At its annual gala in Chicago, the GBTA Foundation honored leaders and organizations driving sustainability and raised $83,250 to support the NextGen Program, which provides career scholarships for students. Winners included Sarah Martin from Amex GBT, Shirley Stroud from BCD Travel, Anna Rose Feinberg from Alo Index, and Meta and United Airlines. Dave Hilfman received the Luminary Award.
Hilton announced a culinary partnership with James Beard Award-winning Chef Mashama Bailey and her company Grey Spaces for the Signia Hilton Savannah, set to debut in 2028. Grey Spaces will lead the culinary direction for the hotel's food and beverage program, overseeing concept development, menus, wine lists, and guest experiences across multiple venues, including a lobby bar, all-day dining restaurant, and rooftop destination. The 444-room hotel will serve as the headquarters hotel for the Savannah Convention Center, featuring over 34,000 square feet of meeting space.
BCD Travel announced advancements in its Tripsource platform to expand travel content access, including a new direct connect agreement with United Airlines. This reinforces BCD's 'Open by Design' approach, supporting policy compliance, traveler safety, and program integrity. The direct connect will be available via online and offline channels, leveraging NDC capabilities. BCD has supported direct connections since 2019 and now has 22 airlines live in its NDC ecosystem.
Booking Holdings announced that its Q2 2026 financial results will be released on August 4, 2026, at approximately 4:00 p.m. ET via a press release on its investor relations website. A conference call will be held at 4:30 p.m. ET, webcasted and available for replay for seven days.
Hilton's 'Behind the Stay' series spotlights Hilton Garden Inn Busselton in Western Australia, showcasing how the team's 'Brighthearted' service philosophy makes the hotel a beloved destination for locals and visitors. Team members like Assistant Front Office Manager Ntula and Hotel Manager Des create memorable guest experiences through genuine care and personalized service, including preparing comfort food for US firefighters and helping a wedding party.
HeSi launched an integrated solution combining expense control, business travel, archives, and AI audit, covering the full lifecycle of spending. The platform unifies travel booking, expense reimbursement, electronic accounting archives, and AI-powered auditing, enabling data integration and process automation to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure compliance.
Travelport announced the appointment of Kenneth Johansen as Chief Revenue Officer, leading its commercial organization including agency, operator, and travel partner channels. Johansen previously served as Senior Vice President at Oracle, with over 20 years of enterprise technology sales leadership. Additionally, Jason Toothman was named Chief Sales Officer for Strategic Accounts. These appointments aim to drive Travelport's modern retailing platform expansion.
Amadeus' report 'Tailored Horizons' reveals that 85% of U.S. travelers agree AI saves time and provides personalized recommendations, with 74% using AI during trip planning. However, trust declines when AI takes action: only 20% would allow AI to spend money autonomously within a budget, while 43% would allow it only with conditions. Travelers still desire human oversight, with 51% preferring a combination of AI and human expertise.
MakeMyTrip reported Q1 FY27 results with gross bookings up 19.9% YoY to approximately $2.9 billion, and revenue up 16.1%. Despite external headwinds, adjusted margins grew double digits across segments. The company launched Myra 2.0, an AI assistant handling over 85,000 daily conversations and resolving over 50% of post-booking queries.
Travelport released findings from its Traveler Confidence Survey, commissioned by Travelport and conducted by Dynata in late June 2026 among 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18 and older. The survey found 46% of U.S. consumers have abandoned a booking because it became too complicated or time-consuming, and 38% said fewer options would most improve their flight booking experience. Overall, 69% feel overwhelmed by online travel options at least sometimes, including 36% who feel overwhelmed always or often. While 53% said they would trust an AI-powered tool or agent to recommend the best flight, about 72% also feel AI-powered travel booking causes stress or anxiety. Among U.S. consumers using AI for…
BCD Travel launched Tripsource Insights this summer as a core capability within the Tripsource platform, integrating data from BCD systems and supplier sources into one interface. It provides corporate travel and finance leaders with a unified, real-time view of travel spend, payment activity, and traveler risk. Using AI and NLP, the platform supports daily program management, helping optimize spend, monitor performance, and ensure compliance.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has updated its travel advice for Morocco, covering passports, dating apps, outdoor activities and adventure tourism, e-scooters and bikes, quad biking, hot air balloons, beaches and wildfires, rabies, food hygiene and allergies, carrying money in/out, and illegal drugs and prison sentences. Travelers are advised to be aware of related safety and health risks.
Travelport has formally launched TripServices, its cloud-native API platform and the engine powering the next generation of travel experiences. The platform normalises and curates content across multiple sources from a single connection, ranks content dynamically using machine learning and includes embedded orchestration. It is already live with Travelport's growing partner base, with air, hotel and ancillary content flowing through it. TripServices is also the platform through which Travelport's collaboration with Cognizant and Anthropic takes effect, bringing AI capability into the workflows travel builders and agencies rely on.
The U.S. State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Spain, advising increased caution due to terrorism and unrest. Terrorists may target tourist locations, transportation centers, hotels, and other public places. Demonstrations are common. Travelers should reconsider travel to Ceuta due to unrest.
Regent Hotels & Resorts hosted a private luncheon in Aspen, gathering cultural tastemakers and entrepreneurs, marking the launch of its experiential series 'Regent Hosts'. The event aimed to extend the brand's spirit beyond hotels through curated dining and design, showcasing modern luxury.
The Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) jointly published safety objectives for eVTOL (vertical take-off and landing capable aircraft). The document is necessary due to eVTOL's innovative design and operational characteristics, differing from conventional aircraft. This publication is a key step towards developing a regulatory framework for certification, with international harmonization in mind.
Cathay Pacific has unveiled renovated lounges in Hong Kong and Beijing, including the reopened The Wing First, The Bridge, and its Beijing flagship. The design emphasizes residential comfort, distinct zones for dining, relaxation, work, and wellness, with dedicated lounge ambassadors and enhanced privacy.
Hilton's luxury brand Conrad has opened its first hotel in Nagoya, Japan, located on the upper floors of The Landmark Nagoya Sakae, a new landmark in the Sakae district. The hotel features 170 guest rooms, including 29 suites, six restaurants and bars, Conrad Spa, indoor pool, fitness center, and meeting and event facilities. The Conrad 1/3/5 program offers guests local cultural experiences.
Expedia Group has acquired Layla, an AI-native trip planning and booking platform, to accelerate its AI strategy. Layla, founded in 2023 and based in Berlin, helps travelers discover destinations, create personalized itineraries, and plan complete trips through a conversational travel agent. The acquisition combines Layla's advanced planning and personalization capabilities with Expedia Group's global supply, first-party traveler insights, marketplace scale, and booking technology, aiming to create richer, more personalized travel experiences and move travelers seamlessly from inspiration to booking.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) have signed an MOU to strengthen collaboration in aviation training and education. They will establish a framework for cooperation in civil aviation training and capacity-building through joint programmes, academic exchanges, and executive education. The first initiative is a new Masters programme in Intelligent Civil Aviation Management, delivered by the Singapore Aviation Academy and SJTU's Antai College, launching in 2027 for Asia-Pacific aviation professionals.
IHG's Holiday Inn Express has announced Chinese actor Bai Ke as its brand ambassador and a collaboration with the comedy film 'Make Zhonghe Great Again' to deepen its connection with young travelers. The partnership embeds the brand's 'Recharge & Restart' promise within culturally resonant entertainment, using Bai Ke's relatable screen presence and the film's everyday humor to authentically address travelers' need for both productivity and personal reset. Holiday Inn Express operates over 400 hotels in Greater China.
Amadeus reported resilient H1 2026 results despite geopolitical impacts on global air traffic. Group revenue grew 5.1% at constant currency to €3,334.9 million, adjusted EBIT increased 4.9% to €1,011.5 million, and adjusted diluted EPS grew 7.3%. Air Distribution bookings declined 3.7%, but revenue per booking grew 5.1%. The company highlighted the resilience of its diversified business and continued progress on AI strategy and partnerships.
Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) held a roadshow on July 27-28 in Brasília to present the competitive procedure for renegotiating the Brasília airport concession contract and reinforced the deadline of August 7 for Public Consultation No. 10/2026. The event, organized with the Investment Partnerships Program (PPI) and the Civil Aviation Secretariat, aimed to clarify project details and encourage contributions. Seven groups participated in in-person and online meetings.
SAP Concur published a blog post offering practical guidance for managing corporate travel programs, covering policy development, booking tool selection, integrating travel and expense management, and fulfilling duty of care. The article notes challenges such as cost, disruption, and weak spend visibility, recommends centralized or hybrid booking approaches, and emphasizes that connecting travel and expense systems improves compliance, cost control, and streamlines processes.
BCD Travel announced a strategic investment in AMGINE, a corporate travel AI automation platform, to accelerate AI-powered solutions for better traveler experience and service delivery. The expanded partnership covers group air management, email automation, and more. BCD's AI strategy includes building AI into Tripsource, integrating specialized AI from partners like AMGINE, and enabling access to third-party AI tools.
Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) launched a campaign on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, focusing on the risk of online grooming of children and adolescents. The campaign is displayed at airports and other transit points, and highlights the entry into force of the Digital Statute for Children and Adolescents. UN data shows one in three trafficking victims worldwide in 2024 was a child; a 2025 UNICEF survey found 52% of cases began through online contact.
Hilton announced the signing of three lifestyle hotels in Phuket, Chiang Mai, and the Maldives, including a Curio Collection in Phuket and two Tapestry Collection properties in Chiang Mai and the Maldives. This supports Hilton's ambition to surpass 250 luxury and lifestyle hotels in Asia Pacific and double its portfolio in Southeast Asia.
The eighth annual SAP Concur Global Business Travel Survey reveals AI is now part of the business travel experience, but governance lags. 75% of travelers use AI tools for business trips, and 72% have used or would use unapproved 'shadow AI'. 85% of CFOs worry employees use unapproved AI tools. The survey also found 60% of CFOs say travel expense fraud is increasing, and 73% believe employees may use AI to falsify expenses.
The UK CAA published its final decision on the regulatory treatment of early costs for Heathrow expansion. It allows Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) to recover early costs incurred in 2025-2026 through airport charges, capped at £320 million (2024 prices), with safeguards. It also allows Heathrow West Limited (HWL) to recover approximately £4.14 million. The maximum charge per passenger is expected to increase by around 15p in 2028, rising to an estimated 30p in subsequent years.
The US State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Bangladesh, advising increased caution due to unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping. Protests can occur without notice; avoid all gatherings. Do not travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, areas near the Burma border, and refugee camps near Cox's Bazar due to kidnapping risk. US government employees must consult embassy security before travel outside Dhaka.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) published its Airspace Architecture Concept of Operations, outlining a vision to move drone operations from isolated trials to widespread commercial use. It explores enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drones alongside crewed aircraft through technology, digital services, and risk-based safety measures. The vision includes electronic detection, conflict avoidance, reliable communications, digital traffic management, and information sharing.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and SAFRA will trial Unmanned Aircraft Flying Areas (UAFAs) at four SAFRA clubhouses from 3 August 2026 for six months. The trial sites are indoor futsal and squash courts at Choa Chu Kang, Mount Faber, Tampines, and Toa Payoh, equipped with drone gates. The public can book free slots via the SAFRA app or web portal. The trial aims to explore safe repurposing of enclosed spaces for recreational drone flying, with potential expansion if successful.
Travelport and EGYPTAIR announced a long-term distribution agreement covering both EDIFACT and NDC content. The agreement gives Travelport-connected agencies continued access to EGYPTAIR's content through established EDIFACT channels while adding a new, richer layer of NDC content, including a broader range of NDC-enabled content and ancillary services. EGYPTAIR's content will be accessible through both Smartpoint, Travelport's booking application, and TripServices, its cloud-native API platform. Amr Adawy, VP commercial at EGYPTAIR, said adding NDC content alongside existing EDIFACT distribution allows the carrier to reach Travelport's global agency network with a broader range of products…
Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), through its Airport Infrastructure Superintendence, published the 'Manual on Responsive Regulation in Civil Aviation Security against Acts of Unlawful Interference (AVSEC)'. The document details how the agency applies responsive regulation in AVSEC oversight, as established by Resolution No. 761 of 2024, replacing the system under Resolution No. 472 of 2018. The model considers risk management, compliance history, ability to correct non-conformities, cooperation, and voluntary adoption of good practices, aiming for more proportionate and efficient oversight. Due to restricted information, the manual is not public and is provided directly to co…
At GBTA Convention 2026, SAP Concur announced a set of AI-powered travel and expense (T&E) capabilities spanning a delegates dashboard, an approval management agent, enhanced admin controls, corporate card management, and a meeting planning agent. The company says it ranked first in worldwide T&E management software with 48.1% 2025 market share. Most features are in early adopter phase, with general availability spread from Q3 2026 to Q1 2027.
High-level representatives from Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and the European Commission met to discuss security threats to commercial navigation in the Black Sea and the Danube, following intensified attacks on civilian ships by Russian forces. The Quad reaffirmed commitment to supporting Ukraine's access to world markets through enhanced cooperation along the Danube corridor and stands ready to implement alternative routes. Solidarity Lanes have helped Ukraine export around 226 million tonnes of goods and import around 108 million tonnes of essential merchandise.
The European Commission has published an implementation strategy to support Member States in applying new EU directives on driving licences and driving disqualifications. Measures include an EU-wide accompanied driving scheme for 17-year-olds, a probationary period for novice drivers, more systematic fitness-to-drive checks, and revised training and testing requirements emphasizing vulnerable road user safety. The strategy also outlines steps for mobile driving licences and EU-wide recognition of driving disqualifications.
Booking.com released its inaugural Travel Happiness Index, surveying over 10,000 travelers across 10 APAC markets. The report shows that despite uncertainty, travel remains a source of joy and reset. 84% of APAC travelers say travel helps them reset mentally and emotionally, and 9 in 10 would rather adapt their plans than cancel. Travelers are becoming more intentional, prioritizing local experiences and better value.
The U.S. Department of State updated its travel advisory for Mongolia, maintaining Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Travelers are advised to enroll in STEP, review the Country Security Report and CDC health information, and consider purchasing travel insurance.
Vrbo released the Built to Stay Report, surveying over 1,700 travelers across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, and Australia. The study found that 86% of travelers would pay more for a higher-quality listing, and 81% would pay more for a property with strong trust signals. Cleanliness, reliable amenities, and quick host response are key quality signals, while verified reviews and overall scores are important trust signals.