Innovation tips

Artificial intelligence has been a major discussion in travel over the last year, and that’s why the theme of the Skift Global Forum is Connection in the Age of AI.

Like any emerging technology, AI is not a foregone conclusion. Realizing its full potential in travel will require bold action within companies and collaboration between them.

Verint provides customer service software to roughly 40 airline clients, among those other verticals. The Long Island, New York-based company is still gaining new airline business, but much of it is coming from existing customers. 

Executives from the venture capital arms of three large travel companies — JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and Amadeus — each shared details with Skift about what they are focused on in 2023 and going forward. 

In an effort to accelerate tech innovation in travel, Hotelbeds is putting out a call to startup founders with ideas that could solve problems in the industry. 

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, March 17. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

As 2023 began, Skift declared it the most creative era in global travel. With the pandemic behind us, the industry continues to thrive, leaving the pent-up demand phase and embracing new traveler habits developed over the last three years, while adapting old ones.

When Hilton contracted third-party tech company HotelKey to provide the property management system for all 7,000 of its hotels, it made the choice because that’s what executives thought would be best for the company.

The airline Ryanair and travel guide publisher Lonely Planet are taking part in a new $100 million program by Amazon Web Services to explore innovations in generative AI.

Sealvans, a Turkish start-up founded in 2020, has begun taking orders for its new amphibious caravans in Europe following the completion of successful R&D studies.

The world of generative AI in travel is starting to get more interesting. 

Trip.com was among the first large online travel agencies to release a simple chatbot powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

I’ve been doing these best-of columns for several years now. In addition to highlighting interesting and innovative brands, experiences, and hoteliers, it serves as a barometer for the industry as a whole.

United Airlines earlier this year put together an investment of $100 million dedicated to startups working on renewable aviation fuels. Only five months later, that fund doubled to $200 million and had investments from three other other airlines.

Hong Kong has always been among the world’s most spectacular destinations and the experience begins with the sheer and visceral thrill felt when you seem to fly into the city, quite literally.

Baur au Lacis one of Zurich’s most prestigious and recognizable hotels, attracting guests from around the world to its waterside location since 1844. In its 179-year history, Baur au Lac has very much been a family business, owned and managed by the Baur-Kracht family, and this year marks a new chapter in the hotel’s leadership. Marguita Kracht joins her father at the helm of the property, as a seventh generation owner of the heralded hotel ushering in new ideas about sustainability and technology.