Here are some of the stories that caught our attention over the week with some of our takeaways.
Year In Review 2024, Looking Ahead To 2025: WebInTravel summarises their annual tradition of asking travel tech leaders what they thought of 2024 and what they are looking forward to in the new year.
Prosus buys Despegar for $1.7B, taking a bite out of Latin America’s travel sector: Techcrunch reports on a major OTA buyout in Latin America. Prosus, the tech conglomerate controlled by Naspers, is paying $1.7 billion to acquire Despegar, one of the biggest online travel agencies in Latin America, to scale up its operations in the region.
WP Holding Poland is acquiring European OTA Invia Group for approximately €240 million: And on the European front Phocuswire reports on the acquisition of a relatively lesser known but influential OTA Group. Invia Group is parent to booking platforms including Ab-in-enUrlaub.de, Travelplanet.pl, Invia.cz, Invia.sk, Invia.hu and Fleuge.de, an online travel agency for flights.
Nuitee Raises $48 Million to Expand Its Travel and Hotel Connectivity Technology Solutions: Hotel Technology News reports that technology solution provider Nuitee has raised an impressive $48 million in a Series A funding round led by Accel. Nuitée offers a practical solution for hotels seeking to streamline room distribution and reduce costs by connecting directly with B2B clients, including travel agencies, corporate travel firms, OTAs, loyalty programs, and super apps.
HotelPlanner Announces Strategic Acquisition of PetsWelcome.com: ForexTV covers the interesting acquisition by HotelPlanner, a leading global provider of online group hotel bookings of PetsWelcome.com, a pioneering platform dedicated to helping travellers find pet-friendly accommodations.