Intrepid Travel Expands in Europe With Landmark Altaï Group Acquisition
Intrepid Travel has completed its biggest acquisition yet, buying France’s Altaï Group as it pushes deeper into Europe’s non-English-speaking adventure travel markets.
Expedia Says Travelers Use AI to Plan Trips but Still Trust Brands to Book
Expedia Group’s new AI Trust Gap report suggests that travelers are increasingly open to using AI for discovery and planning, but remain cautious when money, booking control, and post-trip support are involved. The findings highlight a growing split between where travel inspiration happens and where transactions still feel safe.
Booking.com Warns Some Customers After Suspected Data Exposure Raises Fresh Security Concerns
By
Marcus Bennett
• 3 mins read
Booking.com has warned some customers that unauthorized parties may have accessed reservation-related personal information. The company says payment data was not taken from its systems, but the incident is likely to deepen concerns around travel-platform security and phishing risks.
Minor Hotels Bets on AI to Make Guest Data a Competitive Asset
By
Marcus Bennett
• 3 mins read
Minor Hotels is building a new global data and AI platform as hotel groups race to own more of the guest relationship directly. The project is less about adding another digital tool than about redesigning how personalization, booking, and service work across a global portfolio.
Meta’s Muse Spark Could Push Travel Discovery Deeper Into Social and Real-Time AI
By
Marcus Bennett
• 3 mins read
Meta’s new Muse Spark model may matter to travel less as a standalone AI launch than as an ecosystem move. If its multimodal and reasoning features spread across Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and smart glasses, Meta could tighten its influence over how trips are imagined, planned, and navigated.
Royal Caribbean’s New Credit Cards Turn Cruise Loyalty Into a Cross-Brand Product
By
Marcus Bennett
• 3 mins read
Royal Caribbean Group is extending its loyalty strategy beyond the ship with new credit cards that work across Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea. The move reflects a broader push to make guests think about the company’s brands as one connected vacation system rather than separate cruise lines.
Uber’s Blacklane Deal Signals a Bigger Push Into Premium Travel
By
Marcus Bennett
• 3 mins read
Uber’s planned acquisition of Blacklane shows how ground transport is splitting into clearer service tiers. The deal gives Uber a stronger foothold in chauffeur and executive travel, where reliability and pre-booked service matter more than instant pickup.
Uber, Pony.ai and Verne Pick Zagreb for Europe’s Robotaxi Debut
By
Marcus Bennett
• 3 mins read
Uber’s latest autonomous partnership is less about a single city launch than about testing whether its marketplace model can work in Europe’s tighter regulatory environment. Starting in Zagreb gives the group a manageable entry point, but the bigger question is whether the model can scale across borders.
Polish Cities Krakow and Warsaw Are the Best in Europe for Remote Work
By
Marcus Bennett
• 3 mins read
Krakow and Warsaw lead a new ranking of Europe’s best cities for remote work, highlighting Central Europe’s growing edge in affordability, safety, and connectivity.
Bilt Acquires Travel Commission Platform Sion in $30 Million Deal
By
Marcus Bennett
• 3 mins read
Bilt has acquired travel commission platform Sion for $30 million, aiming to strengthen its travel rewards ecosystem and support travel advisors.