All Nippon Airways would like humans to have working avatars right here on Earth. During SXSW in Austin, the Japanese airline has announced a four-year competition – ANA Avatar XPRIZE – to aid development of technologies that might support a “multipurpose avatar system” that could offer aid to people…
Ah, the blockchain. The travel startup ecosystem around this emerging technology continues to expand. This time, it’s Cool Cousin with a new cryptocurrency named ‘CUZ’ to facilitate transactions between its ecosystem partners. The 16-person startup has created a community of locals that personalize itineraries, with the content being created…
TripUniq, the Spain-based startup that provides travelers with bespoke travel itineraries for 82 cities across six continents, received a €170,000 round of funding last May. Since launching in 2015, while part of accelerator program SeedRocket, the startup has brought more than 5,600 travelers together with local city bloggers, influencers…
Amadeus Ventures has invested in CrowdVision which helps airports manage passenger flow. London-based CrowdVision uses video-based people tracking software and AI to analyse queues and passenger flow to help airports create a better experience. The company also offers solutions to the retail space, convention centres and transport hubs. According…
Facebook has introduced new features for travel industry advertisers which help them target potential customers across Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network by closely tracking travel intent. The Trip Consideration feature is an enhancement to the social media giant’s dynamic ads for travel, and promises to let advertisers reach potential…
Years ago, the US travel industry was the Rodney Dangerfield of commerce: Although it was the second largest employer in the nation, it got no respect from government officials. But the industry “has come a long way, at least on the national level,” David Huether, senior vice president for…
Hotelogix, which provides property management systems, says it plans to focus on group hotels following a $5 million funding round. The investment was led by Vertex Ventures while Accel Partners and Saama Capital also participated. Hotelogix, which provides cloud-based technology, also plans to speed up product innovation with the…
Our latest roundup, in partnership with TravelDaily China, looks at mobile payment for hospitality as well as funding for blockchain and destination services. China market trends Some 130 million Chinese individuals traveled abroad in 2017, up by 7% from 122 million in 2016. They spent a total of USD…
New travel inspiration app startup Noken has tapped into an important dynamic in modern travel planning: choice paralysis. With so many places now affordable to visit and so many activities on offer, planning may have become overwhelming for some. We know that travel planning can take way too long….
This is the continuation of a series of articles spun out of tnoozLIVE@TTE, recorded live at the TTE event Olympia, London. More clips to come! To learn more about how to bring tnoozLIVE@ to your event, please email Ella Sopp. Michael Bayle, head of mobile for Amadeus, took the…