelport claims it is seeing shifts away from bookings for Lufthansa flights since the introduction of the carrier's surcharge. President and CEO Gordon Wilson says the larger switch in volumes h... Read More

News / Technology

Independent hotels: Can they loosen the OTA grip?

By Viewpoints | November 2, 2015

When we think of the lodging industry in the US, many of us think of chains – those big brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and Choice that drive distribution trends and website bookings. NB This is a... Read More

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