Technology, Organisations & Operators,

Yesterday, at WebSummit Qatar, marked a groundbreaking moment as Striver, the world’s first truly abuse-free social media platform, is set to launch in the United Arab Emirates. Created by footballers for fans, Striver aims to redefine the social media landscape with a positive and inclusive digital space.
Under the visionary leadership of CEO Tim Chase, Striver proudly announces its official entry into the UAE market. With a commitment to fostering a safe and respectful online environment, Striver stands as a beacon against online abuse, setting a new standard for social media platforms worldwide.Notably, Striver is honoured to have esteemed football legends Gilberto Silva and Roberto Carlos as Co-founders with Tim. Their passion for the beautiful game and dedication to fostering a positive community led them to building Striver’s mission.CEO Tim Chase expresses his enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to introduce Striver to the dynamic landscape of the UAE. Our abuse-free platform aims to provide football enthusiasts with a space to connect, share, and celebrate the sport we all love.”Striver’s entrance into the UAE is strategically timed, coinciding with the nation’s burgeoning interest in football. With Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the sport, Striver anticipates playing a pivotal role in nurturing a supportive online community for football enthusiasts across the region.Co-founder Gilberto Silva shares his excitement, saying, “Striver is more than a platform; it’s a community that celebrates the spirit of football without the negativity.I look forward to engaging with fans in the UAE and creating a space where the love for the game unites us all.”Co-founder Roberto Carlos adds, “In Striver, we have a platform that reflects the values of respect and teamwork that football embodies. I’m honoured to be part of this initiative and connect with fans in the UAE.”Striver invites football fans, enthusiasts, content creators, and social media users in the UAE to join the movement toward a more positive online experience. The platform is set to revolutionise the way fans engage with each other, their favourite players, and the sport they adore.

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Web Summit Qatar 2024 opened its doors Monday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC)

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In a historic moment at the Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun during the 25th-anniversary celebration, NexusTours proudly announced a transformative change in its structure and brand identity. The event, which marked a quarter-century of success and innovation, has become the stage for the introduction of GoNexus Group and its three dynamic sub-brands to support global expansion.As the company embarks on the next phase of its journey, the unveiling of GoNexus Group represents a strategic move towards a cohesive brand architecture. GoNexus Group will serve as the overarching parent brand, and will go to market with a collection of best-in-class solutions, each with a clear proposition and market focus that meets the needs of its growing and diverse guests and partners globally. The business lines reshaping the landscape will be:Nexus Tours: Elevating DMC Services – Nexus Tours, the longstanding Destination Management Company (DMC), will continue to be the cornerstone of the receptive services and product sourcing. With a legacy of excellence, Nexus Tours remains committed to delivering exceptional experiences across 19 countries and 52 destinations, managing 3 million travellers annually.Nexus Cube:  Experiences and Mobility Marketplace – Nexus Cube emerges as the gateway for B2B partners to access a spectrum of experiences and mobility Marketplace products and bespoke tech solutions. This platform underscores GoNexus Group’s commitment to leveraging technology while ensuring a personalised approach, offering tailored solutions for over 1,000 B2B partners, with product in 140 countries and 6,600 destinations.Nexus Lab: Catalyst for Innovation – Nexus Lab will be a dedicated brand for innovation and the development of cutting-edge products, consultancy, and technological solutions to travel partners. Nexus Lab embodies the company’s commitment to staying at the forefront of industry advancements, driving innovation, and shaping the future of travel experiences.Rubén Gutiérrez, President of GoNexus Group, expressed, “Our 25th anniversary is not merely a reflection on our past, but a preview of the dynamic future we are shaping. The introduction of GoNexus Group and its sub-brands underscores our unwavering commitment to innovation, excellence in service, and the profound impact we aspire to make in the ever-evolving travel industry. This is not just a celebration; it’s a declaration of our dedication to creating extraordinary travel experiences that resonate globally.”In line with its ambitious global expansion focus, driven by its visionary approach and the introduction of its innovative brands, GoNexus Group is poised to elevate the travel experience across borders. Currently operating in 140 countries and spanning 6,600 destinations, the company is at the forefront of redefining the travel landscape. With an extensive array of offerings, including 30,000 mobility options, 92,000 diverse experiences, and 100,000 car rental services, GoNexus Group has positioned itself as a comprehensive travel solutions provider. Managing the travel needs of more than 3 million travellers annually, the company’s global reach is further accentuated by its collaboration with more than 1,000 travel partners (B2B partners) worldwide. This strategic expansion not only underscores GoNexus Group’s commitment to meeting the diverse needs of travellers but also reinforces its status as a global leader in the travel and tourism sector.

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InterLnkd – the travel industry’s intelligent shopping mall partner and winner of the 2023 WTM and World Aviation Festival start-up competitions – has today announced the appointment of global travel executive and industry expert Stuart Greif on its board of advisors.The appointment comes just months after the start-up raised £1 million in a seed funding round led by Vanneck Ltd., to accelerate its growth and international expansion.
In his role as a board advisor, Stuart will leverage his extensive industry knowledge to provide strategic guidance to the InterLnkd leadership team and identify new growth opportunities.
With 30 years’ global experience focused at the intersection of travel, customer experience and technology, Stuart currently serves as Executive Vice-President of Forbes Travel Guide. In this capacity, he spearheads strategy, innovation, and operations across more than 80 countries.
Previously, Stuart served as Senior Executive for Travel & Hospitality at Microsoft, and led J.D. Power’s Global Hospitality & Travel group. In addition, he played a pivotal role in the success of tech start-up – and now unicorn – Amperity, backed by early investors in Amazon, Facebook, and LinkedIn. He continues to actively engage in the travel start-up community as an investor, advisor, and mentor.
Stuart Greif, board advisor to InterLnkd, said: “I love that InterLnkd is providing highly contextually relevant product offers post-booking from over 20,000 brands, bringing retail shopping into the travel post-booking process for suppliers and sellers of travel. The team has identified a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, of which the travel industry has barely scratched the surface.ADVERTISEMENT“No matter the type of vacation, Ski, Beach, City, Adventure or Golf, the industry is leaving significant revenue on the table, and InterLnkd has built a solution to capture that revenue and return it to the travel industry for free. I am excited by what the team has built so far for leading travel brands and look forward to supporting their global ambitions.”
Barry Klipp, Chief Executive Officer of InterLnkd, added: “Stuart is one of the most recognised thought leaders in our field and a dedicated supporter of innovative travel start-ups. With his vast experience spanning top-tier consultancies, prominent tech companies, VCs, and private equity, he will be an invaluable asset to the InterLnkd team.”
InterLnkd found the average traveller spends £270 on products across fashion, beauty, and essentials for their upcoming holiday. The UK start-up’s white-label technology enables travel sellers – including airlines, tour operators, and Online Travel Agencies – to earn a cost-free incremental revenue stream from these purchases.
Thanks to its intelligent matching engine, InterLnkd seamlessly curates a personalised selection of products that align with a customer’s travel booking from over 20,000 brands.
Last year, the company solidified strategic partnerships with leading travel brands including Thomas Cook, HolidayPirates, and LeShuttle (Eurotunnel).

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BEONx forges strategic partnership with webhotelier | primalres, leading travel tech group

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BEONx, a leading hospitality revenue management system provider, is delighted to announce its strategic partnership with webhotelier | primalres, a regional travel tech leader focusing in the Greek and Cypriot market but serving 17.400+ hotels and other accommodation providers in 38 countries. This milestone collaboration aims to revolutionise the revenue management landscape in the region, act as a catalyst for data-driven decision making, thus enhancing the profitability and efficiency of hotels and other strategic accommodation providers.
The primary objective of this partnership is to deliver an advanced revenue management solution tailored to the unique needs of the Greek and Cypriot markets, bolstered by a dedicated local Greek support network.
As such webhotelier | primalres will play a pivotal role in enabling BEONx to effectively reach all key accounts including over 130 hotel chains in Greece and Cyprus that stand to benefit from the implementation of an RMS.
Right now, in Greece, where hotels command some of the highest ADRs in the region, technology-driven solutions are in high demand. Hoteliers are actively seeking innovative tools to further enhance their revenue management strategies and capitalise on the thriving hospitality market. BEONx’s partnership with webhotelier | primalres will provide Greek and Cypriot hotels with a comprehensive suite of tools designed to meet their specific needs.
Panos Kontozamanis, CEO at webhotelier | primalres, expressed his enthusiasm for this pivotal partnership, stating, “Our aim is to provide a state of-the-art e-business ecosystem that assists our partners’ journey to digital transformation. BEONx is the world’s #1 sustainable profitability platform for hotels that goes beyond Revenue Management. We are thrilled to integrate BEONx into our ecosystem, thus offering our clients a robust and holistic approach to revenue optimization. Together with BEONx, we’re set to redefine the future of hotel revenue management in Greece and Cyprus, providing our clients with unparalleled insights and the agility to thrive in a dynamic market.”ADVERTISEMENTAdditionally, Rubén Sánchez, CEO and cofounder at BEONx added, “Our partnership with webhotelier | primalres represents a significant step forward for BEONx in expanding our global footprint. We are excited to collaborate with such a reputable player in the Greek and Cypriot markets. This alliance reflects our dedication to empowering hotels in this region with advanced revenue management tools and exceptional customer support.”
BEONx is set to integrate seamlessly with key hospitality technologies. Thanks to this partnership, BEONx will be able to offer customer service support in the Greek language, ensuring that their clients receive the best possible support and guidance for their revenue management needs.

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Crystal Lagoons continues to conquer iconic cities in Europe. Having already launched in Prague, Warsaw, Bucharest, and Budapest, the company is now bringing beach life to Rome, Milan, Toulouse, Seville, and two additional Romanian cities. These Mediterranean cities will now also benefit from Public Access Lagoons™ projects, known as PAL™.
In this way, this innovation multinational company, founded by scientist Fernando Fischmann, is expanding to Italy and France and adding projects in Spain and Romania, where it already has successful complexes such as Santa Rosalía, Alcazaba Lagoon, and Central District Lagoon City.
The sustainability of Crystal Lagoons® technology was once again a determining factor for this agreement, the second with Forty Management, a prestigious and award-winning Romanian property developer with which the multinational has complexes in the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Hungary, characterized by their sustainability.
The introduction of PAL™ projects into touristic and landmark cities like Rome and Milan demonstrates their added value, and the appeal of bringing an idyllic beach life just steps from homes. The central piece will be a large crystalline lagoon suitable for swimming and water sports, surrounded by white sandy beaches, which anyone can access for an entrance fee. The complex will be surrounded by residential areas, hotels, stores, restaurants, and other high-end commercial and entertainment infrastructure.
“We are delighted that Crystal Lagoons, one of the world’s most innovative companies, has chosen Forty Management to expand into Europe. In partnership, we will bring beach life to the most amazing European cities and improve the quality of life through sustainable projects,” said Lucian Azoiței, CEO of Forty Management.ADVERTISEMENT“The disruptive innovation of Crystal Lagoons® technology, which allows bringing beach life in a sustainable way to any place in the world, is what generates the success of these crystalline lagoons. This has been recognized by avant-garde developers like Forty Management who, after confirming the trend in their first complex, repeat the model to develop new projects, even in cities that would be unthinkable like Rome, Milan or Toulouse,” said Jean Pierre Juanchich, Global Business Director of Crystal Lagoons.

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SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CELEBRATES EXPANDED TECHNICAL OPERATIONS FACILITY IN PHOENIX

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Priceline, the pioneering travel innovator, today unveiled its Winter 2024 Product Release featuring a new generative AI-powered slate of features, including major upgrades to Penny, its AI-powered travel assistant. The latest additions to Priceline’s Trip Intelligence suite make it the travel industry’s most comprehensive array of AI tools – including more than 30 new features to dramatically streamline the travel planning and booking process.At a time when overwhelming choice and options mean consumers spend an average of two full work days – 16 hours – on trip research and booking,1 Priceline’s smarter, faster, and more proactive tools can significantly reduce the time a customer spends on travel planning. The upgraded Trip Intelligence suite builds upon six months of real-world conditions and proprietary marketplace intelligence accumulated from Priceline’s millions of customers since the technology debuted in Priceline’s hotel category in June. The response has been overwhelmingly positive; the company estimates that travelers who used Penny saved an average of nearly ten minutes per trip compared to those who called customer support. Priceline is now rolling out Penny across all categories: hotel, flights, car rental and vacation packages.
The enhanced Priceline Trip Intelligence suite debuts at a time of changing consumer demands and behavior. More customers seek ways to reduce the time and complexity in researching and booking trips, and they’re increasingly looking to AI to help them solve these challenges. Priceline’s study found that more than half of travelers say they’d use AI tools to cut down on time, eliminate hours of onerous research and secure the best deals. Of those familiar with generative AI, the vast majority (73%) said they’re receptive to using generative AI and believe it will streamline travel planning and booking. And further, 65% said it would make traveling easier and more enjoyable.1
For its Winter Release, Priceline’s dedicated team of AI experts, prompt engineers, product developers and data scientists built integrated technology atop Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and OpenAI’s GPT-4 Turbo to significantly expand Penny’s capabilities and trip-planning impact sitewide. Penny can now save customers precious time by planning and modifying their trips – whether they need assistance with destination recommendations, finding the best deal or accessing always-on, personalized customer service. Priceline is also introducing personalized GenAI itineraries within its iOS App. No need to do lengthy research making plans – the upgraded App will now generate a suggested itinerary for you down to dining and activity options for your stay. Other time-saving features include a new wallet for organizing deals and coupons, ways to enable customers to skip check-in lines, and more.
“After six months of expert, on-the-job training, Penny is ready to deliver an even more cohesive and personalized booking experience that saves people time and hassle,” said Brett Keller, CEO, Priceline. “This is a continuation of Priceline’s tradition of revolutionizing travel with pioneering technology. We began fully integrating generative AI early last year, and our tools and features will only get better as customers and partners engage with them more and more.”
Priceline customers can expect to find over 30 new features and upgrades starting today, including:ADVERTISEMENTPenny: Increasing its remit beyond the hotel category to flights, car rentals and vacation packages, Penny, the GenAI-powered travel assistant, is now ready to greet travelers on the Priceline home page, taking them from inspiration through planning, booking and even modifying their dream trip after they’ve booked.Discover with Penny: Discover new destinations directly from the Priceline home page, with Penny intelligently suggesting relevant properties and travel packages reflecting specific needs and personal travel styles as customers search for the right match. For example, “suggest sunny and family-friendly destinations within a three hour flight of NYC.”Troubleshoot with Penny: Quickly modify itineraries, connect with live help agents, check the status of a refund, and access important travel information – available all in one place by chatting with Penny.GenAI Itineraries: Leveraging GPT-4 Turbo, Priceline iOS app users can automatically craft in-depth itineraries for their entire trip, including can’t-miss activities, restaurants and nearby attractions.Priceline Wallet: A one-stop portfolio feature enabling Priceline customers to save coupons, monitor expiration dates, and track airline credits in a single location.Price Watch: To ensure customers never miss a deal, they can now track desired flight itineraries (including flexible options and multiple airports for fare comparison) in the Priceline App, and receive prompt notifications when prices change.Cabin Comparisons in Search: Results for all domestic flight searches are enhanced with cabin and seat comparisons, enabling customers to quickly evaluate cabin attributes, pricing, upgrade options, and other enhancements.Skip the Counter and Online Rental Car Check-In: Priceline customers can skip the rental car counter or significantly reduce counter wait times by checking-in online ahead of time with select partners.Multi-Passenger Cancellation and Rebooking: Bypass speaking with an agent and rebook tickets for select airlines for the whole family with airline credit, directly with Priceline. (Coming Soon)Priceline App Experience: Major design improvements implemented across all platforms, including overhauls for iPad and Android. The inclusion of Trip Timeline also affords users an at-a-glance view of all upcoming travel dates in one place. Beginning in March iPhone users will receive Live Activity updates on their lock screen containing useful real-time information about their flights. Additionally, a new iOS integration allows users to begin searching for hotel deals and car rentals from the convenience of Spotlight Search.Offers in the PayPal App: Priceline has joined forces with PayPal for the upcoming launch of their new offers platform. Beginning later this year, Priceline expects to provide personalized cash-back offers to consumers in the PayPal app for use when purchasing their travel on Priceline and checking out with PayPal – helping them get to their happy place for a happy price.Priceline continues to swiftly travel into new territories of customer satisfaction, propelled by their data-driven, technology-powered philosophy of innovation. With Penny’s new feature set and category defining Trip Intelligence suite, Priceline promises to get their customers to their happy place at a happy price even faster – and with more confidence – than ever before.
“Booking with confidence and saving time are absolutely key for our customers,” said Kevin Heery, Chief Product Officer. “Our expanded Trip Intelligence suite will enable Priceline to further anticipate travelers’ needs, helping them book their trip with ease and peace of mind seamlessly and faster than ever before.”
To celebrate the launch of the new Trip Intelligence features, Priceline is offering a 10% discount on Express DealsⓇ, exclusively through Penny.  Simply ask Penny, “can you get me a deal?” to reveal the code and book by February 27th to take advantage of this special offer.
The new features are now live across Priceline.

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Digitrips, owner of leading French B2B multi-product travel platforms MisterFly and HResa, has enhanced its flight booking engine with a direct flight calendar, helping travellers pinpoint the best travel dates with ease.
Once travellers input their desired departure and destination airports in a Digitrips-powered search form, the date selection tool promptly identifies the dates on which direct flights are available, saving them valuable time and effort.
On routes with limited direct flights, Digitrips has already observed an increase of up to 10% in conversation rates following the launch of the enhanced calendar.
Additionally, the technology provider reported a substantial decrease in search volume, with up to 60% fewer users initiating searches thanks to the efficiency of the direct flight calendar*.
Emilie Dumont, CEO of Digitrips, said: “Many routes only offer direct flights on specific days of the week, and so those looking to avoid connections may need to spend a lot of time searching for the ideal day to travel.ADVERTISEMENT“Traditionally, customers would be expected to choose their preferred departure and return dates before they could filter the results to direct flights only. If there was no direct flight available, they would then have to manually adjust the date until they found one with a direct option.
“We’re excited to have rolled out this innovative feature to all our partners, enabling them to streamline the search process, enhance the booking experience, and promote sustainable travel habits among their travellers.”
Digitrips consistently updates its comprehensive database of over 730,000 direct flight rotations for its key departure markets: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
The new feature aligns with Digitrips’ commitment to helping customers reduce their carbon footprint by proactively encouraging them to choose direct flights. According to data from Digitrips, opting for a direct short-haul flight can slash emissions per passenger by up to 50%, compared to flying the same route with layovers.
The company’s search engine also displays the estimated CO2 consumption of each flight during the booking process, empowering customers to make informed decisions.

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Civitatis sets sights on 50% global growth for 2024

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With an unwavering focus on relentless expansion, Civitatis, the leading technological platform for booking Spanish-speaking activities, day trips, guided tours, and excursions worldwide – both in the B2C and B2B channels – is aiming for an ambitious 50% global growth in travellers 2024.
This news follows the company’s recent announcements of reaching a milestone of 10 million travellers at the end of 2023 – an increase of 31% on 2022 – and experiencing significant expansion in the number of product and supplier partnerships by the close of 2023, reaching a total of 87,000 products supplied by 6,000 partners.
Following the strategic appointment of regional directors in crucial Latin American markets like Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia – acting as country managers in these territories to equip Civitatis to cater to diverse regional needs – the company is eyeing triple-digit growth in these regions.
Confirming the growth projections of Civitatis, only this week the company claimed the top spot in the annual ranking of Spanish firms likely to become ‘unicorns’ – startups with a valuation of $1bn –  published by Expansión, the leading economic daily newspaper in Spain.
The recent growth and success of Civitatis has been driven by the company’s internationalisation strategy, focused on Spanish-speaking markets such as Latin America, enabling access to top-tier suppliers and thus amplifying the diversity of offerings available to B2B and B2C customers. As well as having a deep understanding of market dynamics and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Civitatis has also expanded its network of service providers and increased investments in marketing efforts.ADVERTISEMENTLooking ahead to 2024, CEO Alberto Gutiérrez asserts, “As we move into 2024, our firm commitment to relentless expansion remains stronger than ever. Our projected 50% global growth in travellers reflects to our team’s ambition and strategic plan. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead, particularly in key Latin American markets like Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia, where our regional directors will play a pivotal role in tailoring our offerings to meet diverse regional demands.”

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