Travolution

Amadeus has published the Travel Dreams 2026 results, a research project that combines booking data with surveys of 6,000 travellers and 500 hoteliers. The 2026 edition finds travel is increasingly used as a mental health reset: 41% of respondents aspire to return with a calmer nervous system, and a third describe an ideal destination that would prompt a digital detox.

Septeo Hospitality left Porte de Versailles with the Food Hotel Tech 2026 Innovation Award for Witbooking AI, its booking engine integrated with Ulyses Suite. The accolade, decided by a jury of experts during the 14–15 April event, recognises a strategy centred on lodging providers’ commercial performance and control of the direct channel. The award highlights the publisher’s push to align online purchasing with travellers’ expectations amid fierce competition across distribution.

Tier-based eSIM data available in 200+ destinations Luxury Escapes has struck a partnership with Hubby eSIM to add global mobile connectivity to Société, the company’s flagship membership programme. Members will receive a Luxury Escapes-branded eSIM aligned to their tier (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), providing instant mobile internet in more than 200 destinations worldwide. Per membership cycle, data allocations are set at 1GB for Bronze, 3GB for Silver, 5GB for Gold and 10GB for Platinum.

At Food Hotel Tech 2026 in Paris, Aude Naveilhan of Mirai and Killian Defois of SiteMinder explored how artificial intelligence can improve hotel profitability beyond the topline. Hoteliers too often conflate revenue with profit: the panel opening this year’s show reminded attendees that RevPAR, the sector’s favoured metric, is a blunt KPI that ignores commissions, discounts and a host of other costs.

Omio has launched a ChatGPT app that lets travellers search and compare train, bus, flight and ferry options using natural-language queries. The multimodal platform is bringing its inventory into a mainstream conversational interface, connecting a network of more than 3,000 partners and offering bookable options across 47 countries.

For years, these two elements have largely existed in parallel. Payments platforms and risk teams have focused on improving visibility into merchant activity and exposure dynamics, while insurance has traditionally operated as a separate financial safeguard designed to absorb losses after risk events occur. That separation is beginning to change.

Cruisebound has launched Search by Map, a visual discovery mode that puts the map at the centre of cruise planning. Through an interactive interface, travellers can scan the globe, check departure, arrival or port-call points, and see itineraries connected to each location. Announced on 26 March 2026, the feature is available now and reflects the company’s aim to make cruise planning simpler and more intuitive. The tool lets users select a place and instantly surface all cruises linked to it.

Travel industry fintech Mint Payments has become an ABTA Partner. Launched in the UK in 2025 - but founded in 2007 in Sydney - being granted ABTA partnership solidifies its growth in the UK market after being one of the leading travel payments provider in Australia and New Zealand. It will support ABTA to enhance relations with ABTA members and "increase the perception and professionalism of the travel industry".

Cab comparison platform, minicabit, has announced it is now part of ground transport specialist and aggregator, CMAC Group for an undisclosed amount. The move sees the CMAC group portfolio - which also includes Suntransfers.com for international transfers and CoachHireComparison.co.uk for group travel - now offer a "genuine" end-to-end, multi-modal ground transport solution, domestically and internationally.

Rail Europe has integrated the BritRail Pass into its global B2B distribution ecosystem, to reinforce its position as a European rail specialist. The addition further strengthens its strategic Great Britain - which includes England, Wales and Scotland - rail offering for travel agents, OTAs and tour operators worldwide.