Hugo Pellegrin

📈 DEPLOYTOUR, a European project funded by the European Commission's Digital Europe program, aims to create a European data exchange infrastructure in the tourism sector to ensure data sovereignty. Coordinated by AnySolution, a Majorcan SME, and including a consortium of 43 actors such as Eona-X, Amadeus, and City Destination Alliance from France, the initiative is in phase 2 of building and deploying the European Tourism Data Space (ETDS). It features 5 pilot projects addressing issues like overtourism, SMEs' access to new technologies, and sustainable competitiveness. Eona X leads a pilot project in Île-de-France focusing on personalized recommendations for business travelers. DEPLOYTOUR, which started in October, is tackling the challenge that 80% of industrial and operational data in Europe is not shared by creating a decentralized and structured access to data, aiming for interoperability of European dataspaces. With a budget exceeding €15 million over 3 years, the project looks to leverage data for AI applications, potentially sparking new European projects focused on AI.

🎱 Cannes is integrating cryptocurrency payments at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès and local businesses, anticipating the 8th Ethereum Community Conference from June 30 to July 3, 2025. Cannes, hosting 3 million visitors annually, half for business tourism, adopts crypto to enhance its international appeal. With global crypto ownership at 8% in 2025, Cannes aims to educate tourism players without mandating crypto usage, while the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès becomes France's first convention center to accept crypto via Coinhouse. Already, 30 local merchants offer crypto payments, and over 450 attended a workshop in early February to learn about crypto.

🛫 Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's new national airline, partners with IBM for AI-driven digital transformation. The airline aims to commence commercial service by the end of 2025 and plans to implement virtual assistants for employees and travelers. By 2030, Riyadh Air targets to serve 330 million passengers annually, relying on a "smart digital base" and AI for improved customer relations and streamlined employee procedures. Watsonx, IBM's AI product suite, and IBM Consulting's AI solutions will be integrated into their operations.

🏖️ In Provence Tourisme, AI is viewed as an inclusivity tool for people with disabilities, such as visual impairments. It's imagined as an end-to-end travel planner, suggesting dates based on personal calendars. Antoine Angeard from ADN Tourisme emphasizes the importance of local data and integrating human contact for authenticity through tools like WhatsApp or hotlines. Charentes Tourisme envisions AI as a means to balance tourism satisfaction with minimal environmental impact, using satisfaction surveys, customer feedback, and satellite data for biodiversity impact assessment.

🔒 In 2024, the aviation sector invested $46 billion in IT, with airlines contributing $37 billion and airports $9 billion. Cybersecurity is a priority for 66% of airlines and 73% of airports, especially in Europe, where 81% consider it their top concern—highlighted by recent cyberattacks on Milan airports. The digital transition to the cloud and data security is critical for around 50% of carriers and 75% of airports. 90% of airlines have adopted data platforms, and 42% are organizing resources for AI projects. By 2026, over half of airports plan to use biometric registration and baggage systems, while 70% of airlines will implement biometric identity management to alleviate congestion and speed up wait times.