Here’s our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.
Amadeus, IndiGo
Amadeus, a leading global travel technology company, and
IndiGo, India’s largest airline, have announced a partnership to provide travel
sellers with access to the airline’s NDC content via the Amadeus Travel
Platform.
With Amadeus’ 96% global market coverage of NDC-ready
travel sellers across the globe, IndiGo intends to strengthen its competitive
edge through access to new markets and customer segments.
“This is a part of our strategy ‘Towards New Heights and
across New Frontiers’ to address the evolving needs of the travelers,” said Pieter Elbers, CEO at IndiGo. “This agreement with Amadeus will enable us to
take our distribution strategy to the next level and provide travelers, with
our exciting new products, on an even greater scale, in India and around the
world.”
Nuitee, Sabre
Nuitee, a global hotel API infrastructure content and
services provider and Sabre Corporation have announced a strategic
agreement to utilize and distribute Nuitee’s lodging content through Sabre’s
Content Services for Lodging.
This integration will enable Sabre-connected agencies to
shop and book optimized hotel properties under commissionable and competitive
net-rate model. In addition, Sabre’s API-first approach allows travel agencies,
corporations and online booking tools to access content, balancing
personalization, policy and price.
“We’re
focused on making it easy for agencies to sell all components of a trip through
one platform,” said Chinmai Sharma, global head of lodging, ground and sea at
Sabre. “Content Services for lodging is built in a very modular and flexible
way, unlocking additional revenue opportunities for our agency partners to book
hotels and increase hotel attach rate. Lodging distribution is a strategic
focus area for Sabre as we invest in richer, multi-source content and enhanced
retailing capabilities that make it easy to find the best lodging option for
travelers.”
Thayer Ventures, Derive Ventures
Thayer
Ventures, a leading venture capital firm focused on technology innovation in
travel and hospitality, and Derive Ventures, an early-stage
investment firm dedicated to travel and hospitality, announced the formation of
Thayer Investment Partners (TIP).
The new platform will leverage the experience of both firms
founding members to drive value for industry partners and invest in a new
generation of innovative start-up companies.
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“This is a transformative
moment for Thayer’s portfolio companies, for our industry partners and for investors,” said Chris Hemmeter, co-founder and managing partner at Thayer Ventures and managing partner at TIP.
“Thayer and Derive are already the leading early-stage investors in travel and
hospitality, together we are best positioned to capitalize on the next wave of
innovation and leverage an expanded team to deliver maximum value to our
industry partners. We are set to tackle a new era of
innovation in travel, which includes the transformative development of AI, a
radically rethought and reimagined booking funnel and the need to break down
silos that continue to hold back progress toward seamless customer journeys and
business efficiencies for travel providers.”
TourRadar, Flight Centre
TourRadar, a leading global platform for organized adventures, and Flight Centre, an Australian travel agency, have announced a partnership to enhance the “Tours” section on the Flight Centre customer website in Australia, which will then extend to New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada.
With TourRadar’s B2B platform technology, Flight Centre customers will have access to over 8,000 multi-day tours and adventures from tour operators such as Intrepid Travel, Trafalgar, Contiki, Globus, G Adventures and more.
Monique Van Gelder, global head of cruise and tour at Flight Centre, said, “Optionality is key to our future plans and our flightcentre.com e-commerce site is evolving so we can continue to meet our customers’ desire to dream, plan and book their holidays online. With over 8,000 tours to browse from online, we’re able to showcase an unrivalled product offering to our customers.”
Lighthouse launches Smart Compset
Lighthouse, a leading commercial platform for the travel and hospitality industry, has launched Smart Compset within its Benchmark Insight solution.
Benchmark Insight is a competitive intelligence solution for hotel revenue managers, allowing them to benchmark their hotels with competitors and make strategic decisions, uncover hidden opportunities and drive additional revenue for their properties.
Smart Compset leverages artificial intelligence and advanced data analysis algorithms to generate anonymized and aggregated competitive sets, providing hoteliers with unprecedented access to forward-looking average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) data.
“Our research reveals that revenue managers often grapple with outdated or irrelevant competitive data,” said Nick De Jonghe, director of product growth at Lighthouse. “Smart Compset solves this by offering a dynamic view of the competitive landscape. It’s not just a tool; it’s a strategic asset that can significantly impact a hotel’s bottom line.”
GlobalStar Travel Management, Magnatech Travel Management Solutions
GlobalStar Travel Management has announced a partnership with Magnatech Travel Management Solutions, a developer and provider of automation tools and itinerary software for travel management companies (TMCs).
The partnership allows GlobalStar partners to gain access to Magnatech’s automated risk messaging and duty care platform SafeToGo and its automated workflows solution MTWorkflows. By implementing these solutions, SafeToGo will enhance traveler safety and streamline travel disruption management and MTWorkflows will deliver operational efficiencies and accuracy by automating workflows such as messaging, quality control, PNR validation, auto-ticketing, policy validation, pre-trip approval and more.
“Our collaboration with Magnatech opens up new avenues for our Partners to further extend the Duty of Care they provide as standard to their clients,” said Julian Russell, executive director of IT and supplier relations at GlobalStar. “We believe that both solutions, SafeToGo and MTWorkflows are game-changers, and we’re excited to see the positive impact they will have on the network.”
Jerne, Virgin Voyages
Jerne, a leading platform that connects social media
influencers and content creators with experience providers, has announced a partnership
with Virgin Voyages, a luxury cruise line.
The companies plan for social media sales success by connecting
over 9,000 influential creators in 102 countries with incentives to promote the
brand’s cruise offerings.
“The
global opportunity to work with influential creators is through millions of
people around the world producing all types of marketing content for Instagram,
YouTube, TikTok, blogs and other platforms,” said Tim Morgan, CEO of
Jerne. “And our partnerships with companies like Virgin Voyages are
increasingly providing marketing cost savings and driving bookings to retail
channels including travel advisors and direct sales.”
Mobi.ai, Cyberlogic
AI trip planning specialist Mobi.ai has announced a partnership with travel technology specialist Cyberlogic.
This collaboration
will introduce AITrip, an advanced AI-driven resource planning and optimization
solution that will transform transfer services for Cyberlogic’s global clients.
By leveraging Mobi.ai’s AI capabilities, Cyberlogic plans to offer enhanced automation
and dynamic re-planning during disruptions to boosts operational efficiency and
improve the travel experience for travelers.
“AITrip
is a proven solution capable of managing millions of transfers each year. By
leveraging cutting-edge AI technology, it sets our platform apart and
underscores our dedication to providing top-tier technological solutions for
our clients, as we expand into new verticals and new geographies,” said
Stergios Panagiotakis, co founder and CEO of Cyberlogic.
InDrive announces Indianapolis as its first Midwest market
InDrive, a ride-sharing service and
global mobility platform, has announced Indianapolis as its first expansion to
the Midwest and third U.S. market.
The company, known for enabling passengers to select drivers to
negotiate and agree prices for specific rides, said it has had more than 240
million app downloads in 46 countries and is expanding its footprint across the
U.S after its debut in South Florida last July and launch in Tallahassee this
September.
“We hope locals and tourists alike embrace inDrive’s unique model
to foster honest and fair conversations between riders and drivers when
traveling to nearby cities, local hotspots and attractions,” said Adam Warner,
head of U.S. operations.
IAAPA, Satisfi Labs
IAAPA, a global association for the attractions industry, has
announced a three year partnership with Satisfi Labs, a specialist in AI-powered
conversational platforms.
The partnership aims to help IAAPA members enhance communication, boost
guest engagement and streamline operational efficiency across the global attractions
sector. In addition, IAAPA members will benefit from specialized AI training programs
that will equip them with knowledge and tools to integrate the technologies
into their operations.
“Our priority is always to empower our members with the
best tools and resources available,” said Jakob Wahl, president and
CEO of IAAPA. “This partnership with Satisfi Labs provides
a transformative opportunity for our members to lead the industry in
AI integration. By enhancing their ability to engage with guests and optimize
operations, we’re helping them take their facilities to the next level.”
Cloudbeds appoints new senior director of sales
Cloudbeds, an innovative leader in hospitality management technology, has appointed Marta Perez as its new senior director of sales to spearhead its growth strategy across key markets.
Perez, former SiteMinder and Tripease executive, brings 15 years of experience in hospitality revenue management and will oversee Cloudbeds’ sales strategies in North and Latin America.
“The future of hospitality technology lies in our ability to connect deeply with the sector’s evolving needs,” said Perez. “Cloudbeds has developed a platform that not only meets the complex demands of today’s hoteliers but also anticipates the challenges of tomorrow.”
Serko appoints new head of data
Business travel specialist Serko has appointed Matt Weaver as head of data.
Bringing more than 10 years of experience in data science and analytics, most recently at Booking.com where he led the central marketing experimentation group, Weaver plans to lead Serko’s data team to deliver data-driven insights that drive business impact.
“I chose Serko because of their innovative tech product and solid data infrastructure, along with the company guiding principles that resonate with me and my values,” said Weaver. “I’m excited by the opportunity to scale up Serko’s consumption and utilization of data to drive impact across the business, and I see massive potential for effective measurement and experimentation to accelerate the product development life cycle.”
Travelsoft promotes new CEO
Travelsoft, the global travel software-as-a-service (Saas) company, has promoted Mike Wright as the new CEO of Travelsoft portfolio brand, The Atcore Group.
Wright has been a key contributor at The Atcore Group for over 20 years, and has held various leadership roles across the organization, whose travel platforms power over 23 million holidays and over $20 billion in bookings each year.
“During my time with Atcore I’ve witnessed the incredible impact our technology has had on our clients and the market,” said Wright. “I’m committed to driving our business forward, continuing to deliver exceptional service and innovation to our customers, and exploring new opportunities for further growth and success.”
Lavanda appoints new US sales director
Lavanda, a short-term rental platform for the multifamily housing industry, has appointed Greg Materdomini as U.S. director of sales to lead the firm’s continued expansion.
Materodomini will oversee the firms expansion across North America and will partner with multifamily building owners, operators and investors to accelerate the adoption of the firm’s cutting-edge short stay property management system (PMS).
“Operating out of our New York base, Greg will be nothing short of instrumental to spearheading Lavanda’s growth across the US,” said Fred Lerche-Lerchenborg, CEO at Lavanda. “His wealth of experience, industry insights and genuine passion for proptech make him a perfect leader to help us expand our presence and bring fresh innovation to the North American multifamily sector. We’re confident that under Greg’s leadership, Lavanda will not only grow but also transform the way the multifamily market views Flex and short-term rentals.”