Category: Recent News

What does it take for a family to afford a week away? Today, Eurostat estimates that for more than one in four Europeans the answer is that they can’t. Rising prices and tighter household budgets mean that millions are being priced out of the chance to travel — even though travel has never mattered more for connection, culture, and moments of rest and renewal.

Holiday shoppers are preparing to spend more this season, but there’s a catch. Accenture’s 19th Annual Holiday Shopping Survey reveals that much of this increased spending reflects higher prices, not higher confidence. The result is a stressed-out shopper base struggling to make every penny count while drowning in a sea of confusing offers and promotions. These consumer behaviors and the rise of AI-driven solutions offer important insights not just for retailers, but for travel and tourism professionals navigating similar challenges in their own industry.

After a full renovation, Tivoli Coimbra will reopen in April 2026 with a five-star rating, offering a sophisticated atmosphere, personalized services, and a renewed Tivoli experience in a prime central city location.

Lighthouse, the leading AI pricing, distribution and operations platform, and HotelSpeaker, the humanized AI service for guest communication and review management, are joining forces to offer a complete A-to-Z solution for independent hoteliers.

Travel and hospitality businesses must now win over a more discerning, AI-armed traveler, while contending with an unstable global economy

Shiji, the global leader in hospitality technology, has been selected as the technology partner for Le Clay, a highly anticipated active lifestyle hotel opening in the UNESCO-listed Lavaux region overlooking Lake Geneva. Le Clay will implement Shiji’s hospitality ecosystem, including Daylight PMS, Infrasys POS, Meridian Experiences, Reviewpro Reputation, and Stellaris Digital, to deliver a seamless, fully integrated guest experience. The decision reflects the hotel’s vision to offer modern, connected hospitality that blends wellness, nature, and culture.

UN Tourism and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) have agreed to work together to increase access to tourism education at high school level.

Hotels are increasingly building sustainability teams and integrating green practices across operations,and recruitment specialists are observing this shift from the employer side.

Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has announced its 2025 Top 25 Extraordinary Minds honorees. These leaders will be recognized in a special ceremony preceding the HSMAI Adrian Awards Celebration on February 18, 2026, at the New York Marriott Marquis.

HSMAI Europe is pleased to announce a two-year strategic partnership with TrustYou, the leading hospitality AI platform specialising in guest intelligence, reputation management, and data-driven customer experience optimisation. Under the agreement, TrustYou becomes an HSMAI Europe Organisational Vendor Member and enters into a two-year strategic sponsor partnership, bringing deep guest-intelligence expertise into HSMAI Europe’s growing portfolio of initiatives and industry programmes.