FutureTravel Newsletter 17 / 13.05

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Hi , 

I hope this newsletter finds you well. I am trying not to lose track of the travel restrictions these days while also keeping an eye on the impact of the current pandemic on the travel sector. Here is our weekly roundup of top travel news. ✈ Remember when airplane food was really just not great? Well, seems like Finnair have not only been selling their meals on grocery stores but now they are even offering it for home delivery. Would love to try it! ✈ The German traveltech Holidu has just raised €37 million to boost their continued expansion and growth.✈ Etihad is now offering to their passengers in Abu Dhabi the option to handle the hassle of traveling from the comfort of their homes. Think PCR tests, luggage check in, getting boarding pass and picking a seat. Passengers are ready to head to the airport hands free - and me too! ✈ I do my best to stay objective when it comes to the impact of this pandemic, but I saw this news yesterday and can't keep this number out of my mind: 47% of hotels in Thailand are expected to close in the next 3 months. Forty seven. ✈ Sherpa has raised $8.5 million. With their API, travel companies can provide travelers with up-to-date information about travel restrictions in their destination. Let's say it kind of makes sense, with so many travel restrictions shuffling right now. :)✈ The conversation about how to travel more sustainably has been getting stronger over the past year. According to this article from The New York Times the effort has to come from the travellers themselves.✈ Live The World has just raised €300k on their pre-seed funding round for their digital slow travel guide, offering local and authentic experiences for travellers. ✈ To support the "bringing back" of Summer in Europe, Google has joined forces with ETC. It might sound pretty obvious for some, but I still find it interesting to see that a tech company has such a strong influence over the recovery of the travel sector in Europe. 

Just before finishing up: Have you been enjoying these newsletters? I would love to hear what is it that you like about FutureTravel? Please hit reply and let me know more - I am working on something new and would be suuuper valuable to hear from the audience! :)See you next week,Ana