Today Booking.com announced the launch of a new accelerator program, Bookingcom Booster, designed to jump start innovation. The new 3-week program gives startups the chance to pitch for grants of up to €500,000 euro.
Travel Technology
Airbnb Really Is the Big Bad Wolf
The hotel industry is in a nightmare of dire concerns over a beleaguered hospitality market. Airbnb and the impact the so-called “sharing economy” is on every hotelier’s mind, and understandably. The industry is for all intents and purposes, lost in a forest like Little Red Riding Hood trying to figure how much business the Big Bad Wolf […]
TrustYou Study Eyeballs Customer Booking Habits
A recent TrustYou travel industry study reveals the factors really affecting the consumer decision-making process. The study tracked the decision making path of travelers as they searched for accommodations etc.
State of Hotel Tech: Shop Before Buying
The day may come when a hotel guest expects and gets a real Orwellian experience out of their stay. At least this is a dreamscape that could take place if unbridled tech geeks are put in charge.
Airbnb Eyeballs Tilt Payment App
Airbnb is eyeballing a deal to acquire the payment app Tilt for between $10 and $20 million. If the deal goes through it will probably amount to an employee hire and some back end tech only.
AR Will Change the Hotel Experience Forever
For those who thought augmented and virtual reality technologies were just for gamers, news from Chinese search giant Baidu tells of the company building an AR lab to research and build experiences for the digital world. Across the spectrum of the mobile-digital realm, companies are in a frenzied uptake mode for developing and launching AR capability. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the travel, booking, and hospitality experience spaces.
India’s Ixigo Acquires Mobile Content Startup Reach
Ixigo, the Indian travel search service has announced buying mobile content startup Reach in order to branch out into a wider mobile commerce territory.
Nissan/Renault acquires down and out ride startup Karhoo
French automaker Renault has just acquired taxi metasearch app Karhoo, according to the news from Tnooz. In a deal undertaken by Renault’s wholly owned bank RCI, the business which acquired the assets of Karhoo from the administrators of the startup.
Lola Travel Gets $15 Mil, A+ in Responsiveness, and a Wink
News Kayak founder Paul English has just raised $15 million in funding for his Lola Travel Co. is a shot in the arm for a travel tech industry stagnant since months. According to the news, Lola received a fresh infusion of capital from Charles River Ventures, General Catalyst and Accel.. Here’s a brief snapshot of a new company that says it’s going to provide on-demand, personal service to the world of travelers.
Sabre Labs Reveals Tech Trends a Dozen Years Out
Sabre Labs, a division of Sabre Corporation, has just released research on how the latest technologies that can have a significant impact on the tourism sector. The report unveils the potential for the next twelve years and tells of three major tech trends that will affect the tourism market for 2017.
Russian Railways Launches “Swift” Service Moscow-Berlin
Russian Railways has just commissioned “Swift” express rail services in between Moscow and Berlin. The streamlined new train makes use of Spanish coaches equipped for rapid exchange of wheels designed for Russian-European gauge tracks.
The Power of Platinum Town: Plateno Collection 2017 Brands Well
Last week China’s biggest hotel brand offered up the Plateno Collection Show 2017 at Pazhou Poly World TradeCenter Exhibition Hall in Guangzhou, China. Held in between December 9th and 12th, the unique hotel brand fashion show pushed the envelope where industry perception of what a hotel should be.