India’s largest travel-tech hub

Hi there,

While curating the news for this week’s edition, there was one I couldn’t stop thinking about: India’s largest travel-tech hub is being built in Jaipur.

My architect brain goes right into conversion. This is basically the size of 20 tennis courts, side by side.

The space has been leased by Thrillophilia and will house engineers, AI specialists, product teams, and designers working on tools like AI itinerary planning, predictive logistics, and new ways to connect travelers with experiences.

Ok, the backdrop matters here: India’s travel market is one of the largest and fastest-growing in the world.

In 2023, Indians took 2.5 billion domestic trips and the country ranked among the fastest-growing major aviation markets. Outbound travel is also accelerating, with India projected to become the 5th largest outbound market globally by 2027, which is basically tomorrow.

And then there’s the wildcard: Jaipur.

Not one of India’s obvious tech power centers like Bengaluru or Delhi. The way I see it, the headline here is beyond the square footage (!) but also the thinking and timing behind it.

A reminder that it’s 2025, and innovative ideas might come from somewhere/someone we’re not looking at yet. It’s all about creating the right space (physically or not) for things to flourish. ✨

Here in Spain, August moves slowly… but travel deals elsewhere have been busy.

So we’ve pulled together the week’s funding and M&A highlights; like a quick scan of who’s raising, buying, and expanding.

Before checking out

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

💪 Spain’s summer hiring surge
Tourism, culture, and logistics added a lot of seasonal jobs this summer, showing how busy travel months create work far beyond the tourism industry.

🎾 Sleep on the court at the US Open
As part of its US Open sponsorship, IHG is offering members the chance to win a four-hour “breakfast in bed” experience right on the court at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Part marketing stunt, part dream stay for tennis fans.

🇨🇳 Cultural tourism meets tech in China
AI, holographic imaging, and other emerging tools are transforming heritage and cultural sites into immersive experiences; part of a wider push to blend tech, storytelling, and tourism.

If this week’s newsletter feels a bit extra full of links, that’s on purpose: I’m heading off on holiday and wanted to leave you with plenty to read and explore while I’m away.

Hopefully you’ve also carved out some time off this summer :) I’ll be spending mine with my family, good books, and slow days.

I’ll be back in your inbox the first week of September.

See you soon,
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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