Travel Booking

News / Online

Airbnb's Stephenson on expansion beyond the core and AI

By PhocusWire | March 12, 2024

Airbnb announced CFO Dave Stephenson would be taking up the newly created role of chief business officer to oversee its growth plans. Read More

News / Online

Airbnb banning indoor security cameras in all listings

By D.J. Catron | March 11, 2024

Airbnb had allowed security cameras in common areas, such as halls and living rooms, if they were disclosed on the listing page, clearly visible and were not in spaces like sleeping areas and bathrooms. Read More

News / Online

Point.me announces American Express partnership

By Morgan Hines | March 11, 2024

American Express card members will be able to use Point.me, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup for 2024, to search for reward flights. Read More

News / Technology

Amadeus acquires B2B payments specialist Voxel

By Linda Fox | March 11, 2024

Amadeus said the acquisition supports its vision for a "smooth travel payment experience" and will complement its payments business, Outpayce. Read More

News / Technology

AI Insights: Generative AI to drive personalization in hotels

By PhocusWire | March 11, 2024

Juanjo Rodriguez of the Hotels Network answers our questions on how the company is working with generative artificial intelligence. Read More

News / Online

From discovery page to destination: How travelers respond to what they see on social

By Phocuswright Research | March 11, 2024

According to Phocuswright, encouraging dispersal is a battle of pushing awareness and reducing barriers to finding equal-value alternatives that satisfy both sustainability and travel needs. Read More

News / Online

GetYourGuide is hiring a TikTok content creator: Here’s why

By Morgan Hines | March 11, 2024

Despite accelerating efforts to ban TikTok in the United States, GetYourGuide's job opening for a dedicated TikTok creator has received overwhelming interest. Read More

Interview / Startups

STARTUP STAGE: Wertu uses artificial intelligence to improve sports travel itineraries

By Morgan Hines | March 8, 2024

Wertu, founded in October 2023 in Tel Aviv, aims to help travelers plan their ideal sports-focused itinerary with personalized elements by using artificial intelligence. Read More

News / Distribution

Why the Olympics, Taylor Swift mean more to STRs than just a revenue boost

By D.J. Catron | March 7, 2024

As short-term rentals grapple with new regulations, major events and tourist preferences may help solidify their place in the travel industry. Read More

News / Technology

OpenAI wants to inspire European cities to use GenAI for tourism

By Mitra Sorrells | March 6, 2024

OpenAI is partnering with the city of Dublin to create an itinerary planner built on GPT-4 and to host a workshop in the fall for leaders of other tourism destinations across the EU. Read More

News / Online

Booking Holdings' Fogel calls for "smart regulations" in Europe

By Linda Fox | March 6, 2024

The company has had decisions from European lawmakers go against it in recent months, from its blocked acquisition of Etraveli to the threat of being tagged a digital gatekeeper under the looming... Read More

News / Online

Plusgrade gets investment from General Atlantic to fuel growth, M&A

By Mitra Sorrells | March 5, 2024

Founded in 2009, Plusgrade provides ancillary revenue solutions and loyalty expertise for travel suppliers, with more than 200 customers across a variety of sectors. Read More

News / Technology

Kayak launches image recognition tool to compare flight prices from a screenshot

By Derek Catron and Morgan Hines | March 5, 2024

Extensive training of ChatGPT’s AI model on Kayak’s database of billions of consumer travel queries helped produce the metasearch site’s new features. Read More

News / Startups

Life House reaches "amicable resolution" with departing founder and CEO Rami Zeidan

By Mitra Sorrells | March 4, 2024

Zeidan told PhocusWire he is “incredibly proud of what Life House has achieved ... and is looking forward to applying [his] learnings towards his next company.” Read More

News / Technology

Despegar debuts GenAI travel assistant for trip inspiration and booking

By Mitra Sorrells | March 4, 2024

Customers can use the "Sofia" tool through text or voice or by clicking on visual options and can return to chats even days later with the interaction saved in the system. Read More

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