Edition #68, June 30

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Dear ,

Here is your weekly overview of the top news around travel innovation, trends and startups:

• Berlin, NYC and Dublin sold out for the summer. This summer, business travel is booming. Not only are companies enjoying that staff can travel more freely again, but employees are also taking the chance to stay longer and convert business trips into workcations. Recent research by AltoVita shows that some cities are now ‘sold out’ - Dublin, NYC and Berlin are all reaching the limit of corporate accommodation occupancy. Looks like the crowds are back.

• Bunk beds and beauty sleep - and it’s economy class. Air New Zealand has just introduced bunk bed-style sleeping pods to its ultra-long-haul journeys which passengers can book on time slots of 4 hours. It looks a little like a spaceship but it’s a chance to get some beauty sleep. It comes just as the airline adds new nonstop links to Europe and east coast US.

• Collaborating instead of competing. In the context of flight cancellations, delays, growing customer complaints, and, that’s not to mention the need for travellers to be more sustainable in their travel choices, airlines need to adapt. In one remarkable approach we’ve just seen - rail operator Deutsche Bahn is joining Star Alliance. Yes, a rail operator and an airline alliance. It marks greater connections between rail and air travel and an interesting glimpse into the future of transport.

• The plastic-free movement is sky-high. As sustainable travel and tourism has hotly become a key focus of the industry, LATAM Airlines is the latest airline to ditch plastic - and they aim to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2023. It’s part of the airline's wider mission to lead eco-friendly travel, which also includes working towards achieving zero waste to landfills by 2027, offsetting 50 percent of its domestic emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. We’re eager to see which airline will embark on a similar mission next.

• Hotel forecasting just got smarter. This summer, travel is back and it’s booming. While it might mean travellers are getting to kick back and relax, the teams running hotels have been left a little frazzled. From rapidly growing occupancy rates (hey, even some cities are sold out..) to the new trend of last-minute booking, existing forecasting and hotel business intelligence solutions aren’t really stepping up to the plate of what’s needed. Plugging the gap, Amadeus is launching a solution that lets hoteliers gain the most accurate picture of market conditions to enable more effective revenue management strategies and differentiate their offer. With daily updates, it better reflects new trends and the digital age of travel.

• Travel history is coming back to life. The iconic Orient Express is making an incredible comeback with the support of Accor. The train, which pioneered luxury trail travel 140 years ago, is one of the most iconic travel stories of all time. It’s inspired books, been featured on the big screen, and now, is undergoing a revamp in time for the Paris Olympic Games. Taking a contemporary vision of luxury, the unveiling in 2024 will invite guests to relive the legendary original Orient Express cars dating from the 1920s-1930s. I’m obsessed with this story - where do I sign up?!

• Closer connections between hotels and guests is on the way. It’s fair to say that most hotels aim to give guests a pleasant and enjoyable stay. One key part of that is having strong connections between guests and hotel teams. Purposeful touch points, accessible guidance and help, and the ability to communicate easily across channels are some of the fundamentals that make it happen. Aiming to remove friction in the guest journey and at the same time give hoteliers one single platform to manage all points of contact and connection, Cloudbeds has acquired Whistle and will integrate the messaging software into its management platform. It's a move that will unify communications and create better experiences - and perhaps a deal we can expect to see replicated elsewhere.

• Take holidays and reduce carbon footprint. Launched in 2021, GreenGo has just picked up €1.2 million for its platform that promotes sustainable vacations. The platform requires accommodation providers to sign the GreenGo charter - which includes things like developing eco-friendly energy, transparent and water management as well as sustainable food and water arrangements and low-foot[front heating options. It means that hosts are held accountable to being sustainable with their travel offering and guests can have more peace of mind over the impact of their getaway and essentially, go green.

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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