Travel Technology delivers real-time insights on booking platform innovations, AI-powered concierge services, mobile check-in solutions, VR destination tours, contactless payments and emerging digital travel trends to enhance every journey.
IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched AI-powered conversational hotel search across its digital channels, marking a major shift in how travellers can discover accommodation and move toward booking. The beta launched in the United States on July 28, 2026, through IHG.com and the IHG One Rewards mobile app. Instead of relying only on fixed destination […]
International travellers moving between France, wider Europe and Canada are increasingly turning to eSIM technology to simplify one of the most important parts of modern travel: staying connected. Instead of searching airport arrival halls for physical SIM cards, exchanging tiny cards between devices or navigating unfamiliar mobile plans, travellers with compatible smartphones can activate digital
Ascension Island has entered a new digital era in 2026, but international travellers still face an unusual booking gap when trying to reach Georgetown through the South Atlantic aviation network. The island now offers a government-owned mobile network, downloadable eSIMs and electronic visa processing. However, visitors still cannot book the crucial St Helena–Ascension flight through
Europe is accelerating the development of smarter tourism destinations as digital tools, shared data and new technology become increasingly important for managing record visitor demand, improving traveller experiences and supporting sustainable destination growth. The emerging smart tourism model moves beyond measuring success simply through arrival numbers. Instead, destinations are increasingly using information about visitor movements,
Disney’s new global collaboration with TikTok could eventually influence how travellers discover and plan theme park, resort and entertainment-led holidays as creator-generated storytelling takes a larger role across the company’s digital ecosystem. The Walt Disney Company and TikTok announced the first-of-its-kind global short-form content-sharing agreement on August 5, 2026. The initiative will initially pilot in
Google Maps has expanded its Gemini-powered Ask Maps experience in India with Hindi-language support, giving millions of travellers and commuters a more natural way to search for places, plan journeys and understand local travel conditions. Google began rolling out Hindi support for Ask Maps on August 6, 2026. The update allows users to communicate with
Business travel in the United States is entering a more biometric, technology-driven era following the launch of CLEAR Corporate Memberships, an enterprise programme designed to make airport journeys easier for travelling employees. CLEAR formally unveiled the initiative during the Global Business Travel Association Convention 2026 in Chicago. The programme combines CLEAR+, biometric airport eGates, the
Artificial intelligence is moving deeper into luxury tourism as Virtuoso highlights technology’s growing influence on personalised travel planning, advisor productivity and customer engagement. At its annual Travel Tech Summit in Las Vegas, travel advisors, technology companies, innovators and industry leaders explored how AI can help professionals process information faster, personalise recommendations and design increasingly complex
The UAE has expanded its Tourist VAT Refund Scheme to include eligible e-commerce purchases, giving international visitors greater flexibility when shopping during their trips and strengthening the country’s increasingly digital tourism experience. The Federal Tax Authority now allows tourists to purchase qualifying goods not only from registered physical retailers but also through websites registered for
Vamoos has launched a complimentary Rebooking Playbook designed to help travel companies strengthen customer loyalty, encourage repeat bookings and build longer-lasting relationships with travellers. The 12-page guide focuses on one of the travel industry’s most important commercial challenges: turning customers who complete one holiday into travellers who return for another booking. It provides practical strategies
Tanzania is accelerating its transition toward a cashless economy by expanding mandatory digital payments across tourism, hospitality, transport and other commercial services. The reform represents a significant operational shift for hotels, restaurants, tourism businesses and transport providers serving domestic and international travellers. Under the government’s 2026/27 financial reforms, businesses covered by the measures are expected
Tanzania is introducing mandatory electronic payments across tourism, hospitality, transport and other specified commercial activities, marking a significant shift toward a more transparent and digitally connected visitor economy. The reform requires qualifying transactions to move through recognised electronic payment channels rather than relying primarily on cash. Hotels, restaurants, tourism businesses and transport providers must therefore
