Use the filters below to find published updates by topic, region, source and time.
25 updates.
25 updates shown
American Express has signed an agreement to acquire TheFork from Tripadvisor for $700 million in cash. TheFork provides restaurant reservation and management in Europe, covering over 50,000 restaurants across 11 countries. The deal is expected to close before year-end.
Dutch startup Loook has launched a GPS-triggered storytelling platform with a proprietary library of over 17,000 stories, combined with an AI-assisted content engine. It helps tourism organizations engage visitors before, during, and after arrival, promoting visitor dispersal and local discovery. Operating a hybrid B2B2C model, Loook partners with cities, tourism boards, and mobility providers, generating revenue through licensing, subscriptions, and activation-based models.
The UK FCDO has updated its travel advice for Belize, removing information about the State of Emergency, which has now ended. The advice still emphasizes that no travel can be guaranteed safe and reminds travelers to obtain appropriate travel insurance.
This week's travel tech news includes: Travelport formally launched TripServices, a cloud-native API platform backed by a $50 million strategic investment; Navan launched Navan Anywhere to embed AI travel agents into third-party platforms; Daytrip introduced an hourly driver service; Lighthouse released AI assistant Ernest, among others.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Ryanair over a 'mandatory family seat' fee of around £8 charged to parents to sit with children aged 2-11. The CMA will assess whether the fee breaches consumer law and whether the total price is obscured during booking.
Hospitality marketing tech company Cendyn has launched Wayfinder, a generative engine optimization (GEO) analytics and AI monitoring platform to help hotels improve visibility on AI platforms like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. Built into Cendyn's CMS, it runs simulated prompts to test GEO health.
The UK FCDO has updated travel advice for Rwanda, adding information about travel between Rwanda and DRC for humanitarian missions and essential travel. FCDO continues to advise against all but essential travel to parts of Rusizi District bordering DRC, including Rwandan islands in Lake Kivu and Kamembe Airport.
Travel advisor platform Tern has launched agentic AI capabilities that automate workflows, including reviewing inboxes, generating cruise proposals, and drafting client communications. Advisors must approve actions. CEO says the AI eliminates the need to hire or outsource administrative work, allowing advisors to focus on trip curation and growth.
Shiji's 2026 Hotel Distribution Technology Chart shows hotel distribution evolving to a 'bookable everywhere' paradigm, adding categories like AI discovery and visibility, AI-powered booking enablement, multi-location marketing, maps, and social messaging. A report found only about 16% of global hotel supply is visible in AI-generated search responses.
The UK FCDO has updated travel advice for Kosovo, no longer advising against all but essential travel to the municipalities of Zvečan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic, and areas of Mitrovica north of the river Ibar. New information about northern Kosovo has been added.
The UK FCDO has updated travel advice for Indonesia, adding information about the 'All Indonesia Declaration Form' and visa scams. FCDO continues to advise against all travel to several volcano areas and warns that Middle East escalation may cause travel disruption.
Video platforms are reshaping travelers' booking journeys, and hotels face a 'speed problem' as their technology systems struggle to keep up with changing consumer habits. A digital expert at Radisson Hotel Group highlighted that legacy operating models are ill-suited to the fast-evolving customer journey, necessitating integrated marketing, distribution, and revenue management, along with cultural change through partnerships.
The hotel industry faces infrastructure and data fragmentation challenges in the AI era. Choice Hotels opts for a cloud-first, enterprise-wide AI integration; Minor Hotels undertakes a ground-up rebuild; Ascott builds a multi-tier architecture. Data fragmentation is a major hurdle to scaling AI, and operating models determine data standardization capabilities.
Bliink is an AI-native corporate travel platform targeting SMEs in Southeast Asia, offering booking, policy compliance, approvals, and personalized recommendations. It aggregates inventory from over 600 airlines and 2.6 million properties, initially focusing on Indonesia with plans to expand across the region.
Indian online travel platform Ixigo has agreed to acquire a 54.66% stake in Brevistay for about $6.9 million. Brevistay specializes in flexible-duration hotel stays. Upon completion, Brevistay will become a subsidiary, and the combined network will include over 10,000 directly contracted hotels.
At Expedia Group's Explore partner conference, chairman Barry Diller said AI will bring revolutionary changes but will not replace humans. He warned against being led by 'tech lords' and noted AI will replace some jobs while creating new ones.
The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Somalia, including Somaliland, except for the regions of Awdal, Maroodijeh, and Sahil, where it advises against all but essential travel. This is due to the threat from terrorist groups and continuing violence, with recent increased fighting near Mogadishu.
The UK FCDO updated travel advice for Turkmenistan, noting that escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures and flight delays. Travelers are advised to check transit country advice, monitor airline updates, review insurance, and follow local media.
The UK FCDO updated travel advice for Montenegro, noting that large international events over the summer may cause congestion at airports and roads. Travelers are advised to monitor local media, plan journeys in advance, allow extra time, and follow local authority advice.
Juniper Group has acquired Deem, a corporate travel management platform, from Travelport. Terms were not disclosed. Deem will continue to operate independently and maintain a relationship with Travelport. The acquisition strengthens Juniper's position in travel technology and corporate travel.
AI travel platform Mindtrip announced contracts with Madeira Promotion Bureau and Norwegian Travel Cluster, expanding to Europe. The platform is embedded in DMO websites to assist discovery of local attractions and restaurants. Mindtrip, founded in 2023, has raised multiple funding rounds.
Perk, the corporate travel and spend management platform formerly known as TravelPerk, has secured a $300 million private credit facility led by Neuberger Specialty Finance, with participation from Blue Owl Capital, Hercules Capital and Liquidity. The facility increases and replaces Perk's $134 million credit facility from mid-2024. Perk said it exceeded $300 million in annualized revenue and grew revenue 48% in 2025. Funds will support product, technology and AI investment; AI deployment has helped lift gross margins from 40% to the mid-70s in three years.
In Q1 2026, major OTAs increased marketing spend. Booking Holdings invested $2.1 billion, up 16% YoY, representing 38% of revenue. Expedia Group's sales and marketing spend reached $1.9 billion, up 6% YoY, 54% of revenue. Airbnb invested $751 million, up 33% YoY, 28% of revenue. Despite AI-driven efficiency efforts, companies continue to boost spending to compete for customers and highlight direct channel growth.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice for Canada, adding information about entry requirements for those entering from Ebola-affected regions. The advice continues to note that no travel can be guaranteed safe and recommends appropriate travel insurance. Updated June 2, 2026, still current.
The UK FCDO updated its travel advice for the USA, adding information about entry requirements for those entering from Ebola-affected regions. The advice also covers American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands. Updated June 2, 2026, still current.