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5 insights you can actually use in travel tech ⚡️

the best bits from 100+ pages of travel data

September 26, 2025

Hi there,

Between sharing the full agenda for the FutureTravel Summit last week and sitting down for an interview about my founder story, it’s been a whirlwind of FutureTravel conversations. On one side, looking back at how this all started. On the other, looking ahead at what we’re about to host in Barcelona ✨

So we're basically a month away from the event 😯

This means: boxes arriving at the office, speakers in prep-mode for their sessions, and ticket sales now in full speed. I love this type of busy - when you know something special is around the corner :)

Just before October sneaks up on us, here are a few stories and insights that stood out this week. Enjoy 🙃

INSIGHTS

Amadeus published a report that runs over 100 pages on how people are planning, booking, and experiencing trips. Super interesting. I decided to highlight 5 insights from the report that felt too good not to share :)

  1. AI going from hype to habit
    Use of AI tools for trip planning is up 64% year-on-year. Travelers like the time savings (42%), the fresh ideas (36%), and the confidence boost (35%). But 1 in 4 still report wrong or outdated info, so there’s (still) plenty of room to get this right.

  2. Disruption is the real loyalty test
    73% of travelers say the true measure of an airline or provider is how they handle disruption. If it’s managed proactively, 74% would rebook with the same brand, and 72% forgive if they feel someone genuinely tried to help.

  3. Pop culture drives bookings
    When Taylor Swift announced a world tour, Agoda saw destination searches spike 500%. White Lotus had the same effect for hotels in Sicily and Thailand. Culture sure inspires travel, and moves tickets too.

  4. Loyalty plays differently by market
    Globally, loyalty schemes push 38% of travelers to book extra activities, and 37% to travel more often. But regional differences are quite strong: nearly half of Indian travelers say loyalty increases leisure travel, compared to about a quarter in France or the UK.

  5. Business trips are changing
    Work trips don’t look the same anymore. People are mixing meetings, remote work, and a bit of personal time, all in one journey. Behavior changes, and tech follows.

For data-lovers, here’s the full 100+ page report if you want to dive in.

FROM OUR RADAR 📡

🇫🇷 Futurail picked up €7.5M (seed) to advance autonomous train technology, aiming to bring driverless rail solutions to Europe and the US.

🇮🇪 Padel 100 raised €5M to accelerate padel court development in Ireland, betting on the sport’s fast-growing popularity and its tie-in with active travel.

🇮🇱 Fetcherr raised $42M Series C to accelerate its AI-powered pricing & inventory systems for airlines and modernize legacy revenue workflows.

🇫🇷 Le Walk closed €3.5M to grow its immersive audio-guide app for city exploration, offering travelers richer storytelling as they move through destinations. And what a cool website 👀

🇺🇸 Extend raised $20M (mix of debt + equity) and added a new CFO, as it expands its payments and expense tools for business travel.

🇺🇸 Cardless raised $60M Series C to expand its “card-as-a-product” platform. Already powering cards with Qatar Airways, Avianca, TAP and Bilt, the fintech lets brands launch their own cards without relying on traditional banks.

FUNDING SPOTLIGHT

Multi-day travel has always been a bit of a patchwork to manage - which is exactly the opportunity WeTravel is chasing. The Amsterdam + San Francisco–based company just closed a €78M+ Series C to expand its platform.

WeTravel positions itself as the “operating system” for group trips, retreats, and tours, handling bookings, payments, supplier payouts, and logistics in one place. It’s a part of the industry that’s massive in size but slower to digitize than flights or hotels. This means giving thousands of smaller operators access to the kind of infrastructure that bigger players have long enjoyed.

💬 “When we remove friction from their businesses, we open the door to more transformative experiences for millions of travelers. We simply want to take away the work they don’t want to do … and give that time back to them.” said Ted Clements, CEO of WeTravel

With this new funding, WeTravel plans to strengthen its global payment rails and roll out AI-driven features to make life easier for operators.

Before checking out

Not funding rounds. Not product launches. Not deals. Just things we saw this week that made us think twice…

🏛️ Are the Big Four losing their grip?
There are signs the era of a few giants controlling most of travel is starting to shift. Smaller players and new models are breaking through. To me, that opens the door for more creativity, better partnerships, and new ways of doing things in travel. Very exciting to see what unfolds… (via Skift)

💵 Keep calm and carry cash
In a world where everything feels digital, the European Central Bank launched its “Keep calm and carry cash” campaign, reminding Europeans to keep some banknotes at home in case of crisis. A small reality check that even the most connected systems still need a backup. (via CNN)

See you next week,
Ana

Thank you for reading until the end.

The content of this newsletter is curated and published by Ana Metz, an innovation expert, passionate about technology and excited about the future of travel.

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