Here are some of the stories that caught our attention over the week with some of our takeaways.
Elite Travel Agents Are Using AI to Sell Vibes, Not Destinations: Bloomberg reports on the bespoke travel outfitter Black Tomato launching a new digital tool called the “Feelings Engine” to help travellers identify destinations that will make them feel relaxed, reinvigorated, inspired, excited—or whatever emotion they’re seeking.
Co-founder Tom Marchant calls it a “return to the company’s roots,” noting that when the company was founded in 2005, its original website similarly prompted travellers to choose destinations based on their emotional desires. And because it’s now 2025, he’s using generative AI to turn an awkward, tricky-to-answer question—“how do you want to feel?”—into something of a game.
Our takeaway:
Early days yet, but Black Tomato, known for creating unique perspectives in travel says the tool aims to tap into the “vibe economy,” where consumers prioritise emotional fulfilment and are willing to pay more for it. I suspect that the tool has a fair few limitations in providing fully customised or geographically specific recommendations, but credit to them for pushing the boundaries!
“It’s Not Us vs. Them” | AirAsia MOVE’s approach to competition, ‘Google keyword wars’ and being branded an OTA: Web in Travel says AirAsia has never been afraid to shake things up. From launching as a scrappy low-cost carrier (LCC) to becoming a dominant force in Asian aviation, its latest transformation of its online platform into AirAsia MOVE is yet another bold step forward. At the heart of this shift is a simple but powerful idea: if you control the customer experience, you control the market.
CMA does U-turn over Amex GBT/CWT deal: The Business Travel Mag reports on the surprising change of mind by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) about the proposed acquisition of CWT by Amex GBT, saying it now believes the deal could go ahead.
Publishing a supplementary interim report in its investigation today (February 18), it says further analysis of CWT’s financial situation, based on new evidence, suggests it is a “significantly weaker competitor than in the past and is likely to continue to weaken in the future”
In Ruby, IHG Hotels & Resorts hopes its found its magic slipper: Hotelmag reports on IHG’s acquisition of the Ruby brand name and quips. “Dorothy’s ruby slippers in “The Wizard of Oz” signified many things. One was hope. IHG Hotels & Resorts hopes that a click of its heels will be the impetus for growing its newest brand acquisition.”
On Tuesday, tucked into IHG’s full-year earnings report, the company announced it had acquired Ruby, billed as a “premium urban lifestyle brand for the modern traveller, with space-efficient designs and an attractive, flexible concept.”
Our takeaway:
IHG Hotels & Resorts has acquired Ruby, a “lean luxury” hotel brand, for an initial $116 million. Pretty hefty price tag for a brand with 20 hotels but hey ho, it is not that dissimilar to recent playbooks of similar brand acquisitions like Vienna House by Wyndham.
IHG sees this acquisition as a way to strengthen its portfolio and leverage Ruby’s efficient, adaptive reuse model. I had to find out what adaptive reuse model meant and it means “unique solutions for efficient adaptive re-use of office space “
How OTAs Use Data to Recommend Hotels: Decoding the Travel Algorithm: An article in Alertify asks “if you have ever wondered how those Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) seem to know exactly what hotel you’re looking for? It’s like they’re reading your mind, right? Well, not quite. But they are incredibly good at reading data. And that data, my friends, is the secret sauce behind their hotel recommendations.”