New investments, fresh ideas - here’s what’s happening in travel

Hi there,

Back into the swing of things after last week's exciting announcement of our pitch competition finalists that will go on stage at this year’s FutureTravel Summit. The excitement is still fresh, but today I’m shifting gears…

This week’s newsletter is all about celebrating industry moves and fresh ideas that are shaping the future of travel.

From big investments to bold new strategies, there’s plenty to dive into. Let’s get to it!

• Celebrating the women shaping travel. Skift has just published a list highlighting some of the most powerful women in the travel industry, giving well-deserved recognition to these incredible leaders. I’m inspired by their stories and dedication to innovation and growth being celebrated, and we truly appreciate Skift’s effort in showcasing the impact these women are making in shaping the future of travel.

• Airbnb Experiences are back. After a year-and-a-half pause, Airbnb is relaunching its Experiences program, focusing on making them more affordable and unique. CEO Brian Chesky aims to create offerings that are not only cost-effective but also exclusive to the platform, with an emphasis on culturally immersive activities that reflect local communities. Now the question is if this reboot could position Experiences as a central feature of the platform? 

• Cutting industry emissions with human smarts. London-based startup Signol has raised £2.5 million to reduce emissions in aviation and shipping by leveraging behavioral science. By providing real-time feedback to pilots and ship crews on how their actions impact fuel consumption, Signol helps optimize decision-making. This approach has saved over 100,000 metric tonnes of CO2, without the need for costly tech upgrades or operational changes. Nice way to prove that small, data-driven actions can lead to big environmental wins.

• Mid-sized cities masterplan. Volotea, a low-cost airline specializing in flights between European mid-sized cities, has secured a €100 million capital increase, with €50 million from Aegean Airlines, potentially gaining a 21% stake. This investment strengthens Volotea’s market position and enhances connections between France, Italy, Spain, and Greece, while both airlines maintain independent operations.

• Automating hotel bookings. London-based Userguest has secured €2.2 million in a seed funding round aimed at helping hotels optimize direct bookings and revenue through automated tools. The investment will be used to strengthen the company’s sales team, expand into new markets, and develop innovative features to boost hotel bookings.

• Travel plans, Reiwa style. Japanese startup Reiwa Travel raised US$33.7 million to expand globally and enhance its travel booking platform. Focused on simplifying trip planning, Reiwa combines flights, hotels, and tours into packages. They’re also investing in AI-powered tools like a travel assistant and dynamic pricing to offer personalized recommendations and better deals for travelers.

And that’s it for this week!

We’re working behind the scenes to wrap up the agenda for this year’s FutureTravel Summit and will be announcing new speakers soon! Stay tuned!

November 28th is going to be an amazing day of insights, networking, and fresh ideas for the future of travel. Make sure to grab your tickets and join us in Barcelona! :)

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.

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