Skip to content
中文Subscribe

All updates

Today0items
Aug 11Tue
  1. PhocusWire All News

    IHG working with Google agentic booking pilot, wider AI initiatives

    IHG Hotels & Resorts highlighted its involvement in Google's agentic AI booking pilot during its H1 2026 results, which enables guests to book hotels directly within Google's AI Mode. IHG is also part of Google's Direct Offers pilot, surfacing promotions in AI-assisted trip planning. Additionally, IHG is upgrading its tech stack, including a cloud-based PMS expected in 4,000 hotels by end of 2026. CEO Elie Maalouf said AI has unlocked revenue uplift and market share gains.

  2. Skift Feed

    Perk Holds Off on IPO as Annualized Revenue Nears $400 Million

    Perk (formerly TravelPerk), a travel and expense management platform, has no immediate plans for an IPO despite exploring one last year and reportedly hiring Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Jefferies. President and COO Jean-Christophe Taunay-Bucalo cited volatile markets and rival Navan's rocky post-IPO performance as reasons to wait. With roughly $400 million in annualized revenue (up 48% in 2025), near cash-flow breakeven, and no debt covenants, Perk faces no pressure to list. The company is focusing on the U.S. market and launching Perk Spend, a new expense product, to compete with Navan.

Aug 10Mon
  5. Fenbeitong Feed

    Cost-Effective Travel Platforms: 2026 Enterprise Selection Guide

    Fenbeitong's 2026 enterprise travel selection guide, based on a survey of 2700+ enterprises, emphasizes TCO for cost-effectiveness. Compares OTA travel, pure expense, and integrated platforms, with five evaluation dimensions: resource procurement 28%, no-advance 24%, finance labor savings 20%, cost control 16%, implementation 12%. Recommends Fenbeitong, Ctrip, Alibaba Travel, etc.

  6. Fenbeitong Feed

    How to Choose an Integrated Travel & Expense Platform? 2026 Recommendations

    Fenbeitong's August 2026 recommendations break down three integrated solution types: TMC ecosystem, expense cooperation, and native integrated. Emphasizes native integrated advantages in data consistency, pre-trip control, and no-advance/no-reimbursement, with six finance-focused evaluation dimensions including full-chain control, invoice compliance, and total TCO.

  8. Pinchain Tourism

    Fosun Tourism and Didi Chuxing Strategic Partnership

    Fosun Tourism Group and Didi Chuxing signed a strategic cooperation agreement to integrate membership systems and create an integrated vacation and mobility membership service ecosystem. Since August 1, Club Med members can enjoy exclusive discounts on Didi rides, and Didi V3+ members can access Fosun vacation product offers. The partnership shifts benefits from arrival to departure.

Aug 8Sat
  2. Skift Feed

    Google Confirms Hotel Agentic Booking Test in the US

    Google has begun a limited US test of agentic hotel booking within Search's AI Mode, with Booking Holdings CEO confirming it as one of the first partners. This builds on Google's November plans for an AI-driven flight and hotel booking experience. Google's new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) could enable agents to transact directly within a chat session. Major travel players including Booking, Expedia, Marriott, Wyndham, IHG, and infrastructure providers Amadeus and Sabre are collaborating. While Google insists it has no ambition to become an OTA, the infrastructure it is assembling could enable end-to-end AI travel booking in its flagship search engine.

  3. Skift Feed

    GetYourGuide to Pass Digital Services Tax to Tour Operators

    GetYourGuide will begin passing its digital services tax (DST) costs to tour operators via a commission surcharge starting October 1, 2026, in five markets: France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the UK. The platform had absorbed these taxes since January 2025 and began listing them as a separate invoice line item in April 2026. Surcharges vary by market, with one UK operator quoted 1.8% on top of an existing 25% commission, while the underlying DST reaches 7% in Turkey. GetYourGuide opposes how DSTs are structured, arguing they tax revenue rather than profit and disproportionately hurt growth-stage European firms and small businesses, and is lobbying policymakers for alternatives.

Aug 7Fri
  1. Skift Feed

    How Hilton Overhauled B2B Sales and Taught Reps to 'Scrimmage'

    Hilton has restructured its global B2B sales operation to reflect post-Covid changes in how corporations shop for and book hotels. The sales organization is now divided into three 'prongs': digital self-serve, digital buyers needing human support, and large accounts requiring direct-seller advisors. Hilton for Business has surpassed 400,000 enrolled companies but lacks budgeting, spend-tracking, payment, and travel-coordinator tools, with upgrades planned for late 2025/early 2026. Hilton's direct connection with Navan aims to reduce rate suppression and leakage, with competitors testing similar models.

  2. SAP Concur Company News

    SAP Concur and Amex GBT Unveil New Innovations for Complete

    At SAP Concur Fusion, SAP Concur and Amex GBT announced new advancements in Complete, their AI-enabled co-developed solution. Updates include integrated travel support with Joule AI and live counselor hand-off, a new home page for travel managers, expanded content across air, hotel, and ground including NDC and rail, and integration between Concur Expense and Amex GBT Egencia. These features aim to streamline booking, servicing, payments, and expensing, enhancing customer value.

  4. BCD Travel RSS

    I Prefer Rewards Helps Take the Beige Out of Business Travel

    According to Preferred Hotels & Resorts' Luxury Travel Report, 62% of travelers surveyed agreed that hotels feel increasingly generic. I Prefer Hotel Rewards offers rewards and benefits at over 700 distinctive, independent hotels worldwide, including complimentary Wi-Fi, early check-in/late check-out, enhanced room upgrades, exclusive member rates, and points earned on eligible stays. Points can be used for personal travel.

  6. TravelDaily China

    Summary of 10 Tourism Investment and Financing Deals in Second Half of July

    TravelDaily China compiled tourism capital activities for the second half of July 2026, including five M&A deals: CITIC Capital's 3 billion yuan acquisition of Jianye's theatrical project, Zhejiang Tourism Investment Group's 616 million yuan purchase of 10% of Xiangyuan Cultural Tourism, Travel + Leisure Co.'s $343 million acquisition of two resort operators, and five financing deals including Fora's $60 million Series D at a $1 billion valuation.

  7. Alibaba Group News

    Alibaba Group to Announce June Quarter 2026 Results on August 20, 2026

    Alibaba Group announced it will report unaudited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, before the U.S. market opens on August 20, 2026, and will hold a conference call at 7:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (7:30 p.m. Hong Kong Time) the same day. Participants must pre-register and will receive dial-in numbers, a passcode and a unique PIN. A live webcast will be available, with a replay accessible for one week from the conference date.

  9. Skift Feed

    Airbnb Outpaces Rivals with AI-Accelerated Growth

    Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says AI is dramatically speeding up product development, citing airport pickups launched in six weeks versus nine months for groceries. Core rental business grew nights and seats booked 10% in Q2, outpacing Expedia (6%) and Booking (5%). Expanding into hotels, experiences, and services as it builds a one-stop travel platform. Q2 revenue rose 17% to $3.6B, net income up 27% to $816M, and raised full-year guidance.

Aug 6Thu
  1. PhocusWire All News

    Tripadvisor sees dip in revenue, net income in Q2

    Tripadvisor Group reported Q2 2026 revenue of $441.9 million, down 7% year-over-year, and net income of $22.8 million, down from $36.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $76.4 million, down 21%. Experiences revenue grew 3% to $278.6 million, while hotels and other revenue declined 21%. The company is progressing with the sale of TheFork to American Express and focusing on experiences and AI innovation.

  2. Ekuaibao News

    2026 Corporate Travel Platform Selection Guide: Integrated Expense Control Priority

    HeSi released a 2026 corporate travel platform selection guide, emphasizing the priority of integrated expense control. It points out that independent TMC solutions have long-term hidden costs over 25% higher than integrated solutions. The guide proposes four evaluation dimensions and shares a case of an East China equipment manufacturing group, where after deploying HeSi Smart Travel, pre-compliance rate increased from 64% to 99.2%, finance reconciliation hours dropped by 87%, and employee reimbursement cycle shortened to 0 days.

  3. PhocusWire All News

    Expedia Group Invests in AI That Doesn't Convert Yet

    Expedia Group, in its Q2 2026 earnings call, said it is investing in two categories of AI: one for improving recommendations, ranking, and personalization, which is delivering immediate benefits; the other for conversational experiences like Vrbo's natural language search, which, while not yet driving conversion, provides over 60% more information about traveler intent, expected to yield compounding benefits over time. Q2 booked room nights grew 6% to 111.5 million, gross bookings up 12% to $33.9 billion.

  4. Hotel Dive Feed

    Booking Holdings' connected trip strategy boosts loyalty

    Booking Holdings reported progress on its connected trip strategy in Q2, with connected trip transactions growing in the low double-digits, more than twice the rate of total transaction growth. The company leverages AI and its loyalty program, with higher-tier Genius members representing over 30% of active customers and accounting for a high 50% share of room nights. AI customer service is reducing contact rates and costs, while Booking.com tests AI discovery, Agoda launches Gallery View, and Priceline deploys agentic AI assistant Penny.

  5. PhocusWire All News

    Trivago ramps internal AI spend fivefold

    Trivago spent more than five times as much on internal AI tooling and tokens in the first seven months of 2026 as in all of 2025. CEO Johannes Thomas said 93% of employees use AI daily, up from 63% last year. Q2 revenue grew 21% to €168.4 million, with adjusted EBITDA turning positive at €1.1 million. Trivago also filed an antitrust suit against Google, alleging self-preferencing, and noted the EU fined Google €890 million.

Aug 5Wed
  1. PhocusWire All News

    Booking Holdings: AI Visibility Up, But Referrals Stay Under 1% of Room Nights

    Booking Holdings, in its Q2 earnings call, said referral traffic from LLMs (paid and unpaid) represents less than 1% of total room nights, with no material change recently. However, third-party data shows its brands appear frequently in LLMs. The company is working with third-party frontier players to ensure proper placement and launched initiatives like Priceline's Penny and Agoda's gallery view. Q2 gross bookings grew 9%, revenue up 8% to $7.4 billion.

  2. Ctrip Corporate Travel Thinktank News

    Ctrip Corporate Travel and Yonyou BIP Travel Cloud Deepen AI Collaboration, Ushering in a New Era o…

    Ctrip Corporate Travel and Yonyou BIP Travel Cloud have entered the fifth year of cooperation, completing deep integration of AI capabilities. Ctrip's intelligent itinerary planning AI Agent 'Chengxingtu' is now fully embedded in Yonyou's travel cloud, shifting travel management from human-operated systems to human-AI collaboration, enabling conversational booking and supporting global travel management.

  4. Maycur News

    2026 AI Expense Control Vendor Review: Six Core Capabilities Compared

    Maycur published a 2026 AI expense control vendor review, proposing six core evaluation dimensions: smart receipt capture, AI form filling, AI audit, policy Q&A, AI data query, and system integration. The article compares four solution types: Maycur, travel consumption, project custom, and ERP subsidiary. Maycur serves over 4,500 large enterprises, 500+ listed companies, and 60,000+ paid legal entities, connecting 5 million+ global monthly active users. Its AI capabilities are embedded in expense application, receipt capture, audit, budget verification, supporting overseas receipt processing and multi-currency reimbursement.

  5. Maycur News

    2026 Mobile Expense Software Recommendations: Seven Features and Suitable Enterprises

    Maycur published a 2026 mobile expense software recommendation guide, proposing seven experience criteria: receipt capture, mobile application and approval, itinerary association, budget alerts, mobile approval, cross-platform collaboration, and group adaptation. The article compares four solution types: Maycur, standard expense, travel portal, and ERP mobile. Maycur Expense supports iOS/Android clients and WeChat Work, DingTalk, Feishu, offering smart receipt capture, mobile approval, budget control, suitable for large groups, listed companies, SOEs, and global enterprises.

  6. Maycur News

    2026 Selection Guide for Integrated Business-Finance-Tax-Archive Solutions

    Maycur Technology published a 2026 selection guide for integrated business-finance-tax-archive solutions, comparing four types: Maycur, single-point expense control, ERP ecosystem, and custom integration. The article emphasizes that integration does not mean one vendor provides all software, but rather clear data sources and responsibility boundaries to reuse business information across reimbursement, invoicing, payment, accounting, and archiving. Maycur offers products including expense, cloud invoice, AP, AR, archive, AI, and BI, serving over 4,500 large enterprises, 500+ listed companies, and 60,000+ paid legal entities.

Aug 4Tue
  2. Navan Press Releases

    Navan to Provide Global Travel and Expense Management for Insight Enterprises

    Navan announced it has been selected by Insight Enterprises as its partner for unified travel and expense management across 26 countries. With Navan's AI-powered platform, Insight expects to reduce total travel spend by over 8%, save more than 20,000 hours annually, including 6,300 hours on booking and 14,400 hours on expense management. Navan provides real-time financial control with policy enforcement at the point of sale for 98% of corporate spend.

  5. Booking Holdings IR News

    Booking Holdings Reports Q2 2026 Results: Room Nights Up 5%

    Booking Holdings reported Q2 2026 results. Room nights grew 5% to 325 million, gross bookings up 9% to $51.0 billion, revenue up 8% to $7.4 billion. Net income surged 118% to $2.0 billion. The company increased expected annual run-rate savings from its Transformation Program to approximately $650 million, to be realized by end of 2027.

  6. Amex GBT Press Room

    Amex GBT Reports Strong Q2 2026 Financial Results

    American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) reported Q2 2026 results: revenue of $870 million, up 38% year-over-year; adjusted EBITDA of $178 million, up 34%. TTV grew 57% and transactions grew 45%. The company won major clients including Google, Koch, and Pfizer, maintaining a 95% customer retention rate. Shareholders approved the acquisition by Long Lake Management, expected to close in H2 2026.

Aug 3Mon
  1. Navan Press Releases

    Navan Introduces More Granular Policy Controls for Travel Programs

    Navan announced the launch of its most granular set of policy controls, giving global enterprises precise financial control while providing travelers with clearer choices. New capabilities include flight policies tailored by traveler group and flight duration, rail policies by journey duration and traveler group, and country-level hotel limits with city-specific exceptions. These features aim to help travel managers maintain compliance and cost control in a dynamic environment.