12th February 2025: Here are some of the stories that caught our attention over the week with some of our takeaways.
Snakes, DeepSeek and the speed of AI: How travel tech will be transformed: Web in Travel reports how “over just the past few days, the industry has been shaken by rapid developments, particularly around AI efficiency breakthroughs like DeepSeek. The notion that AI development is centralised in the West has been upended, and travel companies need to rethink everything they thought they knew about the cost, accessibility, and potential of AI.”
A quote that caught my eye from the conversation between Yeoh Siew Hoon and Bobby Healy in the article was this “Remember when travel companies dragged their feet on mobile? It took forever to go from desktop to mobile-first. We don’t have that luxury this time. AI adoption is moving exponentially faster.”
Hyatt Acquires Playa Hotels & Resorts For $2.6B: Loyalty Lobby reports on the Playa portfolio acquisition by Hyatt. Playa’s portfolio includes high-quality resorts in iconic locations and strategically important markets.
An interesting question this raises is what will happen to the many properties under some of the other global majors like Hilton, IHG and Wyndham, that are owned or managed by Playa.
OYO invests in the UK to expand into premium segments: Hospitality Magazine reports that “after strengthening its position in the United States with the acquisition of G6 Hospitality (Motel 6, Studio 6), OYO has announced a €57.5 million investment in the United Kingdom over three years to expand its portfolio of premium hotels, while consolidating its presence in the budget segment.”
To read a more amusing write up on the topic, go to Katherine Dogrell’s blog post, Oho Oyo!
Expedia Group CEO outlines three strategies for using AI in the year ahead: Phocuswire reports that “the company reported revenue of $3.1 billion in Q4, up 10% year over year, driven by a 21% jump in B2B revenue and a 25% increase in advertising revenue as well as growth at all three of its B2C brands – Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. Full year revenue was $13.7 billion, up 7% compared to 2023.”
CEO Ariane Gorin, who will mark her one-year anniversary in the position in May, said the company is now focused on using its momentum from 2024 to focus on three priorities for the year ahead.
Meet Gen Z’s favourite travel search engine, TikTok: Web in Travel reports that “For years, TikTok was seen as a platform dominated by viral dance trends and lip-sync videos. But today, it’s emerging as a serious player in the travel industry, shaping how users discover, plan, and even book their trips. According to Eason Zhang, Head of Apps, Strategic Partners SEA, the platform is no longer just about entertainment – it’s influencing real-world travel decisions.”