Edition #62, May 19

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I completely forgot how it feels to attend in-person events. The crowds, the rush, the curiosity and the genuine spontaneous conversations that arise during a coffee break. It felt great to put a face to some of the names that I have been seeing popping on my screen every now and then over the past months. What’s not to love about it? Being at this year’s EU-Startups Summit gave me a rush of motivation and excitement for hosting our very first in-person FutureTravel Summit. Here is a friendly reminder to our community: ticket prices increase in a week, so make sure to get your ticket fast :)

Here is your weekly wrap up of the top news about innovation in the travel industry:

• In the beginning of this month we gathered the insights from a keynote from our last event and published on our website. We shared a post packed with eye-opening content on what forces and trends are shaping the world of travel for Gen Z.

• Iceland did it again. Just 6 months after their parody of Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse launch video, Iceland now launched OutHorse Your Email. The idea comes from realising that many tourists keep checking their working emails during their holidays, and they suggest outsourcing the replies to one of their iconic Icelandic horses. As they say, nothing ruins your vacation like work. This is brilliant - I love it.

• Travel loves fintech. In their most recent report Amadeus identified payments as a priority among nine out of ten senior industry respondents, forecasting a big fintech “investment boom” in the upcoming months. The research found four out of five companies plan to match or surpass their 2019 fintech investment this year, with nine out of 10 identifying payments as a priority.

• Ready to hit the open road. Camping is having a comeback and the rental marketplace is hot enough to toast marshmallows. Campervan rental platform, Campiri, connects people who want to hit the road and travel with a campervan with private owners and rental companies. The Czech company just pitched up its market position with an additional €2.7 million of funding.

• Can we travel worry-free? Let’s be honest - sometimes things don’t go as planned. From cancelled trips to lost bags, travel can have some unexpected complications. Digital travel insurance vendor Faye has just come out of stealth mode with $8 million of fresh capital. Their app is helping users keep a track on travel insurance, get real-time alerts and get reimbursed fast should something happen.

• Business travel is getting busy. Corporate travel booking platform Hotailors is flying international with a new €23 million investment and will rebrand to ‘WorkTrips.com’. The Polish company specialises in handling work trips for external employees - perfect for the return of in-person events and conferences.

• Exceptionally cool short-stay accommodation. Finnish Bob W wants to bring users short-stay accommodation that lies at the intersection of hotel luxury and rental authenticity. They just bought their biggest competitor, Estonishing Stay as the space begins to get crowded.

• Home swapping is an up and coming trend we’ve got our eye on. Members-only home-swapping startup Kindred has landed $7.75 million to connect homeowners and renters who want to swap homes for a while. The plan is to keep it sustainable and community-centric, with a focus on sharing rather than monetizing.

• Crowded restaurant tables are back. It’s no secret the food and hospitality sector has been hit hard by the past couple of years, but technology has been a main driver of their rebounce. With the aim to boost the success of businesses in this space, SpotOn has just plated up a decadent $300 million and is growing in the restaurant sphere.

• Airbnb like we’ve never seen it before. Airbnb shook up the travel sector 10 years ago when it erupted into this sector, and now, it’s doing it again. With a new approach to searching and discovering beautiful destinations, as well as an incredible 150 new upgrades, the platform is keeping fresh. Can’t decide which property to choose to stay in? (We’ve been there too, we get it) Well, now guests don’t have to pull your hair out deciding - choose to split stay.

• Explore. Work. Travel. Repeat. That seems to be the future for people working in travel companies anyway. Airbnb announced that employees can live and work anywhere in the world and now Klook is doing something similar. Employees at these big travel firms are tapping into the growing travel bug amongst Gen Z and millennials to attract and retain talent and it’s paying off.

• Fully subscribable holidays. The days of scrimping and saving for your dream holiday might soon be a thing of the past. And no, it’s not because you won the lottery, but rather because travel is going subscription-based. Japanese startup Kabuk Style already has thousands of travelers booking hotels and guesthouses via subscription and with a recent promotion with the airline JAL, their profile is now going mainstream.

See you next week,Ana

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

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