Here's our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.
Sihot, smartphone wallets
Sihot, a hotel management system, has introduced digitized booking information, allowing guests to add hotel reservations to Apple or Google Wallets.
The system is meant to simplify check-ins by offering seamless integration with Sihot’s platforms, including SIHOT.PMS and Sihoh.Kiosk, enabling guests to access booking details via QR codes.
This development enhances operational efficiency while improving the guest experience by reducing check-in queues and eliminating the need to search for email confirmations.
Sihot’s CEO Carsten Wernet said the innovation provides instant access to reservation details, streamlining the guest journey from arrival to check-in.
Visit Group appoints new CEO
Visit Group, a hospitality software-as-a-service provider in Northern Europe, has appointed Richard Wiegmann as CEO.
Wiegmann, a veteran of travel technology with leadership experience at Amadeus, Sabre and Expedia, has been appointed to help drive the company’s next phase of growth and innovation.
Former CEO James Dixon will transition to chief operating officer. Wiegmann’s leadership is expected to enhance Visit Group’s global expansion and product offerings, positioning the company for future success.
HiJiffy, Expedia Group
HiJiffy, which provides artificial intelligence-powered communication for hotels, has partnered with Expedia Group to streamline the management of traveler messages.
The integration allows hoteliers to manage all Expedia Group communications directly through HiJiffy’s console.
With features like access to conversation history, real-time alerts and message attachments, hotel staff should be able to focus on delivering a personalized guest experience.
Tiago Araújo, HiJiffy’s co-founder and CEO said hotels would boost efficiency by centralizing guest interactions.
Tourism Tribe, Magpie
Tourism Tribe has partnered with Magpie to launch an AI-powered platform for Australian tourism operators, aimed at saving time and boosting visibility.
The platform automates the distribution of product content across major resellers like Google, Viator, GetYourGuide and Expedia, eliminating manual updates.
It also offers features like AI-driven content updates, seamless integration with Google Things to Do, review management and built-in Google Analytics tracking.
Already established in the United States and Europe, Magpie helps operators save time, improve rankings and increase direct bookings.
Civitatis names chief product officer
Civitatis has appointed Andres Spitzer, a former Amazon executive, as chief product officer to help drive growth.
Spitzer, who brings experience in product development to the role, is set to focus on enhancing scalability, expanding B2B and B2C growth and improving customer experiences.
Alberto Gutiérrez, CEO of Civitatis said Spitzer’s expertise in scaling complex sectors will strengthen Civitatis’ partnerships and global footprint.
Sercotel, Oracle
Sercotel, is leveraging Oracle's OPERA Cloud PMS and Oracle Simphony Cloud POS to support its international growth.
The Spain-based hotel chain, which has 77 properties, benefits from centralized management, standardized processes and better integration with existing systems.
Oracle Cloud enables unified guest profiles, personalized experiences and operational efficiency. The scalable infrastructure simplifies hotel tasks, improves room service and accelerates system implementation for new openings.
Oracle’s cloud technology will also help Sercotel to provide innovative, tech-driven guest experiences as it expands.
Riskline appoints new CEO
Travel risk intelligence company Riskline has appointed Suzanne Sangiovese as CEO.
With more than a decade at the company, most recently as director of travel and technology, Suzanne succeeds founder Kennet Nordlien, who transitions to executive chairman.
As CEO, Sangiovese will focus on driving Riskline’s strategic vision, enhancing financial performance and fostering innovation. She aims to strengthen strategic partnerships and expand the company’s presence in new markets.
Her appointment also highlights Riskline’s commitment to promoting gender diversity in travel tech, with women still underrepresented in leadership roles in the sector.
Seeru launches B2B travel marketplace
Seeru has launched its B2B travel marketplace, targeting corporate travel buyers, online travel agencies and businesses in emerging markets.
The technology, which was unveiled at Web Summit Qatar aims to simplifies access to global travel inventory via a single dashboard and API, securing partnerships in seven countries and driving rapid growth.
Seeru's CEO, Mansi said the platform will digitize offline markets, automate workflows and reduce costs. Seeru plans to expand its services, including hotel bookings, by the end of 2025.
Wheel the World accessible tourism
Wheel the World and TravelAbility have partnered with Lynn Osmond, former CEO of Choose Chicago, to promote accessible tourism across United States destinations.
The initiative aims to cater to the growing market of travelers with disabilities, enhancing visitor experiences while boosting local economies.
Osmond, who brings a wealth of tourism leadership experience, became passionate about accessible travel after her husband’s diagnosis of an aggressive form of Parkinson’s. She will focus on an end-to-end accessibility solution.
Curator Hotels, FreshAir Sensor
Curator Hotel & Resort Collection has partnered with indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring specialist FreshAir Sensor.
The partnership aims to enhance the guest experience and create new revenue opportunities through the introduction of FreshAir Certified rooms.
The initiative allows Curator hotels to improve IAQ, differentiate themselves in a competitive market and unlock ancillary revenue streams.
“We’re excited to offer our members cutting-edge air quality solutions,” said Brent Hayhurst, vice president of program development for Curator.
Nium, G2 Travel
Nium has partnered with G2 Travel to streamline global hotel payments through virtual cards.
The partnership allows G2 Travel to pay its hotel partners using Nium’s Visa and Mastercard-accepted virtual cards, available in more than 20 currencies.
The collaboration aims to improve payment speed, reduce fraud and enhance cash flow for hotels. G2 Travel plans to expand its global payment capabilities with additional currencies, further improving its group travel offerings. The virtual card solution should improve security, automate reconciliation and support bulk reservations for directly-contracted hotels.
Mesh Payments, Altour
Mesh Payments has partnered with Altour to streamline corporate travel and expense management for global enterprises.
The integration combines Altour's travel management services with Mesh’s automated travel and expense platform, enabling companies to book through preferred channels while maintaining centralized spend control.
The partnership aims to improve flexibility, operational efficiency and traveler experiences for organizations of all sizes.
Altour president Gabe Rizzi highlighted the benefits of combining travel management with expense automation.
Yanolja, Google Cloud
Yanolja has partnered with Google Cloud with a goal to improve its generative AI services, deliver more personalized travel experiences and improve operational efficiency for travel companies.
By integrating Google Cloud’s AI infrastructure with Yanolja’s travel data, the collaboration will help streamline processes such as automated check-in and AI-powered customer communications.
Yanolja chief technology officer Junyoung Lee said the company is committed to advancing AI technology for travelers, while Karan Bajwa, president of Google Cloud Asia-Pacific, highlighted the potential for innovation in the travel market. The partnership is part of Yanolja’s growth and global expansion strategy.
Retailaer appoints board advisor
Travel technology provider Retailaer has appointed Robert Bailey to its advisory board.
Bailey, with over 35 years of industry experience at companies like Galileo, SITA and Travelport, will provide strategic counsel on product development, market expansion and partnerships.
Retailaer aims to revolutionize customer interactions with airlines and reduce implementation risks for retailing capabilities.
Bob W expansion
Bob W has signed a long-term lease to transform a 4,500-square-meter Athens office building into 130 serviced apartments.
The property will offer tech-driven, sustainable hospitality in a city-center location. This marks Bob W’s third property in Athens and strengthens its European expansion, bringing its total units to over 5,000.
The project, which is backed by Blend Development and focuses on repurposing commercial spaces and reducing emissions by up to 75%, is expected to be completed by winter.
“Robert’s expertise will be instrumental as we expand our offerings,” said Anders Lofgren, CEO of Retailaer.
Editor’s note: This roundup was created with the help of ChatGPT.