Fusion & Acquisition

🏨 Depuis 1961, Four Seasons, fondé par Isadore Sharp, reste fidèle à sa marque unique et à son luxe. Après 65 ans, la stratégie monomarque persiste avec des résidences, avions, et yachts privés. Dirigé par Alejandro Reynal, le groupe valorise l’excellence de service. Les principaux actionnaires incluent Bill Gates via Cascade, le prince Al Whaleed avec Kingdom Holding Company, et Triples Holdings Ltd. Four Seasons opère 135 hôtels, soutenu par investisseurs institutionnels et fortunes privées.

📈 2025 witnessed 34 million members in the GHA Discovery program, generating $3.2 billion in transactions, up 21% from 2024, with over 13 million room nights. Notably, 424 million came from inter-brand stays, increasing by 15%. New memberships grew by 25%, reaching 4 million. GHA added eight hotel brands (175 properties), including Rotana and Sunway, expanding in key leisure destinations like Thailand and the UAE. Direct bookings soared by 29%, primarily from the US and UK.

💸 Mews a levé 300 millions de dollars en série D, valorisant l'entreprise à 2,5 milliards de dollars. En 2025, Mews a traité des transactions de 19,7 milliards de dollars, avec 42 millions de réservations et 15,000 clients dans 85 pays. Les fonds visent à intégrer davantage d'IA pour automatiser les processus et améliorer la productivité. La croissance de Mews a été marquée par des acquisitions, comme celle de Clarity, et a atteint 12,500 clients en 2024.

🏨 En 1967, Novotel a été fondé à Lesquin, Nord, et s'est depuis étendu à plus de 600 adresses dans 67 pays. Jean-Yves Minet, arrivé il y a 18 mois, conduit la transformation de la marque pour rester compétitive face aux nouveaux concepts. Son approche, "Longevity Everyday", rend la longévité accessible à tous, intégrant alimentation, sommeil, et activité physique, au-delà de l'hôtellerie de luxe. Novotel se positionne ainsi sur ce marché en forte croissance.

🏕️ Le groupe Huttopia acquiert les 18 campings Terracamps d'Aquadis pour étendre son offre de campings-nature. Créée par Fréderic Martin en 1996, Aquadis a développé un réseau en grande partie dans le centre de la France. Cette acquisition est la première d'un réseau complet pour Huttopia, visant 200 campings d'ici 2026. Les sites seront adaptés aux standards de Huttopia ou Onlycamp, renforçant leur impact local et national.

🛣 Kombo, founded in 2016, acquires KelBillet, a comparison platform established in 2005 in Rennes, to enhance European travel services. KelBillet retains its brand, offering bookings via Kombo with over 400 partners. Integration will unify search and booking experiences without service disruption, focusing on transparency. Motivated by market competition, both companies aim to strengthen their European presence and expand service offerings, addressing increased traveler demands for transparency and choice in the evolving terrestrial transport sector.

✈️ 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.