Here's our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.
Amadeus, hubli
Amadeus has integrated online meetings planner hubli.
This integration will allow corporate travelers to plan their entire trip including flights, accommodation, mobility and meeting venues from one convenient access point.
“Corporate travel managers are actively looking for a combined solution to streamline transport and meeting procurement, payment, preferred hotel and payment policies. The integration of hubli with Amadeus Cytric Easy will allow these ambitions to be met in a seamless, simple way,” said Ciaran Delaney, CEO of hubli.
Sabre, Qantas
Sabre has extended its long-term distribution agreement with Qantas.
This multi-year agreement reflects a continued commitment between Sabre and Qantas to deliver the widest breadth of content to travel agencies worldwide with flexible options, including comprehensive access to Qantas’ New Distribution Capability (NDC) content.
“At Qantas, we’re focused on enhancing our retailing capabilities to meet the dynamic needs of both travelers and travel agencies,” said Kathryn Robertson, executive manager, global sales and distribution for Qantas. “Our continuing collaboration with Sabre is central to our distribution strategy, helping ensure our customers can seamlessly shop, book, and service a comprehensive range of Qantas content via NDC. We’re excited to be able to offer agencies more flexibility and choice in the coming months through Sabre’s global marketplace.”
SITA, Idemia
Aviation technology specialist SITA and Idemia Public Security, a provider of biometrics and security systems, have expanded their partnership to tackle challenges in baggage handling and airport operations.
The collaboration, leveraging Idemia’s expertise in computer vision and SITA’s expertise in baggage processing, will improve operational efficiency and provide a smoother experience for travelers and airlines.
"The air transport industry is facing unprecedented challenges as passenger numbers continue to surge, with global traffic expected to double by 2040,” said Nicole Hogg, portfolio director of baggage at SITA. “Airports and airlines are struggling to keep pace with this growth, particularly when it comes to baggage handling. Delays, mishandling, and inefficiencies still pose significant operational bottlenecks, impacting both the passenger experience and airport resources. This is why our partnership with Idemia is so crucial. By integrating computer vision into baggage processing, we are tackling these challenges head-on. Together, we’re setting a new standard for how the industry handles baggage, reducing mishandling and delivering a smoother, more secure journey for everyone involved."
iSeatz appoints Alan Josephs as CPO
Loyalty technology specialist iSeatz has recruited Alan Josephs as chief product officer.
Josephs joins from a similar role at travel rewards platform Arrivia and previously held marketing positions at Voy Travel, Switchfly, Travelzoo, Orbitz, Travelocity and Allianz.
"We are thrilled to welcome Alan Josephs to our team. His visionary approach and deep expertise in the travel sector and product innovation are a perfect fit for our mission to deliver transformative technology solutions," said Jasmyn Farris, president and chief operating officer of iSeatz. "We're excited to see the impact his leadership will bring as we continue to evolve and enhance our offerings for our clients and partners."
Atlas appoints new executive advisor
Low-cost flight platform Atlas has appointed Pierre-Yves Guillaume as executive advisor for data monetization.
Pierre-Yves’s new role consists of developing and executing strategies for new data products, such as subscription-based offerings, customized solutions and actionable insights.
“Data is one of the most powerful tools we have to transform the travel industry,” said Guillaume. “At Atlas, the opportunity to turn data into high-impact products that drive business success is incredibly exciting. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate our data strategy and create value for our customers across the ecosystem.”
RMS Cloud appoints new CMO
Property management technology provider RMS Cloud had appointed Sandrine Zechbauer as its CMO.
In the role, Sandrine will oversee RMS Cloud’s global marketing teams and spearhead the company’s marketing strategy to build brand awareness across its key territories in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia and the Pacific (APAC) and the Americas.
"I’m thrilled to join RMS Cloud at such a pivotal time,” said Zechbauer. “The company has an incredible legacy of innovation in the hospitality technology space and a clear ambition for global growth. I look forward to working with the team to build on this success, driving impactful marketing strategies that not only strengthen RMS Cloud’s position as a market leader but also deepen our connections with customers worldwide.”
Inside Labs AG, Visit Group AB
Inside Labs AG, a specialist in customer journey marketing for the travel sector, has partnered with Visit Group AB, a hospitality SaaS company in Northern Europe.
The new collaboration enables Inside Labs to expand its partnership network of commerce software providers and allows shared customers to use both solutions together, unlocking benefits for guests and service providers.
The combined solution allows e-commerce transaction data from different Visit Group platforms to flow seamlessly into Inside Labs' Omni Suite. This activation of transaction data enables, engaging key guest segments with relevant messages across various channels, including email, push notifications and direct messages.
Minut, HostBuddy AI
Minut, a property insights provider for short-term rentals (STR), and guest messaging platform HostBuddy AI, have partnered to streamline guest communications and maintain community relations around STR properties.
The collaboration integrates Minut’s privacy-safe property monitoring technology with HostBuddy AI’s generative messaging capabilities, enabling fully automated and tailored communication with guests in real-time.
"The most complex part of managing property is communication with guests, especially around uncomfortable topics like when guests break the rules or forget that they have neighbors,” said Marcus Ljungblad, co-founder and head of growth at Minut. “Most noise alerts occur at night, disrupting neighbors and complicating the property manager’s response when they are further away or even asleep. By bringing in AI that adapts to each specific case, property managers can handle the tiny proportion of problem travelers proactively, ensuring both smooth communication and a great experience for their guests.”
Poncho announces seed round funding
Poncho, a Swiss insurtech startup, has announced its £491,000 seed round led by WeBuild Ventures. In addition to the funding, the company has launched a parametric weather insurance product.
Poncho intends to redefine how travel and leisure businesses manage weather uncertainty with innovative parametric weather insurance solutions. Poncho plans to use the funding to help businesses de-risk their weather dependency and enhance customer confidence in booking.
“This funding is a significant step forward in our journey to make weather insurance accessible and straightforward for everyone,” said Omar Jerrari, founder and CEO of Poncho. We’re excited to partner with our investors to bring Poncho’s vision to life and expand our footprint across the Swiss travel and leisure landscape.”
Rocco Forte Hotels appoints marketing SVP
Rocco Forte Hotels has appointed Elena Black as senior vice president of marketing.
“I'm excited to join Rocco Forte Hotels, a company that truly embodies a commitment to deeply personalized service, a strong sense of place, and authentic experiences," said Black. "What stands out most is the company's culture of warmth and care, not only toward its guests but within the organization itself. It’s rare to find such a collaborative environment, and I am thrilled to contribute to Rocco Forte Hotel’s ambitious plans for the future.”
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“We are confident that Elena’s expertise and fresh perspective will be invaluable in advancing our marketing efforts,” said Rocco Forte, founder and chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels. “Her ability to create compelling brand narratives and build lasting customer connections aligns perfectly with our vision for the future.”
Gray Line, TripAdmit
Sightseeing tours specialist Gray Line has partnered with digital tipping specialist TripAdmit.
This collaboration will open up TipDirect, a tipping and AI review collection platform, to Gray Line’s network of activity providers and guides worldwide.
"TripAdmit’s market-leading AI assisted review collection capabilities, have already proven themselves in gathering an unparalleled volume of reviews,” said Griffin Hanbury, CEO of Gray Line Worldwide. “This solution will provide a consistent approach to review collection across our global group, helping us enhance our services and reputation. Additionally, with fewer travelers carrying cash, TripAdmit’s TipDirect offers a fast, secure and user-friendly way for guides to receive tips directly. We’re thrilled to partner with TripAdmit, confident that TipDirect will elevate the guest experience for Gray Line customers worldwide while empowering our guides and drivers to deliver exceptional tours and experiences in over 700 locations across six continents.”
NaviSavi announces UGC content success
NaviSavi, a short-form video travel marketplace, has launched a B2B platform dedicated to travel-focused user-generated short-form videos for marketing that will offer travel brands access to over 125,000 geolocated videos from more than 180 countries.
The company has found that travel-themed UGC gains up to nine times more clicks throughs than professional videos when used in trial marketing campaigns.
“We’ve known for some time that user generated content (UGC) videos generate higher rates of engagement but the travel industry has been slow to wake up to this,” said Sally Bunnell, founder and CEO of NaviSavi. “To fill that gap we set out to crowdsource this content and now – with 125,000 geo-located videos available – we’re super excited to officially roll out the B2B platform for our B2C travel clients.”
eviivo, Jervis Systems
Eviivo, a property management system (PMS), has partnered with property automation specialist Jervis Systems.
The integration enables property managers using eviivo to benefit from a fully automated, secure and centralized property access and automation management system that can scale with growing portfolios. In addition, it enables property managers to improve the guest journey, from booking to departure.
“Partnering with Jervis Systems allows us to provide professional property managers with a tool that really makes a difference, both for them and their guests,” said Michele Fitzpatrick, CEO of eviivo. “This integration means guests get a seamless, hassle-free check-in experience, and managers gain peace of mind with secure, automated access control. We’re excited to continue providing the added flexibility and control that property managers need to efficiently oversee properties in multiple locations, helping them deliver a great guest experience.”
Reed & Mackay appoints chief revenue officer
Travel management company Reed & Mackay has appointed Kieran Hartwell as global chief revenue officer.
In the role, Hartwell will lead revenue-generating departments globally, aligning the company’s sales and marketing teams to deliver a competitive, premium offering to the market.
“I look forward to working with the talented team here to unlock new opportunities, drive growth, and deliver exceptional value to our clients,” Hartwell said.
Startup pitch winner at FutureTravel Summit
The FutureTravel Summit 2024 announced air cargo software startup Belli as the winner of its pitch competition at the recent event.
A number of startups participated in the competition including, yacht rental comparison site Boatscribe, Visa specialist GetYourVisa, payment solution provider Hands In, group trip startup Holiwise, adventures marketplace Inspirational Adventures, water-saving startup SwiftON and API integration specialist TRAPI.
The pitch event was judged by Bobby Demri of ROCH Ventures, Jose Gaytan de Ayala of Kinnevik, Suzanna Chiu of Amadeus Ventures and Virginia Bassano of Eight Roads Ventures.