Edition #108, June 1st

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Hi ,

Here is your weekly curation of the top news about innovation, trends and startups shaping the travel industry:

• Mapping adventures: food, travel, and outdoors. Israel-based social mapping platform Atly has raised $18 million in funding from investors such as Target Global, Tal Ventures, and FKA Brands. Atly, formerly known as Steps, connects travelers with recommendations and activities through its user-generated social mapping platform. The company focuses on creating maps related to food, travel, and outdoor pursuits, with hundreds of new maps being generated every month. With the new funding, Atly plans to enhance its platform by implementing advanced algorithms and introducing product updates. Founded in 2019, Atly has officially launched with this funding boost.

• Boost loyalty to boost revenue. SevenRooms has been selected as the preferred restaurant tech provider by Marriott International, letting their hotels deliver personalized experiences and enhance guest journeys. The SevenRooms platform, a guest experience and retention platform for the hospitality industry, is already operational in 25 countries across Marriott brands and offers a comprehensive suite of tools for restaurants, bars, and F&B outlets. By leveraging CRM and marketing automation, Marriott gains a 360-degree view of guests, enabling operators to drive revenue, improve operational efficiency, and foster guest loyalty. The way I see it, this collaboration is a great example of Marriott's commitment to providing exceptional experiences and building long-lasting relationships - nice!

• Flying lightweight and digital. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, lightweight materials, and digitalization, Airbus has unveiled its future cabin designs and the 'Airspace Cabin Vision 2035+' concept. Presented during a virtual conference - and pictured in the top of this newsletter - the concept involved contributions from ten airlines and eight technology firms. Airbus's three pillars for cabin design include transparency in the supply chain, decarbonization, and circularity. By employing bionic designs, Airbus aims to reduce cabin weight by up to 40%, leading to significant emissions savings. The company also proposed passenger concepts like pre-ordering meals and collecting snacks at the gate to minimize cabin weight and food waste. 

• GetYourGuide to bring expansion and AI strategy. European tours and activities booking platform, GetYourGuide, has secured $194 million in funding to support its expansion in key markets and drive product innovation. The funding includes $85 million in Series F funding led by Blue Pool Capital, as well as a $109 million revolving credit facility led by Unicredit. GetYourGuide plans to leverage generative AI to generative AI to help them be more effective at content management and to drive more bookings with reduced manual work. The funding round is a great sign of investor confidence in GetYourGuide's mission and to capitalize on the growing digital travel market.

• Funding injection for holiday rental tech. Holiday rental technology specialist Hostaway has raised $175 million in fresh funding. The Finland-based company is known for its services in property management, channel management, analytics and reporting tools for holiday rentals. With the funding, Hostaway plans to focus on recruitment, bolstering customer service, and driving further growth in the holiday rental market. The funding represents the largest in the sector to date and was led by PSG, a leading growth equity firm partnering with software and technology-enabled services companies to help accelerate their growth.

And before I check out and celebrate my birthday (yes!) here is a final reminder that the call for speakers for the FutureTravel Summit ends tomorrow! Join us to celebrate global visionaries shaping the travel industry and explore what's next for the future of travel. Take it as an opportunity to gain exposure, share insights, network with professionals, elevate your brand, and honor industry leaders. You can apply now to be part of our flagship event in Barcelona on Oct 27.

And hey, feel free to share the application link with industry experts who you think should be part of the event ;)

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.

If you are looking for the most disruptive startups in the travel industry right now, check out our Premium Report: “Top 100 Travel Startups” which might be relevant for you.

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