PhocusWire

@PhocusWire covers technology and distribution in travel, tourism and hospitality. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for up-to-the-minute news!

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

David Messenger, CEO of global businesses at @PingPongPayment, talks to #Phocuswright senior vice president of content Mitra Sorrells about how cross-border payments in travel remain fragmented and costly, but consolidated infrastructure and embedded FX may offer a smarter path forward.

Watch the full interview now on #PhocusWire, https://t.co/B6beB73yex.

#TravelTech #TravelPayments #CrossBorderPayments #Fintech #TravelIndustry #ForeignExchange #DigitalPayments #TravelFinance

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

The travel and hospitality industry is entering a new era, driven by AI, evolving traveler expectations, and the rise of generative search. According to the latest State of AI-Driven CX report, travel brands across hotels, airlines, cruises, and dining are rethinking how they engage customers—focusing on omnichannel experiences, mobile-first interactions, personalized journeys, and data-driven decision-making. As traveler discovery increasingly shifts toward AI-powered search and peer-driven influence, brands must adapt to remain visible, relevant, and trusted.

The report highlights a roadmap for success: leveraging AI to deliver real-time personalization, creating LLM-ready content that improves discoverability, shifting from traditional loyalty programs to experience-led engagement, and using GenAI to scale content production and localized storytelling. For travel brands looking to drive bookings, loyalty, and long-term growth, the message is clear—unifying data, strengthening customer experiences, and embracing AI are no longer optional; they are essential for competing in 2026 and beyond.

Read more in this article from @Adobe, https://t.co/lSD9rH3zKR.

#AI #TravelTech #CustomerExperience #Hospitality #DigitalTransformation #GenerativeAI #TravelMarketing #CX #Personalization #Innovation

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

David Messenger, CEO of global businesses at @PingPongPayment, talks to #Phocuswright senior vice president of content Mitra Sorrells about how cross-border payments in travel remain fragmented and costly, but consolidated infrastructure and embedded FX may offer a smarter path forward.

Watch the full interview now on #PhocusWire, https://t.co/B6beB73yex.

#TravelTech #TravelPayments #CrossBorderPayments #Fintech #TravelIndustry #ForeignExchange #DigitalPayments #TravelFinance

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

For years, travel brands have treated the booking as the finish line. In reality, it’s just the beginning. A confirmed ticket reveals something incredibly valuable: a traveler’s destination, timing, and intent. Yet much of the spending that follows—hotels, activities, local transportation, insurance, eSIMs, and more—is often captured by other providers. With travelers increasingly turning to AI-powered tools to plan the rest of their journey, the opportunity lies in using booking data to deliver relevant, contextual experiences beyond the initial transaction.

The future of travel growth isn’t just about selling more tickets—it’s about capturing more of the traveler relationship. As discovery, content, and booking continue to converge, leading brands will move beyond a narrow view of ancillary revenue and focus on the entire journey. The companies that leverage trip signals to anticipate traveler needs and deliver value at the right moment will be best positioned to increase wallet share, strengthen loyalty, and unlock new revenue streams in the connected travel economy.

Read more in this article from #Stay22, https://t.co/EzslI7zj9S.

#TravelTech #AI #TravelIndustry #CustomerExperience #AncillaryRevenue #DigitalTransformation #TravelInnovation #Personalization #ConnectedTravel #TravelMarketing

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

For years, travel brands have treated the booking as the finish line. In reality, it’s just the beginning. A confirmed ticket reveals something incredibly valuable: a traveler’s destination, timing, and intent. Yet much of the spending that follows—hotels, activities, local transportation, insurance, eSIMs, and more—is often captured by other providers. With travelers increasingly turning to AI-powered tools to plan the rest of their journey, the opportunity lies in using booking data to deliver relevant, contextual experiences beyond the initial transaction.

The future of travel growth isn’t just about selling more tickets—it’s about capturing more of the traveler relationship. As discovery, content, and booking continue to converge, leading brands will move beyond a narrow view of ancillary revenue and focus on the entire journey. The companies that leverage trip signals to anticipate traveler needs and deliver value at the right moment will be best positioned to increase wallet share, strengthen loyalty, and unlock new revenue streams in the connected travel economy.

Read more in this article from #Stay22, https://t.co/EzslI7zj9S.

#TravelTech #AI #TravelIndustry #CustomerExperience #AncillaryRevenue #DigitalTransformation #TravelInnovation #Personalization #ConnectedTravel #TravelMarketing

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

The travel and hospitality industry is entering a new era, driven by AI, evolving traveler expectations, and the rise of generative search. According to the latest State of AI-Driven CX report, travel brands across hotels, airlines, cruises, and dining are rethinking how they engage customers—focusing on omnichannel experiences, mobile-first interactions, personalized journeys, and data-driven decision-making. As traveler discovery increasingly shifts toward AI-powered search and peer-driven influence, brands must adapt to remain visible, relevant, and trusted.

The report highlights a roadmap for success: leveraging AI to deliver real-time personalization, creating LLM-ready content that improves discoverability, shifting from traditional loyalty programs to experience-led engagement, and using GenAI to scale content production and localized storytelling. For travel brands looking to drive bookings, loyalty, and long-term growth, the message is clear—unifying data, strengthening customer experiences, and embracing AI are no longer optional; they are essential for competing in 2026 and beyond.

Read more in this article from @Adobe, https://t.co/lSD9rH3zKR.

#AI #TravelTech #CustomerExperience #Hospitality #DigitalTransformation #GenerativeAI #TravelMarketing #CX #Personalization #Innovation

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Online travel agency @tripcomgroup has come a long way since 2015 when airline IT and distribution expert CT Ooi, who has been named as CEO for the Group’s flight business unit, first joined the company.

In just more than a decade since those developments, revenues have soared from RMB10.9 billion (US$1.7 billion) in 2015 to RMB62.4 billion (US$8.9 billion) in 2025. @tripcomgroup is now one of the world’s leading travel companies by gross merchandise value (GMV).

CT Ooi spoke to #Phocuswire at the company’s Airline Global Conference in the sleek surroundings of Passenger Terminal Amsterdam in the Dutch capital earlier this month about the changes he has witnessed at the global company.
Read more of CT Ooi's insights in this article from @tripcomgroup.

#travelnews #traveltech #travelindustry #businessintelligence #travelpayments #traveltechnews #AI

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Online travel agency @tripcomgroup has come a long way since 2015 when airline IT and distribution expert CT Ooi, who has been named as CEO for the Group’s flight business unit, first joined the company.

In just more than a decade since those developments, revenues have soared from RMB10.9 billion (US$1.7 billion) in 2015 to RMB62.4 billion (US$8.9 billion) in 2025. @tripcomgroup is now one of the world’s leading travel companies by gross merchandise value (GMV).

CT Ooi spoke to #Phocuswire at the company’s Airline Global Conference in the sleek surroundings of Passenger Terminal Amsterdam in the Dutch capital earlier this month about the changes he has witnessed at the global company.
Read more of CT Ooi's insights in this article from @tripcomgroup.

#travelnews #traveltech #travelindustry #businessintelligence #travelpayments #traveltechnews #AI

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Corporate travel programs have spent decades treating #hotels as the default and everything else as an exception. That default is still true for #luxuryhotels catering to high-end executive needs, while economy segments are evolving towards a more flexible and considered approach to alternative lodging like serviced apartments and corporate housing.

The fix is payment automation. By consolidating #B2Btravel payments across property types, alternative lodging can sit within the same billing infrastructure as traditional hotels. Solutions like @onyxcentrsource are built to simplify this complexity by connecting hotels, alternative lodging suppliers and TMCs through a single platform for payments and commission recovery.

Read more in PhocusWire's latest article, https://t.co/AkCKoQd9kF.

#travelnews #traveltech #travelindustry #businessintelligence #travelpayments #traveltechnews #AI

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Corporate travel programs have spent decades treating #hotels as the default and everything else as an exception. That default is still true for #luxuryhotels catering to high-end executive needs, while economy segments are evolving towards a more flexible and considered approach to alternative lodging like serviced apartments and corporate housing.

The fix is payment automation. By consolidating #B2Btravel payments across property types, alternative lodging can sit within the same billing infrastructure as traditional hotels. Solutions like @onyxcentrsource are built to simplify this complexity by connecting hotels, alternative lodging suppliers and TMCs through a single platform for payments and commission recovery.

Read more in PhocusWire's latest article, https://t.co/AkCKoQd9kF.

#travelnews #traveltech #travelindustry #businessintelligence #travelpayments #traveltechnews #AI

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Cruise distribution specialist World Travel Holdings has taken an undisclosed strategic investment from private equity firm Citation Capital.

The company’s founders and co-CEOs Jeff and Brad Tolkin continue to hold “significant ownership interest” and will continue to lead the company on a day-to-day basis.

Read the full article by Linda Fox

https://t.co/YU5qQJr1yI

#travel #traveltech #travelindustry

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

@ExpediaGroup is furthering its reorganization efforts: The company shared exclusively with #PhocusWire that it is moving its media business under CMO Jochen Koedijk.

The decision makes Expedia Group Advertising (EGA) part of the company’s global marketing organization.

Marketing and advertising are “two sides of the same coin,” Koedijk told PhocusWire. Bringing the two closer together will allow Expedia Group to productionize those solutions more quickly.

Read the full article on by Morgan Hines #Phocuswire

https://t.co/98db63BcEx

#travel #traveltech #travelindustry

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

GHARAGE Ventures launched its €40 million Fund I back in early March looking to back early-stage startups in the travel and retail sectors.

Gharage Ventures evolved into an independent investment vehicle out of an entity with the same name first launched by Gebr. Heinemann in 2020.

Now, it has announced a first investment since launching the new fund through its participation in a seed round for Lemrock, a company providing the infrastructure for agentic commerce.

Read the full article by Linda Fox on #Phocuswire

https://t.co/sThVcGtRmS

#travel #traveltech #travelindustry

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

FCM Travel next month will widely release a "fundamentally reimagined" version of its AI tool Sam that the travel management company (TMC) said will be able to work seamlessly with travelers, travel managers and agents.

The tool can respond to travelers' conversational inquiries with FCM's guardrail system that adheres to spending thresholds, workflow approval processes and supplier preferences as configured by travel managers, according to FCM.

Read the full story by Michael Baker on #Phocuswire

https://t.co/UqPUL96gJi

#travel #traveltech #travelindustry

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Travel influences consumer behavior more than any other category of spending. Consumers consistently rank it first among discretionary priorities, and even in times of economic uncertainty, consumers say time and time again that they will invest more in travel, cutting back on categories like eating out and online shopping.

What we are seeing change today, however, is not whether consumers are choosing to #travel, but how they are planning and purchasing their trips.

Learn more in #PhocusWire's latest article featuring #HopperTechnologySolutions, https://t.co/e8FjdZlrtm.

#travelnews #traveltech #travelindustry #businessintelligence #travelpayments #traveltechnews #AI

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

@HBXGroup_ has acquired experiences technology company Bridgify to broaden its offering and drive further AI use across operations.

The technology includes AI recommendation algorithms helping travel companies to match experiences to travelers.

Read the full article by Linda Fox on #Phocuswire

https://t.co/Me7D27ozE6

#travel #traveltech #travelindustry

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Agentic AI is rapidly transforming how #travel is discovered, planned and booked—shifting from inspiration to fully autonomous transactions. But what does this actually look like in practice?

In this webinar, @PayPal, @Sabre_Corp and @mindtripai come together to showcase the industry’s first end-to-end agentic travel booking experience. Moving beyond theory, speakers will demonstrate how AI agents can search, recommend and complete bookings on behalf of travelers—all within a seamless, conversational flow.

Gain valuable insight from: Brad Johnson, Judy Reeves and Abby West. Register for the webinar now on #PhocusWire, https://t.co/RSdqg2nSia.

#travelnews #traveltech #travelindustry #businessintelligence #travelpayments #traveltechnews #AI

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Against the backdrop of the war in Iran, Spain has been the strongest-performing market among all European countries included in @Phocuswright 's Europe Travel Market Report 2026 report series.

This strength has been underpinned by a combination of factors according to Spain Travel Market Brief 2026.

Spain once again surpassed its previous tourism records in 2025, reaching 96.8 million international visitors, a 3.2% increase over 2024. Revenue generated from international tourism grew even faster, at 7%. Spain remains second worldwide in number of international visitors, behind France (102 million), yet ranks first in tourism expenditure.

Read the full article on #Phocuswire

https://t.co/IC8bSSFMdq

#travel #traveltech #travelindustry

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Travel influences consumer behavior more than any other category of spending. Consumers consistently rank it first among discretionary priorities, and even in times of economic uncertainty, consumers say time and time again that they will invest more in travel, cutting back on categories like eating out and online shopping.

What we are seeing change today, however, is not whether consumers are choosing to #travel, but how they are planning and purchasing their trips.

Learn more in #PhocusWire's latest article featuring #HopperTechnologySolutions, https://t.co/e8FjdZlrtm.

#travelnews #traveltech #travelindustry #businessintelligence #travelpayments #traveltechnews #AI

[PhocusWire @phocuswire]

Off the back of a travel booking test last summer, TikTok has formally announced in-app booking with TikTok GO.

The social media giant named @bookingcom , @Expedia , @Trip.com, @ViatorTravel , @GetYourGuide and @Tiqets (which was recently acquired by @ExpediaGroup ) as TikTok GO partners.

TikTok GO surfaces lodging and experiences through search, video and location pages for its 200 million users in the United States. When travelers 18 and older find something they are interested in, they can look and complete a booking.

Read the full story by Morgan Hines #Phocuswire

https://t.co/52plLTs0ZH

#travel #traveltech #travelindustry