Innovation

📌 ATM Start-Up Pitch Battle, in partnership with Intelak, will be held on May 1st on the Future Stage of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM). Start-ups must submit their applications by March 21st deadline. The contest invites participants to pitch innovative business ideas in front of expert judges, including Ramzi Al Qassab of Sabre and Njood Alkhaldi of Intelak Hub. Open to pre-seed and seed stage start-ups, it offers a platform for regional entrepreneurs to shape the future of travel.

🎥 WIFIRST, European leader in professional wifi, partners with CANAL+ BUSINESS to integrate CANAL+ ROOM STREAMING into its offerings. This collaboration aims to enhance guest experience by providing a custom entertainment package, including up to 90,000 on-demand contents and 80 live channels. Guests can enjoy recent films, international series, original creations, in various languages or subtitles, and major live sports events like 100% of UEFA European football cups directly from their rooms.

🚀 Joby Aviation partners with Virgin Atlantic to launch electric flying taxis in the UK, targeting regional connections and airport links. Flying taxis will reduce travel time from central London to Heathrow from 80 minutes by car to just 8 minutes. The electric vehicle can carry 4 passengers and a pilot, with a top speed of 321 km/h and a range of 160 kilometers. Virgin Atlantic offers its booking channels, including a mobile app, to promote zero-emission short-haul mobility; no launch date specified. Joby Aviation has completed thousands of test flights and showcased in New York, Japan, and Korea.

📌 CDS, with 450 employees across six European countries, aims to become a key player in integrating technology solutions for business travel. CEO Ziad Minkara targets supporting Europe-based companies with effective tools for managing business trips. Leveraging entities in France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, and Poland, CDS offers services like VAT and invoice management. They plan a UK acquisition by July 2025, aiming for one acquisition per year to meet 90% of corporate needs. CDS also focuses on technology like NDC connections, multi-source comparison tools, AI-based conversational assistants, carbon footprint tracking, and real-time hotel rate comparison tools to enhance client experience and negotiation strategies.

💻 Ditto, a startup specializing in edge computing, raises over €75 million ($82 million) in a Series B funding round led by Top Tier Capital Partners and Acrew Capital. The round includes participation from USIT (Thomas Tull), True Ventures, Amity Ventures, Fundrise, Friends & Family Capital, Advance Venture Partners, and IIJ. Following a 250% increase in annual recurring revenue and doubling its customer base, Ditto's valuation approaches €423 million ($462 million). The funds will enhance international growth and deepen partnerships with cloud database providers like MongoDB. Ditto also secured a contract with the U.S. Air Force and serves clients like Japan Airlines, Delta, and Lufthansa.

🏠 Cédric Lefort, Head of Corporate Travel de Sabre France, discussed overcoming travel content fragmentation with AI at the Future of Travel Distribution event by Eventiz. Emphasizing collaboration among airlines, agencies, and travel providers, he highlighted the importance of common standards and real-time information sharing through modern APIs. AI contributes to personalizing travel offers, dynamic pricing, and customer service automation while respecting legal constraints like GDPR. He sees AI as a tool for hyper-personalization and predictive analytics in travel distribution, not a replacement for human agents. Physical travel agency bookings increased by 4.5%, while e-commerce and call centers saw a 9.6% decline, reflecting the continued relevance of human touch in the industry.

🍴 Renowned Scottish chef Tom Kitchin, Michelin-starred and at the helm of The Kitchin in Edinburgh, brings his "From Nature to Plate" philosophy to London's iconic Brown’s Hotel until May 25, 2025. Guests at Donovan Bar can enjoy seasonal small plates featuring Scotland's finest local produce. Kitchin emphasizes respect for ingredients and a commitment to quality, seasonal products, working with passionate producers and artisans for culinary experiences that connect diners to nature.

💻 "Mon Espace" by AKTO launched successfully on February 14, enhancing support for companies with apprenticeship contracts and training funding requests. The portal offers secure data access, an ergonomic interface, personalized quick access, simplified funding requests, and a dynamic dashboard for real-time tracking. The upgrade aligns with AKTO's ongoing service improvement strategy for professional sectors and companies.

💳 By 2025, a secure yet smooth payment system is deemed essential for business growth in the tourism industry. The Amadeus report highlights that travelers would require an average price drop of 38% to consider risking their banking data. Moreover, 72% insist on strong payment security assurances before booking, and 35% distrust current payment options in tourism. 37% of French people have experienced bank card fraud, emphasizing the increasing concern over financial security among two-thirds of travelers. Notably, some are willing to accept a 38% discount despite clear payment security risks, knowing they can dispute fraudulent charges. The text mentions the importance of displaying key reassurance indicators and using popular secure payment systems to prevent loss of clientele and disputes. ???? March 2025 ???? Global ???? 38% discount, 72% demand security, 35% distrust, 37% fraud victims.