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.
This week's travel tech news: Eviivo integrates with Mr & Mrs Smith, Yotel appoints new COO and plans to triple portfolio by 2031, OwlTing launches AI booking engine, IHG launches ChatGPT app, D-edge appoints CRO, Shiji partners with Omniboost, Airbnb launches Earnings Protection, Intuitive launches Universal API, Entravel acquires Moca Traveltech, Phunware appoints CEO, InterLnkd launches Nexora, 123Compare.me launches hotel rate report, Geneva Airport partners with Smartvel, Sensible Weather expands guarantees, Agoda partners with KakaoBank.
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.
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.
Priceline has enhanced its AI assistant Penny with Anthropic's Claude to support multi-step reasoning. Penny is now a coordinated system of over 10 specialized agents, offering recommendations for hotels, flights, and car rentals, with a 'Penny's Take' feature for property insights. Priceline reports that travelers engaging with Penny show stronger engagement and higher conversion.
Perk (formerly TravelPerk) announced the close of a $300 million private credit facility led by Neuberger Specialty Finance, with Blue Owl Capital, Hercules Capital, and Liquidity. Proceeds will accelerate investment in product, technology, and AI, supporting global expansion including the upcoming US launch of its integrated spend platform. Perk grew revenue 48% in 2025, surpassing $300 million in annualized revenue, with gross margins improving from 40% to mid-70s.
Juniper Group has announced the completion of its acquisition of Deem, a corporate travel management platform, from Travelport. Deem provides booking, procurement and trip management solutions for corporations and travel management companies worldwide. As part of Juniper Group, Deem will continue to operate independently under its current leadership team and brand. The acquisition was sponsored by Juniper Travel Technology. Travelport and Deem will continue to maintain a relationship following the transaction.
Pricepoint, an AI-driven revenue management platform for accommodations, has closed a $6.6 million seed round led by Brightspark Ventures with participation from Boreal Ventures and AQC Capital. Founded in 2019, it provides real-time pricing optimization for hotels, hostels, and short-term rentals. Funds will be used for product, engineering, and AI infrastructure, plus additional integrations.
Expedia Group released global research revealing strong traveler demand for booking and managing full trips on a single platform, including car rentals, flights, activities, and trip protection. The survey of 2,500 travelers across 10 markets found 77% are likely to book multiple trip elements on the same platform. Expedia is expanding its Rapid API ecosystem to enable partners to offer full-trip booking capabilities, driving growth and loyalty.
Expedia Group announced the appointment of Bill Watkins, former Pinterest executive, as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Advertising. Watkins will oversee the growth of Expedia Group Advertising, leveraging its travel media network to connect with high-intent travelers and drive full-funnel impact.
Alibaba Group announced a multi-year partnership with UEFA and UC3, becoming the official and exclusive AI, cloud computing services and e-commerce partner of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League from 2027/28 to 2032/33, and of UEFA EURO 2028. The partnership will deploy Alibaba Cloud and the Qwen LLM for fan engagement, media and content management, and offer official merchandise via its global e-commerce network.
Alibaba Group announced a multi-year partnership with UEFA and UC3, becoming the official and exclusive AI, Cloud Computing Services, and E-commerce partner for the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League from 2027/28 to 2032/33, and UEFA EURO 2028. The partnership will deploy Alibaba Cloud and Qwen AI to enhance fan experiences and content management.
Hospitality intelligence provider Lighthouse has acquired AI visibility platform Hotelrank.ai to add a measurement layer to its Connect AI solution. Hotelrank.ai offers real-time analytics showing hotels where they appear across AI platforms, their ranking compared to competitors, and whether AI agents direct travelers to book direct or through intermediaries. The acquisition comes as hotels grapple with how to manage and measure their presence on AI platforms.
Adventure travel specialist WeRoad has raised $58 million in Series C funding led by Airbnb, with existing investors participating. The Italy-based company's total funding now stands at $100 million. The investment will fund expansion into the U.S. market, its first push beyond Europe. Over 300,000 travelers have used the platform since its 2017 launch.
Airbnb has announced the recruitment of Andrea D'Amico as VP of hotels, starting in early June. This move is part of Airbnb's expansion into hotels, focusing on independent and boutique properties. Hotel inventory is now expanding to 30 cities.
TravelOne Technologies has launched a Traveler DNA platform that analyzes 30 behavioral and psychological markers to generate personalized travel recommendations and itineraries. The startup targets consumers, travel agencies, and tour operators through paid Traveler DNA reports, vacation bookings, and subscription-based advisor tools. It positions itself as an alternative to traditional search-based travel planning.
Expedia Group announced that CEO Ariane Gorin will participate in a fireside chat at Evercore's 2026 Global TMT Conference on June 2, 2026. The session will be webcast live, with a replay available for 3 months.
This week's travel tech news briefs cover multiple partnerships and product launches: Visa and Trip.com Group signed an MOU to deepen collaboration on travel payments in Asia Pacific; Emerging Travel Group expanded its integration with SynXis to include independent hotels; NOL Universe appointed a head of global business; Atlas signed a direct distribution partnership with Wizz Air; Allegiant selected Navan as its internal travel management platform; Outpayce launched split and multi-card payment capabilities; HBX Group and Lastminute.com expanded their dynamic packaging partnership; Europa-Park partnered with Bookingkit for ticket distribution; Wego introduced stablecoin payments; Fliggy l…
Tongcheng Travel reported Q1 2026 results: revenue up 14.4% YoY to RMB5,005.8 million, adjusted net profit up 19.4% to RMB941.1 million. Annual paying users reached a record 253.9 million. Core OTA revenue grew 17.3%, with transportation ticketing up 6.2%, accommodation up 14.7%, and other businesses (including hotel management) up 59.6%. Over 87% of registered users are from non-first-tier cities. The company continues to deepen AI applications and expand its hotel management business.
Airbnb is experimenting with experiences from content creators and plans to add them to the platform in the coming months. CEO Brian Chesky said creator experiences will become part of the future of Airbnb Experiences, especially as travel becomes more personalized and community-driven. Creators bring significant local demand, as fans book in their own cities. This comes as the creator economy faces pressure, and creators need new monetization avenues.
Tongcheng Travel reported Q1 2026 results: revenue up 14.4% YoY to RMB5,005.8 million, adjusted net profit up 19.4% to RMB941.1 million. APUs reached a record 253.9 million. Core OTA revenue grew 17.3%, with hotel management as a new growth driver. The company continues to deepen AI applications and announced management changes.
Airbnb's Summer Release introduces features like social map, AI review highlights, ask about this home, wishlist comparison, and plans for car rentals and luggage storage. These moves aim to drive personalization and transition from a vacation rental marketplace to a global community. Airbnb emphasizes its 200 million verified identities as a foundation for building a social network.
Kayak for Business, Blockskye, and FCM announced a partnership to create an enterprise travel platform combining booking, payments, and servicing. The platform aims to address fragmentation in corporate travel operations, integrating Kayak's booking capabilities, Blockskye's payments and expense infrastructure, and FCM's global travel management network. Additionally, FCM parent Flight Centre Travel Group is investing $5 million in Blockskye for early access to its blockchain-based payments platform.
Expedia Group announced an agreement to acquire CarTrawler to expand its B2B offerings, including car rental, ground transportation, and ancillary services. The transaction is expected to close in H2 2026. Expedia also launched an AI toolkit and Intelligent Experience Platform to help partners launch AI-driven travel booking experiences faster. The CarTrawler acquisition follows the Tiqets acquisition and aims to expand Rapid API beyond lodging to flights, cars, activities, and trip protection.
Booking.com unveiled AI-driven innovations for car rentals, including an app in ChatGPT, AI Car Rental Helper, AI review summaries, and Smart Search. These tools aim to simplify the rental process from discovery to booking and management. Data shows 26% of travelers plan road trips this year.
In a letter to shareholders, Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai and CEO Eddie Wu said the company stands at a critical inflection point in AGI development, with AI agents becoming the primary interface between humans and the digital world. Cloud Intelligence Group's external revenue growth accelerated to 40% in the final quarter of fiscal 2026, with AI-related products contributing 30%. The company launched the Qwen app and Wukong, an AI-native agentic platform for enterprises, and named quick commerce a core strategic pillar for Taobao and Tmall.
Expedia Group B2B announced at Explore 26 a new AI toolkit and Intelligent Experience Platform to help partners build travel experiences more easily. It also announced the acquisition of CarTrawler to expand ground mobility and Insurtech solutions, along with new marketing and media capabilities.
Alibaba Group announced it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, dated May 20, 2026. The report is accessible under the SEC Filing section of the company's investor relations website. The company will provide a hard copy of the annual report containing audited consolidated financial statements free of charge to shareholders and ADS holders upon request.
Expedia Group announced an agreement to acquire CarTrawler, an Ireland-based B2B platform providing car rental, ground transport, and Insurtech solutions. The acquisition will enhance Expedia's ability to deliver mobility and Insurtech solutions, expected to close in H2 2026.
Alibaba's Chairman Joe Tsai and CEO Eddie Wu released a letter to shareholders, emphasizing the company's entry into the AI agent era and increased investment in full-stack AI. Cloud Intelligence Group's external revenue growth accelerated to 40%, with AI-related products accounting for 30%. The company launched the Qwen app and Wukong enterprise platform, and is focusing on quick commerce.
Saudi National Bank (SNB) and Almosafer have signed a strategic partnership to offer premium travel services to private banking and elite clients, including Almosafer Concierge, Saudi Arabia's first fully integrated luxury travel concierge service, and bespoke itinerary planning.
Expedia Group announced the Expedia Trails Fund, a multi-year commitment to restore, protect, and future-proof trails, parks, and coastlines. Initial projects include partnerships with The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and Trust for Public Land, with $4.3 million in grants supporting 11 projects, benefiting over 1 million visits annually.
Expedia Group announced it is moving its media business (Expedia Group Advertising) under Chief Marketing Officer Jochen Koedijk, making it part of the global marketing organization. This move aims to bring marketing and advertising closer together to productionize solutions faster. The advertising business is growing 20% year over year, and the company sees it as a growth engine. The integration will foster a more unified and measurable system connecting performance marketing, brand-building, and media.
Globe Thrivers, founded in 2023, uses AI to convert creator content from platforms like TikTok and Instagram into structured, collaborative, and bookable itineraries. The company generates revenue through hotel booking margins and platform fees on advisor-led bookings, and has partnered with Nuitée to expand lodging inventory. Its goal is to provide social-commerce infrastructure for travel and experiences, capturing and monetizing socially-driven travel demand, and addressing fragmented travel planning and broken attribution.
This week's travel tech news includes: Emburse launches AI agent for automated expense reporting; Agoda launches multi-product booking engine; NextTrip appoints new CTO; Yanolja acquires Indian hotel platform InnKey; Lufthansa City Center partners with Acai Travel; Perk partners with CLEAR for airport services discounts. These developments showcase AI applications in expense management, booking, and hotel operations, as well as industry consolidation trends.
FCM Travel will widely release a 'fundamentally reimagined' version of its AI tool Sam next month across more than 90 countries. Sam will act as a new AI ecosystem, working seamlessly with travelers, travel managers, and agents. The tool adheres to spending thresholds, approval processes, and supplier preferences configured by travel managers, and will not show out-of-policy hotels or premium fares. Sam can also hand off travelers to live agents. FCM emphasizes its proprietary technology architecture prevents hallucination and ensures enterprise-grade accuracy.
Gharage Ventures, a Berlin and Singapore-based early-stage VC, has launched a €40 million Fund I focusing on early-stage startups in travel and retail. The firm uses a thesis-driven approach, targeting emerging markets like AI and travel memory. Despite historically low funding for travel startups, they believe passenger growth and AI-driven democratization of distribution present opportunities. The firm plans about 30 investments, with check sizes of €250,000 to €500,000.
India-based OTA Ixigo launched a rebuilt AI-native mobile app at its Ixigo NEXT event, featuring an upgraded TARA assistant supporting voice, text, or tap interactions in English, Hindi, and Hinglish. New features include Trip Mode consolidating boarding passes, gate/terminal details, baggage claim info, and travel alerts, plus Agentic Travel Flows that automate tasks like sending boarding passes via WhatsApp, updating Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes on flight changes, monitoring delays/cancellations, and coordinating with hotels for room readiness. Most agentic features are permission-based and opt-in.