Technology, Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Global smart hospitality solutions provider, Hudini, is set to close a record year for the business having witnessed unprecedented growth in 2022.Hudini enables hotels to provide a connected guest journey from pre-arrival to post departure, ensuring a faster, contactless, and hyper-personalized service delivery. The company’s hospitality middleware platform connects over 100 hospitality applications in one single guest interface. Driven by data and AI, Hudini’s proprietary software works across all touch points of the guest journey from online booking, mobile check-in and digital room keys to in-room services, communication, check-out, and payments.  With over 300 hotels across 25 countries, Hudini is fast becoming the industry benchmark for digital transformation in the hospitality industry.
The hospitality industry relies on its ability to connect people and the places they visit to create memorable experiences for its guests. In its revitalization post-pandemic, the industry is realizing the impact that technology can have on a guest’s stay, and the potential it holds to increase customer loyalty and create additional revenue. In fact, a recent study found that 62% of hotel executives said they would have “a fully contactless experience” by 2025.“It’s been an incredibly exciting year for us and we have evolved in so many ways over the past twelve months, from our product offering and team to our partners and customers,” said Prince Thampi, Founder and CEO of Hudini. “The global pandemic has not just accelerated the demand for contactless technology to provide a safe and seamless guest experience, but more importantly, has caused a significant shift in mindset when it comes to digital transformation in hospitality. Hoteliers are increasingly looking for ways to differentiate and personalize their guest experience, achieve better efficiency and productivity, and generate additional revenues through technology, and we help them do that.”Product was a major focus for the business in 2022, which saw the launch of Hudini 2.0, the company’s future-ready product set to enhance every aspect of hotel operations and elevate guest experiences. This year also saw the announcement of several new strategic partnerships, including Incode Technologies for facial recognition, Alcatel’s collaboration, Schneider for guest room controls and communication platform Message Bird.
Trusted by some of the world’s leading hotel groups across multiple segments and continents, Hudini has doubled its hotel partner portfolio over the past twelve months including Taj Hotels and The Leela group in India, SH Hotels & Resorts in the United States, RCD Hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean and Accor,  in addition to signing a partnership agreement with the Institute of Hotel Technology (ITH), the body that represents Spain’s national accommodation sector encompassing over 16,000 hotels.Through its offices in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia, Hudini is able to serve its global customers locally on the ground. To support the company’s record growth, the team in India moved into new premises this year, the team in Europe expanded with the addition of a permanent base in France. Looking ahead to 2023, Thampi said: “After an incredibly strong year in 2022, we are very well placed to further propel our growth next year. A series of product enhancements is already in the works, and we look to expand our presence in the US and European markets in 2023 and beyond.”
To learn more about Hudini, visit www.hudini.io

Older
New Self-Guided Audio Tours Inspire Visitors to Experience Abu Dhabi at Their Own Pace More

Renovation work gets under way at Munich Airport’s Terminal 2: The central security checkpoint at Munich Airport’s Terminal 2 is being modernized and equipped with state-of-the-art technology, with completion scheduled for fall 2024As a result, passengers of Lufthansa and its partner airlines will benefit from faster, more effective procedures and much greater convenience.
Instead of the familiar traditional checkpoints, lanes with innovative technology will be used in the future. First of all, in the week commencing Monday, December 12, 2022, Lufthansa’s Service Center on Departures level 04 will be sealed off and dismantled to create the required space. A newly designed Service Center will be opened in the southern part of the check-in level. During the renovation phase of the screening lanes starting in January, passengers will be rerouted, and the number of screening lanes will be reduced at times.
Once the work is complete, passengers will benefit from a total of 15 new security screening lanes that meet the highest standards in terms of convenience and ergonomics. The Southern Air Office of the regional government of Upper Bavaria, the body responsible for passenger checkpoints at Munich Airport, is installing special CT scanners here.
As well as checking all items of carry-on baggage for solid and liquid explosives, the CT scanners provide the screening staff with a three-dimensional view of each carry-on baggage item on a screen. These new CT scanners mean that electronic devices and liquids will no longer have to be removed from passengers’ baggage. All personal items will be placed in large trays at the four preparation points of each lane and returned on a long output conveyor with lots of individual space. Passengers can take as much time as they need, and can even overtake slower passengers. As the modern screening lanes are so efficient, the passenger flow per screening lane can be increased significantly compared with the conventional screening lanes.
From now on, the central passenger checkpoint in Terminal 2 is being converted to the new technology in six construction phases. Upgrading of the first three screening lanes in Terminal 1 will start in the first quarter of 2023. In periods with high traffic volume, e.g. at Pentecost or during the Oktoberfest, the renovation work will be temporarily suspended in order to ensure availability of sufficient screening lanes and smooth handling of screening during these busy periods with particularly large numbers of passengers. Munich Airport will then be the first airport in Germany to be almost entirely equipped with the new security technology and convenient screening lanes.ADVERTISEMENT

Older
SAS presents its 2023 summer program with more than 200 routes

Newer
KLM and partners continue sustainable taxiing trials as part of the ALBATROSS project More

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Travalyst, have joined forces with the aim of providing consumers with a consistent, accurate and widely available calculation of their carbon footprint from air travel.As all sectors of the aviation and travel industries come together in pursuit of net zero CO2 goals, this new and major collaboration effort will bring even greater transparency, accuracy and consistency to how a traveler’s carbon footprint is calculated.
Travalyst and IATA both possess a deep understanding of the traveller as well as relevant technical and operational expertise, which will enable the two organisations to collaborate closely to align CO2 emission calculations. This collaboration will focus on both data and standard methodology for route-based passenger CO2 emissions calculations for aviation at scale. This will include a shared position on how to account for sustainable aviation fuel.
“Consumers want to understand the environmental impact of their travels. Both Travalyst and IATA are continuously working to improve their methodologies by incorporating emerging knowledge of climate impacts. So we are working together to provide the consumer with easy access to consistent calculations of the environmental cost of their travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Sally Davey, CEO, Travalyst said, “This is the first time that airlines and the travel technology sector have come together in this way. As such it is a milestone moment in the decarbonisation of the sector. In the face of the climate emergency, travellers want and need clear and unequivocal information about their carbon footprint on which to base travel decisions. Today we are bringing some of the leading travel brands around the table with the world’s leading airline association, with the aim of easily providing consumers with the most accurate carbon calculations.”

Older
KLM launches direct service to Rennes, France

Newer
SAS presents its 2023 summer program with more than 200 routes More

The best airport experience in London is about to get even better from April 2023. London City Airport is investing in replacing its existing conventional security X-ray machines with new, state of the art, CT scanners, provided by Leidos.With close to 4 million passengers expected through London’s most central airport in 2023, the upgrade will mean travellers can leave everything in their hand luggage, as the new scanners eliminate the need to remove items, such as laptops and approved liquids, before going through the X-ray machine.
And for LCY, already renowned for its unique passenger proposition of speed and convenience, the new CT scanners will mean an even faster and improved experience at the airport for passengers, which follows the separate £12 million departure lounge investment.
Commenting on the upgrade, the airport’s Chief Operating Officer, Alison FitzGerald, said:
“Following our one-lane trial this year, we know the new CT scanners are high performing and our passengers love them.
“We are always challenging ourselves to make the LCY experience even better, so this, alongside the £12 million upgrade in the departure lounge will mean the journey through the airport in 2023 will be even slicker, with more space and better food & beverage and retail options.ADVERTISEMENT“Thanks to the Leidos solution, alongside speed, it also delivers the highest security specifications.”
Commenting on the partnership, Leidos’ Jonathan Stone, Division Manager and Director of Aviation, said:
“We’re excited to expand our partnership with London City Airport and enhance their security checkpoints.”
“Leidos focuses on constant innovation and discovery. Through our next-generation technology, airports can achieve high security levels, while providing a better travel experience for their passengers.”
FitzGerald added: “Speed, convenience and consistency of service are qualities that we know are so important to our passengers, especially now. So we also hope the results from the recent Which? survey will encourage more people to use London City Airport this Christmas and through 2023.”
London City will be amongst the first UK airports to offer a full CT security proposition.

Older
UNWTO Affiliate Members network expands with 18 new entities

Newer
Dusit Hotels in Thailand introduces new offer to help international travellers escape the cold More