Innovation

🏖 Provence Tourisme developed the AI assistant MIA, targeting international users for the 2024 Olympic Games, particularly in Marseille for the sailing events. MIA, available in eight languages, facilitated content distribution and provided insights for future evolution in 2025. Experimentation revealed MIA accounted for 1.5% of the audience, with over 30% of 18-35 year-olds using AI tools like ChatGPT for searches. Provence Tourisme advises focusing on data quality, SEO optimization, territorial collaboration, and defining clear usage cases for AI adoption by tourism offices.

🚀 Volocopter, after filing for bankruptcy in December 2024, is poised to launch its flying taxi Volocity, through a partnership with Jet Systems Hélicoptères Services. Announced on February 18, 2025, the partnership will see the delivery of two Volocity aircraft upon certification by the EASA, with 75% of inspections already completed. The service aims to commence in Paris, then expand to South-West and South-East France, offering environmentally friendly mobility solutions.

💳 In a strategic collaboration, Adyen and Visa join forces with TourCom, France's largest network of independent travel agencies, to revolutionize the payment experience. TourCom's new payment platform aims to streamline operations for both small and large agencies within the network, enabling them to expand offerings and generate revenue, while saving time on routine tasks. This innovative platform is a tailored, central solution designed to keep TourCom's agencies ahead of the competition.

💰 Genial's cofounder Erwan Simon discusses the company's ambitions after raising €1.8 million, aiming to launch a new generation of AI agents for clients like Charentes Tourisme, MyProvence, and France.fr. In 2024, the "sandbox year," the challenge for 2025 becomes adoption, with a focus on integrating AI into the tools employees use every day. By enhancing existing tools, user adoption could leap from 30% with ChatGPT to 80%. The platform facilitates over 500,000 interactions between users and AI in 2024, aiming to simplify human-machine collaboration. Autonomous AI agents capable of booking travel are a short-term reality, with technical capability in place and payment integration as the primary hurdle, influenced by European regulations. Optimism is emphasized despite 73% of French citizens fearing AI, as per an Ipsos poll.

🏨 RoomPriceGenie, a leading provider of revenue management systems (RMS) for independent hotels and groups, received a $75 million investment from Five Elms Capital. The investment aims to accelerate RoomPriceGenie's international expansion and enhance its award-winning platform. Chas Scarantino is appointed as the new CEO, while co-founder Ari Andricopoulos transitions to Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), focusing on product innovation and strategic partnerships. Founded in 2017, RoomPriceGenie aims to make automated pricing accessible to independent properties, amidst Skift Research's finding that only about 10% of hoteliers use a dedicated RMS for pricing. The company's new OpenAPI PMS integration, backed by Five Elms Capital's investment and Chas's leadership, will help more independent hotels and groups maximize revenue with automated pricing technology.

📰 Google has updated the content of its emails on Monday to clarify why a Google Business profile video verification is rejected, detailing the three main criteria: displaying the environment to confirm the geographic location, proving the existence of the business with visible signage, and establishing the user's ownership status by showing actions such as unlocking the business. An IFOP study for Guest Suite in 2023 found 92% of French consumers rely on online reviews before making a choice.

🍰 GL events announced the acquisition of Europain and the creation of Sirha Bake & Snack in partnership with Ekip on January 24 at Sirha Lyon. The international event for French Bakery and snacking is set for January 18-21, 2026, at Paris Porte de Versailles. The French Bakery has evolved into a complete dining space, responding to new consumer expectations. Bakery and snacking represent 35% of turnover for baking terminals and 17% for bakeries, marking a strategic repositioning to accelerate sector transformation and internationalization.

💼 IWG opened a new HQ site in Rezé, located in the Brosse activity zone, marking its expansion in France. The company now has 5 sites in the Pays de La Loire region, including 4 in the Nantes metropolis. In 2024, IWG opened 14 new sites, averaging more than one per month. IWG's new site HQ Rezé South Garden officially opens on March 3, providing professionals with local workspaces and enhancing its presence in the Nantes area.

💳 Market Pay acquired Danish payment services provider Altapay, enhancing its presence in Scandinavian markets and addressing SME merchants across Europe. Altapay, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, serves over 400 merchants with online, in-store, and multi-channel payment solutions. The platform offers around 30 local and international payment methods, including BNPL and subscription payments, and supports omnichannel use cases with a unified platform for transaction aggregation and payment data consolidation.

🏝 Three Anantara establishments in Thailand - Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort, Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, and Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort - have been officially announced as filming locations for the third season of the Emmy® award-winning HBO® original series, The White Lotus. Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort, known for its Thai-styled entrance hall, security post, tree-lined entryway, employee parking, and on-site jewelry store, will be showcased in "The White Lotus Thailand".