Innovation

🚗 Waymo plans to launch autonomous taxis in London by 2026, marking a major expansion outside the U.S. This new service aims to integrate with London's public transport. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, claims over 160 million kilometers have been driven autonomously, enhancing safety compared to human drivers. Fleet operations will partner with Moove. Initial trials will occur in select London neighborhoods, with a full launch expected in 2026, subject to local collaborations.

🛫 Kayak, October 2025, introduces "AI Mode" powered by ChatGPT for natural language trip planning. Launched initially in April 2025 through kayak.ai, it allows users to submit queries in natural language via desktop and mobile. CEO Steve Hafner highlights the removal of predefined fields, with real-time contextual results instead of cached data. AI Mode aligns with industry trends seen in Expedia and Booking. Currently available in English, with more languages to follow.

📅 Alice Pasquier and Gabriel Groizeleau founded Galdeo in La Rochelle to revolutionize travel agencies with AI, cutting custom trip creation from 72 hours to less. Galdeo offers a B2B SaaS tool for €35/month (€28 annually) per user, launched in 2025. After a beta with 10 partners, they secured 100+ leads at IFTM, scheduling 30 meetings for October-November. Expansion targets include France, India, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Canada. Time saved enhances client relationships, boosting conversion rates.

🌎 Paris, 15 octobre 2025 : 2026 révolutionnera les voyages avec une personnalisation inédite, révèle Booking.com après l'enquête menée auprès de plus de 29 000 voyageurs dans 33 pays. 66% des Français se disent prêts à séjourner dans des hébergements robotisés. 73% optent pour des voyages beauté personnalisés. 82% encouragent le covoiturage, tandis que 62% envisagent des voyages pour tester des relations. La Gen Z est pionnière avec 74% prêts pour des itinéraires expérientiels.

🚀 EHang, October 2025, Hefei: EHang launches the VT35, an autonomous eVTOL with a 200 km range, priced at 6.5 million yuan (€790,000). The aircraft, suited for interurban and cross-border travel, carries two passengers and luggage, flying approximately one hour per trip. It features 8 horizontal rotors, a vertical rear propeller, and fixed wings for efficient cruising. It is undergoing CAAC certification, aiming to revolutionize urban-interurban air mobility.

📱 SG Entertech, a leader in VR from South Korea, is expanding its Snack VR platform in Southeast Asia as of 2025, seeking local partners across tourism, education, and commerce sectors. Their VR kiosks, equipped with headsets, offer mini-games and digital postcards to enhance visitor experiences. COO Kook Sun Pyo emphasizes the cost-efficient design of Snack VR, aiming for rapid, widespread deployment in geolocated entertainment, contrasting with traditional VR arcade challenges.

🚀 Virgin Voyages collaborates with Google Cloud to deploy 50 AI agents, enhancing operations and customer experience. 🚢 Aeroitalia extends its tech partnership with Navitaire to streamline processes. ✈️ Travelport partners with Farenexus to automate commission management, boosting profitability. 💼 Hostaway joins France's UNPLV to promote vacation rentals. 🇫🇷 Compass Hotel Consulting launches a proprietary tech system for hotels. 🏨 SITA and Tellabs introduce a scalable fiber optic solution for airports on October 9, 2025. 🌐 Chubb unveils Travel Pro, a digital travel insurance, at Lisbon's World Aviation Festival. 🏥

📈 Boom, une start-up américaine, a levé 12,7 millions de dollars (11 millions d’euros) en octobre 2025. Basée à Miami, elle utilise l'IA pour automatiser les opérations hôtelières dans 20 pays. Le financement, dirigé par Avenue Growth Partners, implique des figures comme Ian Carter (ex-PDG de Hilton International). La technologie de Boom gère jusqu’à 80% des messages clients, libérant du temps pour le développement commercial. L'investissement vise l'expansion internationale et l'amélioration technologique.