All published updates

DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield: The Rhythm of Care

Hilton's 'Behind the Stay' series spotlights the DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield team, which anticipates guest needs and adapts to changing schedules for seamless business travel. During an extended stay, an international guest faced a medical emergency; the team assisted with hospital transport and continued care. The hotel offers thoughtful touches like packed breakfasts and fosters an inclusive culture, including sign language communication among staff.

IHG Signs Garner Hotel Ahmedabad Motera with United Hospitality Management India

IHG has signed a franchise agreement with United Hospitality Management India for a Garner Hotel in Ahmedabad, scheduled to open in 2029 with 40 rooms. Located near Narendra Modi Stadium and the bullet train hub, it marks the first Garner property in Ahmedabad.

Goa Tops Agoda Searches for India's Festive Long Weekends

Agoda's accommodation search data shows Goa as the top domestic destination for India's Rakshabandhan and Janmashtami long weekends, followed by Mumbai and Puri. Internationally, Singapore, Bali, and Bangkok lead. Based on searches from May 1 to July 31, 2026, the trends highlight a preference for short, diverse getaways.

Motel 6's Power: What Prism's Annual Report Reveals Ahead of Its IPO

Prism (formerly Oyo) released its annual report ahead of an India IPO, revealing a shift in重心 to the U.S. Motel 6 now accounts for 46% of gross booking value. Revenue rose 50% to $980 million, EBITDA more than doubled to $272 million. The company is moving from a marketplace to a company-serviced model, leveraging India's tech hub for AI automation.

Marriott Targets 100 Cities in India, Says Country Needs to Tell Its Story Better

Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano said at the World Leaders Forum in India that the country's tourism challenge is awareness, not overtourism. About 70% of Marriott's demand in India is domestic, and most international travelers know only two or three cities. Foreign arrivals fell 9.4% in 2025 to about 9 million, just 1.4% of global arrivals, amid a 97%+ cut in overseas marketing. Marriott still targets 100 cities by end of 2026 and 50,000 rooms by 2030, with 2025 revenue exceeding $1.5 billion, focusing on midscale and Tier-2/3 markets.

Agoda Highlights Asia's Best 'Skip-Gen' Destinations

Agoda released recommendations for 'skip-gen' travel destinations in Asia, targeting grandparents traveling with grandchildren. Recommended spots include Kanazawa (Japan), Gyeongju (Korea), Mysore (India), Lijiang (China), Ninh Binh (Vietnam), and Tainan (Taiwan), known for gentle pace and cultural depth. Agoda's August Mega Sale offers up to 60% off hotel bookings.

Ixigo Tests Packaged Tours for Trains, Uber Becomes a New Distribution Engine

India's Ixigo has made two strategic moves that extend its business beyond selling individual travel components. First, it launched Ixigo Bharat Darshan, its debut into packaged tours, offering curated spiritual and family travel packages sourced from state-owned IRCTC and bundled into single itineraries on the Ixigo app. The initial offering targets high-demand pilgrimage circuits and family destinations like Kashmir and the Northeast, with prices ranging from about $73 to $3,135, and notably solves a key pain point for Indian rail travelers by including confirmed train tickets alongside hotels and transfers. Second, Ixigo partnered with Uber to embed train-ticket booking directly within t…

Wall Street Is Starting to Believe Airbnb's Growth Story

Bernstein analysts argue that Airbnb's recent revenue acceleration is structural rather than temporary, with management guiding to a fifth consecutive quarter of roughly 10%-plus room-night growth, helping push shares up more than 25% since early August. Growth drivers include Reserve Now, Pay Later; single-fee migration lifting take rate to ~15.5%; dynamic pricing; hotel expansion; AI search; loyalty program; ancillaries; sponsored listings; and Asia growth. Bernstein views current 13% revenue growth as conservative but flags risks: unproven AI and dynamic-pricing assumptions, execution strain, rising regulation, and uncertain success in new Asian markets.

IHG signs voco Karjat hotel in Maharashtra

IHG signed a management agreement with Discover Resorts Neral to convert a property in Karjat to its voco brand, expected to open by early 2028, adding over 200 rooms. Located in Maharashtra's Karjat, near Mumbai and Pune, the hotel targets leisure and MICE markets.

Iran War Highlights Indian Airlines' Reliance on Gulf Hubs

Following the outbreak of the Iran war, India's international aviation network contracted sharply in Q2 2026. Overall international passenger traffic to and from India fell about 9% to 17.2 million, but Indian carriers' international traffic fell about 27% to 6.4 million. Gulf hubs like Dubai and Doha are critical for Indian travelers, and airspace restrictions disrupted flights, with varying impacts across markets.

Impact and considerations

Indian airlines' reliance on Gulf hubs makes them vulnerable to geopolitical conflicts, business travelers may face cancellations and rerouting, increasing corporate travel costs and time.

Outgoing Air India CEO Campbell Wilson to Join Air New Zealand Board

Air New Zealand has appointed former Air India CEO Campbell Wilson to its board, effective from the annual shareholders' meeting on September 24, subject to shareholder approval. Wilson brings over three decades of airline experience, including more than two decades at Singapore Airlines and as founding CEO of low-cost carrier Scoot. His tenure at Air India included a 470-aircraft order and the Vistara merger, but also faced delivery delays and the June 2025 Flight 171 crash. Former Air New Zealand CFO Robert McDonald will also join the board.

Uber Partners with Ixigo to Offer Train Booking in India

Uber has partnered with India-based OTA Ixigo to launch train ticket booking on the Uber app. The service enables users to book train tickets, check PNR status, and arrange rides to and from stations. Uber already has presence at major railway stations. The partnership builds on Uber's intercity services. Ixigo's co-CEOs said the partnership extends the experience beyond the train. Uber also expanded Uber Bike to 100 more cities, bringing its network to 225 cities.

Yatra Online Uses Travel Disruption to Go Deeper Into Corporate Travel

India's Yatra Online is leveraging geopolitical disruption (such as the Iran war) that has reduced international business travel to accelerate its expansion into the corporate travel market, including expanding its corporate technology platform, Travel Pro, and expense management tools, and entering the Middle East via a partnership with Kanoo Travel.

High-Paying Foreign Guests Still Missing in India, Oberoi Says

India's Oberoi hotel group said Middle East conflict cut international arrivals by ~10%, but strong domestic demand and extra marketing helped revenue grow 15% to INR 7 billion. The company is reducing employee working hours to curb attrition and plans nearly 30 new hotels by 2031, including a large Bengaluru project and The Oberoi London in 2028.

Tata Sons Chairman to Exit, Air India Faces Leadership Transition

Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran announced he will not seek another term after February 2027, as his extension failed to win unanimous board support. Air India reported a net loss of INR 222 billion in fiscal 2026, with revenue down nearly 9%, and a new CEO will replace departing Campbell Wilson. The turnaround timeline has been extended to 5-10 years.

Lemon Tree Hotels Targets UAE, Thailand, and Maldives to Follow Indian Travelers

Lemon Tree Hotels, India's mid-market hotel group, plans to expand internationally, prioritizing the UAE, Thailand, and the Maldives, all within roughly three hours' flying time from India. Executive Chairman Patanjali Keswani noted that about 45% of demand comes from repeat guests, and the company has a loyalty program with approximately 2.5 million members. The company is also restructuring, splitting into asset-light Lemon Tree Hotels and ownership arm Fleur Hotels, with a separate listing for Fleur targeted for the first half of 2027.

Uber, Amex GBT, and others report strong Q2 earnings

PhocusWire rounds up earnings from major travel companies: Uber gross bookings up 24% to $58B; Amex GBT revenue up 35% with transactions up 41%; MakeMyTrip and Ixigo show mixed results in India; Lyft active riders exceed 30 million. AI adoption is key to improving efficiency and customer experience.

Airbnb accelerates hotel push: Q2 results beat expectations

Airbnb highlighted that its hotel initiative is exceeding expectations during its Q2 earnings call, partnering with Lark to add over 75 boutique properties. Hotels account for a single-digit percentage of nights but are growing three times faster than homes. Revenue rose 17% to $3.6 billion, and AI reduced customer service costs by 16%.

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.

Google Maps Updates Ask Maps with Hotel and Event Discovery

Google Maps has updated its conversational interface Ask Maps with hotel and local event discovery, extending the service to more countries. Users can ask for hotels with specific price ranges and ratings using natural language, and Ask Maps returns real-time prices and availability, along with suggestions for nearby activities and booking links. Personal Intelligence has been added, allowing users to connect Ask Maps to Gmail for trip-related suggestions. The service is now available in over 150 countries, including Australia, Brazil, and Canada.

Startup Bizey Aims to Streamline T&E with AI

India-based startup Bizey, founded in 2025, offers an AI-powered travel procurement and expense compliance platform that integrates travel booking, expense management, approvals, policy compliance, and more. It uses a SaaS subscription model and plans to add premium features to increase revenue.

IHG Opens First Vignette Collection Hotel in India and South West Asia

IHG Hotels & Resorts has opened The Aarlis Hotel Panchkula, marking the debut of its Vignette Collection brand in India and South West Asia. The 145-room property, set against the Shivalik hills, offers contemporary luxury with local character, featuring multiple dining venues, a spa, and approximately 30,000 sq. ft. of meetings and events space. Vignette Collection now includes 34 hotels across 17 countries, with 45 more in the pipeline.

MakeMyTrip Q1 FY27 results: Gross bookings up 19.9% YoY

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.

MakeMyTrip to report Q1 FY2027 results on August 3

MakeMyTrip Limited announced it will report its fiscal 2027 first quarter financial and operating results on August 3, 2026. The release will be posted on its IR website, followed by a live Zoom webinar.

30 Sundays raises $6.7M Series A for AI travel planning

AI-powered vacation planning and booking tool 30 Sundays raised $6.7 million in Series A, bringing total funding to $7.5 million. Led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with existing investors Info Edge Ventures and Eximius Ventures increasing stakes. India-based, it offers video itineraries and conversational interface, with annualized gross booking value over $20 million from four destinations. Funds will boost product, tech, AI teams, marketing, and expand to new geographies and family segments.