Hugo Pellegrin

🛫 Theta Travel Tech, led by CEO Cyril Guiraud, will deploy AI integration in travel agency reservation systems starting June 2025. The initiative aims to enhance agent training and boost conversion rates. AI will function as an overlay in existing tools, facilitating natural language queries and offering travel options scored for relevance. Discussions are ongoing with a Latin American agency network for a potential white-label launch. The use of generic LLMs and specialized travel SLMs supports data-driven decisions.

🗺️ Ray Chen, CEO of Vacations at Trip.com Group, spoke at Envision 2025 in Shanghai about integrating AI into the travel process. Notably, AI boosts conversion rates by 3%, automates 80% of customer service requests, and reduces labor costs by 60%. The precision of AI-fueled feedback analysis reaches 95%. The company's Net Promoter Score rose by 21% in 2024. Trip.com operates in over 150 countries, collaborating with 6,000 travel agencies.

📅 Mirai boosts hotel direct bookings with a new engine. When? 2025. How? Aims for 56% conversion increase for multi-room searches. What? Multi-room bookings form 9% of bookings and 18% of revenue. Engine features guided navigation, summary cart, quick edits, and a calendar for lowest rates. Offers alternative dates and group suggestions for unavailable rooms, reclaiming 0.6% more bookings. Who? Independent hotels and chains benefit. Where? Integrated directly with hotel domains.

📷 In 2025, Google is set to release Android XR-powered smart glasses, following the Google Glass flop. The device offers hands-free travel experiences, featuring AI assistant Gemini. It includes a camera, microphone, speakers, and a display for navigation. Partnerships with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker are announced. In 2024, 1 million Meta-Ray Ban glasses were sold. Google aims to capitalize on AI advancements in natural language and computer vision to enhance multimodal interactions.

🛫 2025, Direct Travel and GBTA survey, 195 business travel managers, global. 36% highlight limitations in TMC tech tools. 57% report booking issues; 76% traveler distrust in official hotel booking channels. 28% plan to switch TMCs. 41% cite inconsistent service, 89% rising costs as major issues. 80% note partial integration of event management, 55% desire automated receipt capture, 45% seek AI planning tools. TMCs face pressure to enhance tech solutions and services.