Innovation

🌍 Discover Puerto Rico, the island's tourism office, has teamed up with Mindtrip to integrate generative AI into its platform, creating a conversational interface for travelers to simplify trip planning. The AI assistant can answer questions, design a personalized travel itinerary with photos and an interactive map, and connect visitors with local partners for reservations. This initiative aims to ensure reliable tourist information and has been adopted by other destinations, such as Visit Costa Rica and The Outer Banks.

🌊 In Hawaii, HIS Hawaii's xPloreRide offers a 45-minute augmented reality bus tour of Honolulu, including sites like Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, plus a virtual dive into the archipelago's underwater world. Developed with Naked and Synethesia, a joint venture by the University of Tokyo, the tour aims to attract new visitors and re-engage locals with a blend of real and digital landscapes, ensuring historical accuracy with cultural consultant Blaine Kamalani Kia.

💻 The GHR offers a digital customer service (SAV digital) with no registration or agenda required. It provides a platform to discuss digital topics, share challenges, and discover current trends and practices. This live, free forum is open to all GHR members. The next session is on Thursday, March 13, from 16:00 to 17:00. Join the CHAT to engage with digital experts in the hospitality and catering industry.

💰 Europe announces a €309 billion investment in artificial intelligence during the AI Summit, with French President Emmanuel Macron revealing a €109 billion funding plan on February 9, 2025, and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen unveiling InvestAI, holding €200 billion, including €20 billion for "AI giga-factories," on February 11, 2025. GENIAL, a startup aiding SMEs and ETIs, highlights the shift of AI from a niche to mass market by 2025. Europe aims to lead in trusted AI, emphasizing ethics, transparency, and reliability.

💳 Over half of travelers are directed to another line to pay for airline's additional services, leading to a negative brand perception. Outpayce from Amadeus and Worldline's report, conducted with Innovationbubble and Opinium, highlights outdated airline payment methods at airports as a barrier to sales and source of traveler frustration. The study indicates a need for seamless payment experiences to enhance airport sales initiatives and modernize airline services.

📱 TOM.travel, a Travel Tech media, was launched in 2013 by Frédéric Vanhoutte and Guillaume Poulain. Over the past decade, the platform observed technological trends such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, blockchain, Web3, cryptocurrencies, biometrics, MaaS, NFTs, augmented reality, and robotics transforming the tourism sector. In May 2013, a shift toward mobile "Flight" searches was noted, a precursor to the now-common practice of booking vacations via smartphones. By 2032, technologies like the metaverse are expected to become a reality. TOM.travel has evolved with innovations including immersive experiences, mixed reality headsets, and intelligent assistants, and has established creative formats like the MOOK magazine and the "Future of" conferences.

🏠 Mountassir Bouhadba, founder and president of a high-end fitness club chain, launched Gigafit Hotels, a luxury health-focused resort brand, in 2014. Gigafit boasts a network of 100 fitness clubs, including international locations like Dubai. The first Gigafit Hotel is under construction in Le Marin, Martinique, with an anticipated opening in 2026. The 5-star hotel will combine premium sports club activities, dietary-focused dining, children's activities, a spa, and about 20 luxury rooms and suites.

💸 Speakspots introduced Smart Budget, an AI-powered travel budget planning tool, aiming to help travelers manage expenses by comparing their budget with real-time market trends. Users receive personalized recommendations to book at the best dates and prices. Smart Budget analyzes flight, accommodation, and activity data to suggest strategic adjustments for savings, utilizing data from Skyscanner, Booking.com, Viator, GetYourGuide, and Civitatis, offering time savings and financial optimization for travel planning.

📢 Amadeus has renewed its strategic partnership with Microsoft, initially formed in 2021, to innovate in the travel sector using Cloud & AI technologies. The collaboration has led Amadeus to migrate over 50% of its applications to the public Cloud. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of new travel products and enhance operational efficiency and customer experiences leveraging AI solutions offered by Microsoft.

🚀 Vertical Aerospace secured a $90 million funding round, exceeding the initial target of $75 million due to high investor demand. Over $60 million came from new investors while Mudrick Capital contributed $25 million. The funds will be used for R&D, testing, and certification capabilities enhancement, with operational expense increases projected for the second half of 2025. The company, aiming for VX4 eVTOL certification by 2028, appointed aerospace veteran Dómhnal Slattery as board chairman.