- FutureTravel
- Posts
- What’s going on in the Dolomites this summer?
What’s going on in the Dolomites this summer?
they are everywhere right now
Hi there,
If you’re in Europe and online this summer, the Dolomites are hard to miss. Feels like everyone's either hiking them or complaining about them.
I can’t stop thinking about this place... especially with images like this popping up everywhere:
I can’t unsee it.
Yes, it’s high season. And yes, lots of places are packed. But this feels… weird. This awkward tension between what’s meant to be wild, and what’s starting to feel (a bit too) curated.
Local farmers have started installing turnstiles and charging €5 just to walk certain paths. They’re tired.
And all this is happening before the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will bring even more people attention to the region. High-end hotels are already renovating. The spotlight is coming.
We’ve been talking about overtourism for a while - but when it hits a place like the Dolomites (still raw & wild) it starts to feel like a real test of what we’ve learned.
Because we’ve all seen a story like this before: attention outpaces infrastructure, and no one adjusts fast enough.
What you get: environmental damage, frustrated locals, and a boom that quietly undermines the future you are trying to build.
Well, moving forward…
TOGETHER WITH DIGITAL SARDINE
Ever feel like your Google Ads should be working harder?
You might be prepping for peak season, testing a new market, or just wondering if your campaigns are still pulling their weight.
Digital Sardine is a boutique consultancy focused on paid search for travel brands. They’re now offering a free Google Ads audit: think of it like a chance to get fresh eyes on your campaigns and clear insight into what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next.
With 14+ years of experience across 30+ countries and $500M+ in managed ad spend, they bring real industry expertise.
Request your free audit
Funding Spotlight
Journey, a US-based loyalty platform for independent hotels and short-term rentals, just raised $7.7 million in seed funding.
Launched this spring, Journey aims to solve a familiar pain point: how do smaller, character-rich properties compete on loyalty without the infrastructure of a chain? The platform uses AI to help operators drive direct bookings, increase revenue per guest, and deliver more personalized experiences, all under their own brand.
For travelers get 5x points when booking directly on partner sites, and the ability to use those points during the stay, not after. That instant value is something the team says traditional programs have long failed to deliver.
Without the scale or tech of the big chains, independents are often left out of the “loyalty game”. Journey is betting that better guest experience (powered by smarter tools) can become their biggest advantage.
The round was co-led by Lerer Hippeau and Slow Ventures, with participation from The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly, Chris Burch, Kim Perell, and Bulletpitch.
On our radar:
🇩🇪 Roadsurfer raises €25M to expand its camper van rental platform across Europe. Read more
🇮🇳 Passprt Trips secures $500K to build an AI-powered travel planning app. Read more
🇿🇦 TurnStay raises $1.9M to scale its hospitality tech platform across Africa. Full story
🇮🇱 AIR raises €20M to develop electric air mobility services in Europe. Read more
🇦🇺OYO acquires MadeComfy as global players continue consolidating short-term rentals. Read more
Before checking out
Not funding rounds. Not product launches. Not deals. Just things we read this week that made us think twice…
🧑💻 Calling startups in Asia
Travel Massive is now accepting pitch applications for early-stage startups in travel, tourism, and hospitality. If you’re building something smart and new, this is a great way to get on the radar.
🎨 48 hours in Edinburgh, in sketches
I love this quiet & creative take on city discovery. Instead of fast-paced reels with pop songs, this is just a beautifully drawn reminder of how we experience places.
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.
Looking for a space to promote your business or service for more than 26k subscribers? Let’s talk.
FutureTravel is a weekly newsletter about the future of travel, featuring the most exciting news about innovation, trends and startups in the industry. |  |