Innovation

📅 Accor, a global hospitality leader, will unveil its new digital reservation system, MeetingPackage, by late 2025. This platform will integrate 5,600 hotels and resorts globally, offering access to 2.5 million m² of event spaces and over 800,000 rooms. Enhancing group management and business clientele service, Accor aims to leverage a business travel market projected to grow from $933 billion in 2022 to $1.4 trillion by 2026, with additional features anticipated in 2026.

🌎 En 2025, à Shanghai et Chengdu, Acciona Living & Culture lance une expérience de réalité virtuelle immersive en partenariat avec le musée du Prado. En juin et juillet, les visiteurs chinois pourront interagir avec des chefs-d'œuvre de Velázquez, Bosch, et Goya grâce à des casques VR. Présentée d'abord à Madrid les 23 et 24 avril, cette initiative vise à transcender les frontières culturelles et élargir l'audience internationale du Prado.

📱 Apple Plans, récemment mis à jour, intègre des avis du Guide MICHELIN, The Infatuation, et Golf Digest pour enrichir l'expérience utilisateur. Les utilisateurs accèdent à des restaurants étoilés, hôtels MICHELIN Key, critiques culinaires, et parcours de golf notés. Des fonctionnalités de réservation sont en cours de déploiement. Cette initiative offre une visibilité accrue, renforce la réputation des établissements français, et simplifie les réservations.

💳 RateHawk, a B2B booking platform, partnered with GlobalStar Travel Management to enhance travel services globally. Through this partnership, GlobalStar partners gain access to over 2.7 million accommodations, car rentals, transfers, and train tickets. RateHawk's AI tools prioritize cost-effective options, sourced from 320+ providers and 130,000 direct contracts, offering real-time updates. This collaboration aims to boost booking confidence and efficiency in business travel management.

🏨 HiJiffy examines the top five online travel agencies (OTAs): Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, Hotels.com, and Agoda, providing insights on their benefits and drawbacks for hoteliers. The focus is on understanding each platform's specifics and optimizing profiles to enhance visibility. Strategies include utilizing artificial intelligence to streamline OTA management and improve customer experience. This sponsored content from TendanceHotellerie highlights OTAs as crucial yet manageable tools for hotel distribution strategies.

💻 Intelligence artificielle (IA) est cruciale pour l'avenir du tourisme, transformant les pratiques quotidiennes et améliorant l'expérience utilisateur. Bien utilisée, elle optimise les tâches, améliore la qualité du service, et anticipe les besoins des voyageurs, tout en maintenant l'importance du lien humain et des émotions authentiques. IA ne remplace pas l'authenticité, mais sert de précieuse alliée pour un tourisme plus intelligent et juste. Community managers peuvent bénéficier de ses capacités d'anticipation et de création.

✈️ Archer Aviation will provide electric air taxis for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics. Their eVTOL "Midnight" can carry four passengers with 12 motors for safety. Service will connect key sites like LAX and USC within 10-20 minutes, accommodating 15 million expected visitors. Archer aims to overcome the regulatory challenges faced by Volocopter in Paris 2024. Archer's CEO Adam Goldstein envisions transforming LA's transport during the event. Archer has three years to achieve FAA certification.

🚀 Tern, an American startup, raises 11.5 million euros (13 million dollars) in Series A funding led by Viewpoint Ventures. Founded in 2022, Tern now serves 1,050 travel agencies with a unified system. Total funding reached 17 million dollars. Plans include AI integration, payment solutions, and app updates. Customer service teams will double by end of 2025 for 24/7 availability. Tern joins Signature Travel Network.

🗺 In Seattle during the EXPLORE conference, Expedia launched new APIs for car rentals, activities, travel insurance, and flights, helping partners offer all-inclusive deals. A reservation management API is projected to save hoteliers 8 million hours and $120 million (approximately €105 million) annually. Expedia leverages AI with tools like Trip Matching that turn Instagram Reels into travel itineraries. Integrations with OpenAI and Microsoft Copilot enhance travel planning, supporting partners at every travel stage.

🚀 Expedia, in May 2025, at its annual conference in Seattle, announced integration with OpenAI's Operator and Microsoft's Copilot Action. The initiative includes new APIs for its B2B platform, offering access to car rentals from 110+ brands in 190 countries and 170,000 tourist experiences. The AI-driven tools aim to optimize operations, potentially saving 8 million hours and €105 million annually. This move strengthens Expedia's AI capabilities in travel booking and customer engagement.