Smartify’s £1.5M boost to enhance visitor engagement at museums and galleries
Smartify, a visitor engagement platform for museums and attractions, has secured £1.5 million in funding, led by Metavallon VC with participation from Pembroke VCT. Founded in 2015, Smartify aims to expand internationally and enhance how museums connect with audiences through its SaaS platform and app. The company provides customised, branded apps for museums and galleries, integrating augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce features to boost visitor engagement and create new revenue streams. Currently partnering with over 700 institutions, including the Acropolis Museum and Tower of London, Smartify has seen a 68% rise in app usage, with two million active users exploring millions of cultural artifacts.
CEO Thanos Kokkiniotis called the funding a strong endorsement of Smartify’s mission to make arts and culture more accessible and engaging. Investors expressed confidence in Smartify’s potential to become the go-to cultural app for travelers worldwide. The investment will support Smartify’s continued growth and aim, which is to help more institutions modernise their visitor engagement strategies. (via Phocuswire)
Thailand goes digital with immigration forms
Thailand will require all foreign tourists to complete the TM6 immigration form online instead of on paper starting 1 May 2025. This digital transition aims to streamline the entry process, improve tourist tracking, and enhance safety perceptions. The paper-based TM6 was temporarily suspended on 15 April 2024 and will remain so until 30 April 2025. Authorities have confirmed that the digital version will be mandatory for all foreign arrivals by air, land, and sea, with key stakeholders, including airlines and tour agencies, set to discuss the implementation process in an upcoming government meeting.
Alongside the TM6 transition, Thailand also introduced an electronic visa (e-visa) system from 1 January 2025, applicable to tourists from non-visa-exempt countries. However, the government has decided to delay the rollout of a 300-baht tourism fee, potentially due to concerns over the smooth operation of the TM6 system and ongoing issues with illicit networks using Thailand as a transit hub. Authorities plan to ensure the digital immigration process runs efficiently before adding any additional pre-screening requirements.
Travel insurance payouts up in 2024
Travel insurance payouts surged in 2024, driven by rising travel costs and an increase in claims. According to Squaremouth.com, paid claims rose by 18% compared to 2023, while average payout amounts jumped 37% from $1,900 to $2,609. Data from Tin Leg, a travel insurance provider, revealed that emergency medical claims were the most common, making up 27% of all claims with an average payout of $1,654 and a highest claim of $61,976. This marked a shift, as emergency medical benefits became the top claim category for the first time in over a decade, surpassing trip cancellations.
Trip cancellation claims followed closely at 26%, averaging $1,456 per claim, while travel delay (15%) averaged $370. Trip interruption (11%) saw the highest average payout at $2,631 and missed connection claims (10%) averaged $395. Cancel-for-any-reason claims made up 6% of total claims, averaging $2,092, while baggage loss and delay each accounted for 4%, with smaller payouts of $174 and $210, respectively. Less common claims included medical evacuation, averaging $17,086, and rental car damage at $1,209. The data highlights a growing reliance on travel insurance amid higher costs and increased risks.
Boom Supersonic lives up to its name, breaks sound barrier
Boom Supersonic achieved a major milestone as its XB-1 prototype successfully broke the sound barrier during a test flight over the California desert. This marks the first supersonic flight for an American-designed civil aircraft, reinforcing Boom’s mission to revive mainstream supersonic travel. The XB-1, a one-third scale model of the planned Overture airliner, completed three supersonic runs, with CEO Blake Scholl declaring it a pivotal moment for the company. Boom plans one final test flight with the XB-1 before retiring it to focus entirely on the Overture, which is expected to begin production within 18 months at its Greensboro, N.C., facility.
Despite this success, the biggest challenge remains engine development. While the XB-1 operates on decades-old General Electric J85-15 engines, Boom is designing a new supersonic engine, Symphony, after failing to secure partnerships with major engine manufacturers like GE, Rolls-Royce, and Pratt & Whitney. The company aims for Overture to fly at 1,300 mph, twice the speed of today’s commercial jets, but skeptics question the feasibility of developing a new engine independently. Via Travel Weekly Asia, aerospace consultant Richard Aboulafia noted that without a solid engine plan, Boom’s efforts could amount to little more than an ambitious experiment. Scholl acknowledged the hurdles ahead but remains committed to proving critics wrong and making commercial supersonic travel a reality.
Travel tech needs to catch up with business travel
A new survey from expense management firm Center reveals that corporate booking tools are failing to meet employee expectations, with 61% of business travelers opting for consumer travel sites instead. Despite 88% of companies having written travel policies, nearly half of employees remain unaware of them, making compliance difficult. The study, which surveyed over 200 finance leaders from mid-sized U.S. companies, found that 68% of employees either don’t know about existing corporate booking technology or find it cumbersome. The report suggests that improving travel booking and expense management tools, along with better training, could increase adoption and compliance.
The study also highlights a growing trend of travel management companies acquiring or partnering with expense management specialists to offer more integrated solutions. Respondents ranked enhancing employee experience and centralizing travel, expense, and corporate card management as top priorities. Center CEO Naveen Singh emphasised that a “card-first approach” could encourage employees to use corporate tools while ensuring businesses retain control over spending. As mid-market companies plan to invest significantly in business travel this year, bridging the gap between corporate travel tools and employee booking behavior remains a key challenge.
Header photo credit: Courtesy of Boom Supersonic
