Fusion & Acquisition

📈 Airbnb's 2025 revenue hit $12.2 billion, up 10%, but net profit dipped to $2.5 billion, $100 million less than in 2024. EBITDA rose from $4 billion to $4.3 billion. With 533 million bookings (+8%), Airbnb expanded into air travel. Hotel nights, under 10% of total volume, saw double-digit growth. CFO Ellie Mertz highlighted plans to boost hotel offerings by 2026, targeting U.S. and European cities combating short-term rentals. Hotel search options were added in September.

🏠 Booking.com announced 1.81 million Traveller Review Awards 2026 winners across 221 countries. Italy topped with 214,666 awards, followed by France (170,596) and Spain (152,292). In France, Arc 1950 was the most welcoming city. Globally, Montepulciano, Italy, was highlighted as the top welcoming city. Bulgaria showed the highest growth with a 68% increase in awards. Apartments dominated as accommodation types with 901,481 awards. Airport transfer services increased by 11% with 137 recognized partners.

🎵 Universal Music Group has entered the hotel industry by forming strategic partnerships rather than operating hotels themselves. Utilizing their global music catalog and artist ecosystem, they collaborate with experienced partners like Dakia Ventures Group in Spain and Pyramid Hotel Group in the USA. UMusic Hotels, led by CEO Robert Lavia, aims to create lifestyle hotels centered around music experiences. The first project is underway in Madrid, integrating music at every customer touchpoint.

✈️ Amadeus and ICAO signed an MoU supporting the "No Country Left Behind" initiative. The aim is to enhance digital adoption in international air transport systems for safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Amadeus will provide expertise in travel tech, digital identity, biometrics, and data management. Key goals include achieving safe and sustainable air transport by 2050. A roadmap for this partnership will be set, with initial results expected by the first half of 2026.

📶 uCloudlink, based in Hong Kong, presented its connectivity innovations at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, targeting uninterrupted connections for travelers. The MeowGo G50 Max hub combines terrestrial and satellite networks, enabling continuous connectivity, even in areas lacking cell coverage. Partnering with Skylo Technologies, it provides bidirectional messaging and SOS services in 70% of areas without cell signals. uCloudlink has a presence in over 200 countries, offering solutions under the GlocalMe brand.

🌍 FairMoove acquires TraceDirecte, a bespoke travel specialist founded in 2011 by Olivier Catrou, enhancing their responsible travel offerings across 35 destinations with 20,000 travelers served and €4.5 million revenue. This strategic move will help FairMoove reach €15 million in total revenues. Co-founders Jean-Pierre Nadir and Corinne Louison aim to expand responsible tourism impact. Olivier Catrou joins FairMoove as a shareholder to continue developing personalized travel experiences.

🚗 Uber and Lyft, in partnership with Baidu, will launch autonomous taxis in London by the first half of 2026. This initiative is part of a UK government pilot program to advance autonomous vehicle legislation. Lyft will initially test dozens of Baidu’s RT6 electric vehicles, scaling to hundreds, pending approval. Uber’s trials, alongside Wayve, will start early 2026. Baidu's Apollo Go service, operational in 22 Chinese cities, conducts 250,000 weekly autonomous trips, indicating strong operational experience.

🚗 Assemblée à Douai et animée par un moteur de Cléon, l’Alpine A290, nouvelle icône du « made in France », séduit sur les routes normandes, notamment à Dieppe. Destinée à convertir les plus réticents à l'électrique, l’A290, version musclée de la Renault 5, partage le titre de « Voiture de l’année 2025 ». Mesurant 3,99 mètres, elle se vend entre 38,700 € et 44,700 €, offrant efficacité et sportivité.

🎰 Trois projets de casinos à New York ont été approuvés par la Commission des jeux. L'État vise 1,5 milliard de dollars en droits de licence et près de 6 milliards en taxes. Steve Cohen, associé à Hard Rock, construira le Metropolitan Park de 8 milliards de dollars dans le Queens. Genting Resorts proposera un projet à 5,6 milliards de dollars, également dans le Queens. Les recettes fiscales prévues entre 2027 et 2036 sont d'environ 7 milliards de dollars.

💻 Clear, December 2025, USA: Clear ID, a free mobile app, launches to allow over 33 million members to use digital IDs at 250+ TSA checkpoints. ????✈️ With a US passport, users upload it into the app and generate a TSA-accepted QR code for domestic flights. Even non-Clear+ members benefit, simplifying airport security while maintaining data privacy. The TSA advises travelers to keep physical IDs handy.