Innovation

🚗 Waymo, an Alphabet subsidiary, will launch its driverless ride-sharing service in Washington in early 2026. Users can reserve a ride via the Waymo One app. The service is already operational in four US cities and Tokyo. Safety measures include initial rides with a driver on board. Waymo's autonomous vehicles have completed over 80 million kilometers. The service has provided over 200,000 rides through its mobile app and is set to expand to Miami and Atlanta before Washington.

💧 Kimberly-Clark Professional, a global hygiene and innovative protection solutions supplier, announces new Kleenex® Professional tissues packaging for workplaces, available from February 2025 (Product code: 8827). Celebrating 100 years in 2024, Kleenex® has become synonymous with quality, innovation, and care. The new tissue packaging aims to tackle winter illnesses like flu, colds, and Covid-19 in offices by providing a hygienic solution to maintain a healthier work environment. Kleenex® Professional tissues are designed with 2-ply softness, ensuring skin-friendliness with frequent use.

📝 93% of travelers' choices are influenced by reviews in the tourism sector. AI-based tools can analyze comments and suggest personalized responses but lack empathy and human understanding, often resulting in robotic-sounding messages. Human intervention is still recommended for authenticity, emotional intelligence, and contextual understanding. TripAdvisor removed 3 million fake reviews in 2024, with more than half written by property owners or staff. Online travel agencies (OTAs) like Booking, Expedia, Google, and TripAdvisor are developing algorithms to detect AI-generated responses and may penalize excessive AI reliance with platform bans, impacting visibility and revenue. The integration of AI tools with human empathy and writing skills remains essential for effective, authentic customer responses.

🚢 Navigator, owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, is set for a full renovation exceeding $50 million, with design by Lissoni & Partners, Journey, and MAWD. It will feature 210 residences priced from $750,000 to $8 million, white-glove butler service, and Starlink internet. Sales open April 9, with a Miami showroom. The inaugural voyage is scheduled for December 2026. Crescent Seas will announce four more luxury residence ships within five years. Russell W. Galbut spearheads this initiative.

⚽ Legendary Rooms by Novotel honor PSG icons with memorabilia and interactive digital experiences. QR codes grant access to dedicated pages with exclusive content. Jean-Yves Minet, worldwide president of Novotel at Accor, aims for unique guest experiences blending football excitement and hotel comfort. Nicola Ibbetson of PSG sees this as extending the club's reach. The first room opens on March 20, 2025, at Novotel Jakarta Cikini, Indonesia, dedicated to Javier Pastore.

🏕 HolaCamp, a Spanish startup founded in 2023 and based in Barcelona, secured €10 million from Belgian venture capital fund Amavi Capital to digitalize outdoor hospitality. With a team of 50, the company aims to modernize equipment and centralize technology for the sector. Currently partnered with 11 campsites in Spain and Portugal, HolaCamp plans to hit a revenue of €30 million by 2025.

📱 Meta AI launched in European messaging apps, integrating with WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Deployment is set for 41 European countries, including EU states and 21 overseas territories, supporting six European languages. Accessible without updates, users mention @MetaAI to initiate interaction. Aimed to enhance mobility and travel, with no current availability in France, the AI tool boasts 700 million monthly active users globally.

🏠 Locabnb is an online platform designed for accommodation professionals, offering the creation of hyper-realistic, easily-integrated 3D floor plans for listings or digital welcome books. It caters to apartments, hotels, and cottages, providing a detailed overview that eliminates surprises for clients with virtual first visits.

💰 Accor's loyalty program ALL (Accor Live Limitless) reaches 100 million members, offering access to over 5,600 hotels and 7,700 global experiences. Alix Boulnois, Chief Business, Digital & Tech Officer at Accor, highlights the program's role in customer engagement and revenue growth. Launched in 2019, ALL doubled its membership, significantly increasing member spending.

🚢 Viking® has delivered the Viking Nerthus, a new Viking Longship® with a 168-passenger capacity. The handover ceremony took place at Meyer’s Neptun Werft in Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany. The ship will sail the "Paris & the Heart of Normandy" and "Christmastime in Paris & Normandy" (both 8-day itineraries) on the Seine. Viking’s Torstein Hagen expressed pride in the fleet expansion. The Viking Nerthus features hybrid propulsion, shore power connectivity, and solar panels for enhanced energy efficiency.