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The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) welcomes the political agreement on EU air passenger rights reform, which preserves compensation rights of €250-€600 for delays over three hours and strengthens airlines' obligations to inform and assist passengers. GBTA urges EU member states to implement the rules clearly and consistently to boost business traveler confidence.
Phocuswright reports Germany's travel gross bookings reached €76.3 billion in 2025, up 5%, making it Europe's largest outbound market. Despite two years of GDP contraction and geopolitical disruption, Germans redirected to Southern Europe. The report projects ~4% annual growth from 2027 if Middle East conflict eases. Germany is increasingly digital: 77% of trips include at least one online booking, and 17% use AI for travel planning.
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.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published its second report under Article 89 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, assessing the interdependencies between aviation safety and socio-economic factors affecting safety-critical personnel. Based on surveys, occurrence data from the European Central Repository, and operational datasets, the report found no substantive safety concerns or systemic causal relationship between socio-economic factors and adverse safety outcomes. However, fatigue and lack of communication were consistent factors, and data limitations were identified. EASA will enhance collaboration with Member States and industry to improve data collection and safety promotion.
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.
Booking.com released the sixth edition of its European Accommodation Barometer, based on a survey of 1,240 executives and managers across 24 markets. Overall, 66% of accommodations expect positive development in the next 12 months, and 60% report a strong economic situation. However, gaps exist between large chains and small independents: 72% of chains report positive economic conditions vs 55% of independents. Cybersecurity readiness also varies, with 94% of large properties feeling prepared vs 60% of small ones.
Danish startup Opally offers an AI receptionist platform that handles guest communication across email, chat, voice, WhatsApp, and social media. Integrated with hotel management systems like Mews and Apaleo, it has grown to over 50 hotels in five European countries in less than a year.
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.
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…
OneReg, an aviation compliance platform, secured $4.4 million in Series A funding co-led by Alterned Capital and Co:Act Capital. The funds will accelerate expansion into the UK and Europe, and boost sales, customer success, and product development. Founded in New Zealand in 2020, OneReg is used by airlines and airports across New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East, and the US, with triple-digit revenue growth.
The European Commission has proposed the 'Passenger Package' comprising three proposals: rail ticketing, multimodal booking, and passenger protection for single tickets. The rail proposals would oblige railway operators with a national market share over 50% (currently only state-run operators) to open their online ticketing services to any requesting operator. Ticketing platforms must display offers neutrally, including sorting by greenhouse gas emissions where feasible. Passengers who miss connections during multi-operator journeys would receive full passenger rights protection, including assistance, rerouting, reimbursement, and compensation. The proposals are now under consideration by t…
Italy-based Smartness has raised €47 million in Series B funding led by United Ventures and CDP Venture Capital SGR, with participation from existing investor Partech. The company's agentic AI platform automates operations for hotels and vacation rentals, serving over 5,000 customers in 41 countries. The funding will support European expansion, with a goal to triple revenue in 2026.
DirectBooker, an aggregator connecting hotels to AI assistants, has announced supply agreements with five hotel chains including BWH Hotels and Radisson Hotel Group, and launched an app in ChatGPT and a connector in Claude. Founded by former Tripadvisor and Google Travel executives, the company uses model context protocol (MCP) to deliver real-time availability and rates to AI platforms. DirectBooker aims to help hotels capture direct bookings in AI-driven search, reducing reliance on OTAs.
Clarasight, a data management specialist for corporate travel, has secured $11.5 million in a Series A round led by AlleyCorp. The funding will support product development and expansion across North America and Europe. The platform integrates data from TMCs, expense tools, card programs, and HR systems into an AI-ready model, replacing manual processes and catching out-of-policy spend.
Berlin-based startup Nox Mobility raised €2 million in pre-seed funding to develop a private-cabin overnight rail model in Europe. The round was led by IBB Ventures, with participation from investor Tommaso Lucca and HomeToGo co-founder Patrick Andrae. Funds will grow the team, build a full-scale mock-up, and prepare for first routes launching in 2027. The company notes European night trains declined from ~1,200 per week in 2001 to 450 in 2019. Its model offers private rooms instead of shared compartments, targeting leisure and business travelers; business travelers already account for 30% of night train users in France.
Airbnb has partnered with Welcome Pickups to offer private car transfers as part of its Services. The service is available in more than 125 cities across Asia, Europe, and Latin America, allowing guests to pre-book a car in the Airbnb app between their listing and point of arrival or departure. It follows a trial earlier this year. Airbnb's chief business officer Dave Stephenson said this is just the start of expanding the offering.
Eterniti, a luxury rental and property management group focused on villas and ski chalets, has raised €30 million from Amethyst III, a fund under Limestone Capital, bringing total funding to €50 million. The funds will be used for selective expansion, operational improvements, and technology enhancements. The company manages 800 rentals across 25 locations in the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean, operating three brands: Bo House, Verbier Exclusive, and Emerald Stay.
Uber is partnering with autonomous driving company Pony.ai and Verne to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Europe, starting with Zagreb, Croatia. On-road testing has begun, and Uber is investing in Verne to support expansion. The partnership aims to scale autonomous ride-hailing, with plans to grow the fleet to thousands over the next few years. This move is part of Uber's broader strategy to become a major facilitator of autonomous vehicle trips, following recent partnerships with Rivian, Zoox, and others.
Spend management platform Ramp has acquired guest travel startup Juno, planning to operate it independently while supporting its own travel offerings. Juno, founded by Pana's founders, launched last year and raised $6 million. Juno will retain its brand and team, and continue partnerships with TMCs like Altour, Direct Travel, and BCD Travel. Ramp plans to expand into Europe.
Airbnb co-founder and chief strategy officer Nathan Blecharczyk said at ITB Berlin that Airbnb is actively pursuing its hotels vertical, starting with cities like New York and San Francisco, adding hotel-specific features like room type selection. He discussed AI use in customer support and future personal travel agents, and expressed confidence against disintermediation due to strong supply-side relationships. He also noted 60% of Airbnb's business in Europe is outside cities and announced a $1 million fund with the German Tourism Association to promote non-urban travel.
Ground transport platforms like BlaBlaCar, Rome2Rio, Travelier, and Flix are competing for the A-to-B journey through expansion, acquisitions, and AI. Fragmentation creates opportunities, and new EU regulations will boost multimodal digital booking. AI agents may reshape competition, but trust and data accuracy become crucial.
European vacation rental company Holidu has acquired German portal Bestfewo.de for an undisclosed amount. Bestfewo will operate independently but integrate into Holidu's software. This is Holidu's 13th acquisition, expanding its host base in Germany and leveraging AI for fast integration.
European low-cost carrier Volotea has chosen to adopt Navitaire Stratos, an Amadeus company, to accelerate its retailing transformation. The cloud-native, AI-powered dynamic retailing portfolio simplifies and personalizes the travel experience with tailored offers, an easy-to-use shopping cart, and expanded self-service options, while enabling more efficient operations and revenue growth.
OAG released Megahubs 2025 in its tenth anniversary year. London Heathrow (LHR) ranked the world's top Megahub for a third consecutive year, with international destinations growing 24% over the past decade. Istanbul (IST) surged from 8th to 2nd with a 25% increase in potential connections, where Turkish Airlines operates 79% of flights. Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) completed an all-European top three. Kuala Lumpur (KUL) took joint fourth, the highest-ranked Asian airport and leader in low-cost connectivity, with AirAsia accounting for 36% of flights.