Expedia Group西雅图总部裁员58人
根据联邦WARN通知，Expedia Group将在西雅图总部永久裁员58人，涉及数据科学家、财务经理、高级会计师、高级财务分析师和软件开发工程师等岗位，并计划裁减多名副总裁。裁员预计在2026年11月21日至12月1日之间生效。部分裁员源于或导致业务或岗位的迁移或外包。Expedia Group旗下拥有Expedia、Hotels.com、Vrbo、Travelocity、Orbitz等平台。
#旅游科技
#旅游科技
Today3itemsHotel Dive FeedAI Rating4747 Skift FeedAI Rating7878 Booking Holdings推出AI助手Lola，Kayak联合创始人操刀
Booking Holdings全资推出AI助手Lola，由Kayak联合创始人Steve Hafner与Paul English打造，于周二上线。Lola并非Booking.com内的AI功能，而是定位为OTA本身，目标是在一次对话中把旅客从开放式想法带到完成预订。Hafner直接向CEO Glenn Fogel汇报，并获得“绿地”授权，从零开始写代码和建品牌。团队已开发五个月，约20名员工分布在纽约与马萨诸塞州剑桥。
Skift FeedAI Rating4242 Skift欧洲数据与AI峰会：五项待决抉择
Skift将于2026年10月6日在伦敦举办数据与AI峰会欧洲场，围绕欧洲旅游业AI落地的五项关键抉择展开：合规与速度、本地自建与全球采购、碎片化与规模化、在位者与挑战者、控制权与可见度。峰会指出，欧盟AI透明度规则已于8月生效，违规最高可罚1500万欧元或全球营业额3%；法国法院裁定AI工具试点前也需进行劳资委员会协商。欧洲AI旅游初创企业2026年前三季度融资1.58亿美元，占欧洲已披露风险投资的20%以上；2026年上半年欧洲AI融资的73%集中于38家公司。
TravelDaily China TourMind Group and Alibaba Cloud Sign Full-Stack AI Cooperation Agreement
On September 23, TourMind Future (Hangzhou) Technology Co. and Alibaba Cloud signed a full-stack AI cooperation agreement to combine the Qwen large model with TourMind's travel service capabilities. The partners will focus on a 'super AI travel butler,' jointly validating long-term trip memory, multi-turn planning, task dormancy and wake-up, and secure sandboxes. They will also explore multimodal content production for travel images, videos and copy, plus pilots in customer profiling, AI sales coaching and overseas email customer service. The cooperation follows a path of small-scale pilots, business-value validation and gradual rollout.
TravelDaily China AI Travel Entrepreneur Tests GPT: Personal Trip Planning Process Rewritten
At the 2026 TravelDaily Summit, Li Shaohua, co-founder and CEO of Beijing Shilv Network Technology, shared his views on travel AI applications and investment trends. He said AI plus travel has entered execution-layer competition: models understand intent, agents organize tasks, but fulfillment still requires travel companies. He personally tested GPT-5.6 for U.S. trip planning and concluded GPT has rewritten the personal travel service process, though booking and payment remain gaps. Surveys show 61% of U.S. consumers use agent services, but only 8% book directly through AI.
Skift Feed Chenault on Travel Membership and AI-Driven Integration
At Skift Global Forum, Kenneth Chenault, Chairman & Managing Director of General Catalyst, shared lessons from transforming the Amex Platinum card: build on experiences across the full hospitality journey and segment by services and needs. Amex targeted customers in their late 20s and early 30s, and within two years roughly 35% of new Platinum customers were 35 or under. He stressed that strong brands balance rational and emotional values. Long Lake, backed by General Catalyst, used a proprietary AI platform called Nexus to lift revenue growth from 5% to 15-20%; its first acquisition took six months to integrate, while the fifth took three weeks. That model is now being tested at scale with…
Web in Travel Agoda report: Asia's developers grant AI more autonomy but keep human accountability
Agoda released its AI Developer Report 2026, covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and India. 53% of surveyed developers already use AI agents in production or broadly, led by Thailand at 64%; the share saving seven or more hours a week rose to 55% from 18% in 2025; 71% expect AI agents to handle most development work within three years, while 79% still require human approval for production deployment. Cost is the top barrier at 28%.
Business Travel News Travelogix and Kudos Partner on Integrated Tech Offering
Travel data specialist Travelogix has partnered with Brisbane, Australia-based Kudos Travel Technology, with the two working as preferred technology partners to offer a more connected technology ecosystem. Current and prospective customers of both companies gain access to their respective platforms, and mutual customers can move seamlessly between platforms via new single sign-on capabilities tested with joint customer Sanford Travel, an Australia-based TMC. TMCs do not need to be customers of both providers to access shared capabilities, though doing so incurs an additional cost. The agreement initially focuses on preferred territories across the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia, while establis…
Skift Feed Uber CEO: Hotel Booking Is a 'Generalized Bet' as Travelers Come to Us
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said at the Skift Global Forum in New York that the company's April launch of hotel booking in its app through a partnership with Expedia was part of a "generalized bet" on the direction of the travel industry. He said that because Uber operates in more than 70 countries and delivers in more than 100, the traveler comes to Uber.
TravelDaily China 2026 TravelDaily Summit: AI Reshapes Travel Entry Points and Supply Chains
The 2026 TravelDaily Summit & Digital Travel Show was held on September 22-23, 2026 at the Shanghai International Convention Center under the theme of change, drawing more than 1,700 senior executives from OTA, hotel, airline, cruise, TMC, destination, travel technology, cultural-tourism consumption and investment segments. Sessions covered AI-driven industry change, shifts in global travel consumption and the restructuring of travel supply chains. TravelDaily CEO Li Chao said that as AI enters travel search, planning, customer service, development and operations, competition will return to the industrial base: real supply, inventory and pricing, fulfillment efficiency, experience design, c…
TravelDaily China 2026 TravelDaily Summit set for Sept 22-23 in Shanghai with 1,600+ executives confirmed
TravelDaily announced its 2026 TravelDaily Summit will be held September 22-23 at the Shanghai International Convention Center, with registration closing soon. Organisers say more than 1,600 travel industry executives have confirmed attendance, and the attendee directory lists over 1,800 mid-to-senior industry professionals, 70% at director level or above. The summit features three forums, over 100 speakers from leading companies and 30+ core sessions spanning corporate buyers, hotels, airlines, car rental, destinations, TMCs and travel agencies, and travel technology, with exhibition, standard and VIP ticket tiers.
Sabre Newsroom Sabre Study: Travel Companies Accelerate AI Investment Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty
Sabre released the 'Compass: Navigating the Fog' report, combining Cantor Fitzgerald macroeconomic analysis and a survey of 140+ travel executives. Findings show 27% of executives are accelerating AI investment, 41% protecting their core roadmap, 15% pivoting spend to cost reduction, and only 17% curbing modernization spend. Geopolitical instability is the top threat, ranked No. 1 by 75% of respondents. 66% of executives are confident about the next 12 months, rising to 73% among travel agencies.
TravelDaily China 2026 TravelDaily Summit and Business Travel Digital Tourism Expo to be Held in Shanghai in September
The 2026 TravelDaily Summit will be held on September 22-23 at Shanghai International Convention Center, alongside the 2026 Business Travel & Digital Tourism Expo. The expo focuses on business travel resources and online travel technology, gathering hotel groups, airlines, car rental companies, cruise lines, visa services, and companies in travel tech, digital marketing, fintech, and OTAs. 49 companies have become sponsors or exhibitors. Over 1,800 travel industry executives are expected, with 70% at director level or above.
Amadeus Newsroom Amadeus delivers new hotel distribution capabilities with HyperGuest
Amadeus announced two new hotel distribution capabilities, available through Amadeus Leisure Connect Plus and Amadeus Value Hotels, powered by a strategic connectivity with HyperGuest. Leisure Connect Plus helps travel sellers digitally manage and distribute their own private hotel agreements within the Amadeus Travel Platform, with a single connection accessing 150+ channel managers via real-time APIs to automate rate and availability updates. The HyperGuest connectivity adds 15,000 directly sourced independent properties to Amadeus Value Hotels and provides richer, more granular content including rate plan information, property attributes and optional services.
Web in Travel Klook's Creator Program: Surviving the Red Ocean of Content
Klook hosted Kreatorverse 2026 in Phu Quoc, discussing challenges in the creator economy. Executives emphasized that human judgment, community, and authenticity are scarce resources in an era of AI-generated content abundance. Klook converts content into bookings through Kreator Shops and maintains long-term relationships through community.
Skift Feed Amadeus Brings Travel Tech Into Claude Code and Cowork
Amadeus announced a partnership with Anthropic to integrate its flight and destination content into Claude Code for developers, and plans a Claude Cowork plugin for travel professionals to access its systems via chat. This move reflects the trend of AI assistants becoming the place where software is built and work gets done.
Web in Travel AI Travel Startup iWander Launches iOS App for On-Demand Guided Tours
London-based startup iWander has launched a consumer iOS app that uses generative AI to create personalized narrated walking tours in about 30 seconds, drawing on a database of 6.5 million places. Previously operating as a B2B2C service for partners like City Sightseeing, the company now goes direct-to-consumer. Co-founder Marius Nigond says the app can book attractions and restaurants, with a long-term vision to compete with OTAs but using an experience-first approach.
Business Travel News Amadeus Partners with Anthropic for Tool Integration and Developer Access
Amadeus announced a collaboration with AI company Anthropic to integrate its applications into the Claude Cowork desktop agent and provide real-time travel content to developers via Claude Code. This aims to let users access Amadeus systems in plain language within AI workflows, reducing the need to switch between closed systems. Amadeus earlier shut down its self-service API portal, and this partnership is seen as a natural evolution.
Skift Feed What Hotelbeds' Shrinking Margins Mean for Hotel Distribution
HBX Group, parent of Hotelbeds, the world's largest independent hotel bed bank, expects flat-to-lower revenue and declining adjusted EBITDA despite adding over EUR 1 billion in travel volume this year. The core issue is take-rate compression: the spread per booking dropped from a 9% prospectus assumption to 7.3% in Q3 FY2026, the lowest since listing. Drivers include a shift to lower-margin third-party supply and OTA channels, partner margin pressure, the Middle East conflict (a roughly 3-point growth drag), and rising fintech penetration. Structurally, with Expedia, Booking, WebBeds, TBO, and RateHawk all offering inventory via APIs, access to hotel rooms is no longer the moat it once was.…
Agoda Newsroom Agoda Announces Leadership Team Updates and New CFO
Digital travel platform Agoda has announced updates to its leadership team, including several internal appointments and the arrival of a new Chief Financial Officer. Ittai Chorev has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, Matteo Frigerio as Chief Product Officer, Kris Suebjaklap promoted to Senior Vice President of Marketing, and Oliver Webster joined as CFO. These changes aim to clarify leadership responsibilities across key business areas.
Skift Feed Travel's AI Reckoning Has Arrived
A Skift podcast discusses the reality of AI adoption in travel: Google reportedly paid $10 million for Spirit Airlines' data, Airbnb shows real AI-driven savings, while Booking reports AI accounts for less than 1% of room nights. The industry focus shifts from AI hype to data, trust, and ROI.
Skift Feed Travel Has Started Weighing AI’s Worth
Travel's AI race is entering a more disciplined phase, with companies increasingly explicit about AI's value. Booking and Airbnb demonstrate measurable ROI: Airbnb's support cost per booking fell ~16% YoY, with ~45% of issues resolved without a human. Expedia's recommendations and search ranking boost conversions, while natural-language search yields 60%+ more traveler-intent data but not yet direct conversions. Sabre and Amadeus invest in AI infrastructure ahead of clear payoff, viewing consumer agentic travel as medium-to-long-term.
PhocusWire All News PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Mews, Agoda, Spotnana and more
This week's travel tech news: FCM appoints chief customer officer; Agoda launches partner portal; Mews secures e-money license; TourRadar launches loyalty program; Spotnana integrates with Singapore Airlines NDC; AirDNA launches Rentalizer Agent; Ryanair partners with Google Cloud.
PhocusWire All News Case studies on AI in travel highlight data, trust and bottleneck challenges
At Phocuswright Europe 2026, TravlrID, TrustYou, and The Hotels Network presented AI case studies. TrustYou built a memory layer from 1.6 million properties and 250 million reviews; TravlrID worked with Scania to automate traveler profiles; Lighthouse unveiled Ernest. Challenges include cost, trust, and API bottlenecks.
Skift Feed More Travel Leaders Join the Skift Global Forum 2026 Stage
Skift has unveiled the second round of speakers for Skift Global Forum 2026, held under the theme "Travel's Great Recalibration." The lineup spans ride-hailing, cruise, hotels, airlines, OTAs, AI labs, and venture capital, including CEOs from Expedia, Airbnb, Hilton, Uber, Booking Holdings, Accor, Wyndham, Carnival Cruise Line, and Qatar Airways, plus AI and investment figures. Recurring themes include who owns the traveler as AI agents mediate bookings, how the discovery-to-booking interface is shifting, and how hospitality and airlines make growth and pricing calls amid geopolitical and fuel-driven volatility.
PhocusWire All News Startup Strut Builds Booking Systems for Motels
PhocusWire covers startup Strut, founded by Matt Rose, building booking engines for independent American motels and hotels. Strut offers booking software and guest information integration, priced at $999 setup plus $349/month for Front Desk, $449 plus $149 for Network, taking 7% only on Strut-delivered guests.
PhocusWire All News Amadeus Adjusts 2026 Guidance, Air Distribution Hit by Middle East Conflict
Amadeus has adjusted its 2026 guidance due to the Middle East conflict, lowering group revenue growth expectation from around 4.5% to around 2%. Air distribution revenue growth is now expected at low to mid-single digit. Q2 bookings fell 7.6%, but the company cites diversification as mitigating impact.
PhocusWire All News PhocusWire's Travel Tech News Briefs: Katanox, Airbnb, Amex GBT and More
This week's travel tech news: Katanox names Rob Torres chairman; Airbnb appoints David Spielfogel as global head of public policy; Amex GBT launches Egencia AI connector; HBX Group partners with Sabre; RMS integrates with TrustYou; Atlas adds Volaris, and more.
PhocusWire All News Travel startup funding and M&A highlights in Q2 2026
Travel startup funding was relatively quiet in Q2 2026, with deals concentrated in seed and Series B rounds, and one notable Series C. Notable Series B rounds include hotel tech company Smartness raising €47 million and India-based hostel company The Hosteller announcing $16 million. WeRoad secured a $58 million Series C led by Airbnb. Clarasight raised an $11.5 million Series A. Despite the seeming lack of funding, investors are bullish on the outlook. Phocuswright data shows funding reached $1.7 billion in the first five months of the year, up from $1.1 billion in 2025. On the M&A front, Expedia Group's acquisition of CarTrawler, Juniper's acquisition of Deem, and Lighthouse's acquisition…
PhocusWire All News Travel tech news briefs: American Airlines, Spotnana, Hostaway and more
This week's travel tech briefs include: American Airlines adds Venmo and expands digital disruption tools; Spotnana introduces multiagent AI architecture; Travelport signs distribution deals with Air Zimbabwe and Aeroitalia; BCD Travel launches next-gen Tripsource; Engine Groups becomes free; Hostaway appoints executives; Wego partners with Valu for BNPL; SAS deploys Amadeus AI pricing.
PhocusWire All News AI's success in travel hinges on human involvement
At Sabre Compass '26, experts discussed AI adoption in travel. Behavioral scientist Isabel Macdonald emphasized team involvement and clear mental models for AI adoption. Malo Santo CEO X. Eyee noted AI should not replace humans but remove machine work; humans handle governance, compliance, and judgment. Companies must plan for failures, cost injections, and operational issues.
PhocusWire All News Startup Chaty uses AI receptionist to help tour operators manage inbound calls
Australian startup Chaty offers an AI receptionist that integrates with booking systems to help tour and activity operators handle inbound calls and website inquiries, checking live availability and completing bookings. It uses a usage-based SaaS model with monthly fees from $29 to $379, and integrates with platforms like FareHarbor and Rezdy.
PhocusWire All News PhocusWire travel tech news briefs: Expedia, BCD, Klook and more
This week's travel tech news includes: Expedia signs exclusive distribution deal with Allegiant; BCD Travel launches AI analytics platform Tripsource Insights; Thai Aviation Industries, Edgewater, and Amadeus partner to modernize airport operations; Grapevine and Jyrney partner for text/voice ride-hailing; Klook renews MOU with Korea Tourism Organization, and more.
PhocusWire All News Travel Tech News Briefs: Southwest, Dida, PriceLabs and More
This week's travel tech news: Klarna partners with Southwest Airlines for flexible payments; IBS Group launches AI company Naviq Technology; WeRoad names US general manager; NextTrip adds ad sales executives; Journey Beyond appoints First Nations engagement GM; PriceLabs launches mobile app and AI connector; Dida launches AI booking gateway Dida MCP.
PhocusWire All News Travel tech news briefs: TSA, Google, Mindtrip and more
This week's travel tech news includes: Mindtrip partners with Meet Boston for AI trip planning; Hostaway launches AI CoHost; Pikl makes new appointments; TSA partners with Google Wallet for PreCheck Touchless ID; FlightHub adds hotel bookings; Arbitrip powers El Al's hotel booking platform; Travelport adds Air Canada Flight Pass support; Sun Group selects Amadeus loyalty solutions.
PhocusWire All News This Week's Travel Tech News: Marriott, Lake.com, RateGain and More
PhocusWire's roundup of travel tech news: Marriott beta-launches Ask Bonvoy AI search; Hospitable expands lodging tax automation to all 50 US states; Agoda updates trip planning tools; Flae Robotics expands to Germany and Austria; Lonely Planet appoints new executives; Lake.com launches AI assistant Lake Chat; eDreams ODIGEO launches Prime in Latin America; RateGain expands European team; Navan launches meetings platform; Groupize unveils AI-native platform; Avelo introduces disruption assistance; Southwest selects AWS; British Airways upgrades NDC platform; Civitatis partners with Despegar.
PhocusWire All News TravelTech Show and Business Travel Show Europe Name 2026 Innovation Award Winners
TravelTech Show and Business Travel Show Europe, co-located at ExCeL London, announced innovation award winners: Arcube won the TravelTech Show Trailblazer Award for its airline ancillary integration platform; ImpersonAlly won the People's Choice Award for brand impersonation defense. At Business Travel Show Europe, Acai won Business Travel Innovator 2026 for AI-powered travel operations automation; Nowadays won the People's Choice Award for meetings and events management.
PhocusWire All News Winners of the 2026 Global Startup Pitch announced
Eight travel tech startups were named winners of the 2026 Global Startup Pitch at Phocuswright Europe in Barcelona. Winners from Asia Pacific, emerging markets, Europe, and North America will showcase at WiT Singapore in September.
PhocusWire All News Loook: The Storytelling Layer for In-Destination Discovery
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.
PhocusWire All News Top Travel Tech Investors 2026 List Released
PhocusWire released its 2026 list of top travel tech investors, based on activity from May 2025 to May 2026. Investors now prioritize profitability and AI-native startups over the 'travel planning is hard' narrative. Travel tech funding dipped below $5 billion in 2025, but reached $1.7 billion by May 2026. Thayer tops the list for the third year, with corporate venture arms like United Airlines Ventures active.