Lobby raises $2.2m to automate group bookings with AI
Swiss startup Lobby has secured USD 2.2 million from venture capital firm Founderful, whose co-founder Pascal Mathis, also a GetYourGuide co-founder, will join the board, to scale its AI platform for processing group travel bookings. The platform automates the full lifecycle of email-based group booking requests, from parsing intent across 100+ languages and checking availability to generating quotes and converting acceptances into reservations, all in roughly 30 seconds. Lobby claims its system cuts response times by 75% and lifts conversion rates by up to 15%. Currently focused on hotels, the company plans to expand into MICE, cruises, airlines, and the experiences and attractions sector. New integrations take an average of four days, with onboarding completed in two, and clients can opt for full automation or a staff-review model.
F1 races are driving a surge in Asia-Pacific travel searches
Booking.com search data shows Formula 1 races are increasingly influencing travel patterns across Asia-Pacific, with accommodation searches spiking around the Shanghai, Suzuka, and Melbourne Grand Prix. Suzuka recorded the largest jump in interest among APAC travellers, drawing international searches from Taiwan, South Korea, and Russia in addition to domestic demand. Taiwan emerged as one of the most active F1 travel markets in the region, ranking among the top search origins across all three destinations. Shanghai saw a surge in search demand from Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Russia, and the UK, reflecting renewed excitement following the Chinese Grand Prix’s return to the F1 calendar in 2024 after a five-year absence. European markets — particularly the UK, Germany, and France — also consistently ranked among top searchers for APAC races, underscoring the global draw of circuits like Suzuka and Shanghai.
BTS Seoul comeback concert triggers 103% spike in hotel bookings
BTS’s return concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21 drove a 103% week-on-week surge in accommodation bookings by foreign visitors, according to AI-based bed bank provider AllMyTour. Bookings also rose 63.3% compared to the same period in 2025, with March overall up 33.5% year-on-year. Nearly 42% of this week’s reservations were concentrated in nearby districts — Myeong-dong, City Hall, Jongno, and Dongdaemun. By origin, Chinese, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese travellers led demand at 41%, followed by visitors from the Americas and Europe (29.2%) and Southeast Asia (26.2%). Seoul searches on overseas platforms jumped 155% within 48 hours of the concert announcement. The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute estimates a single BTS concert generates roughly 1.2 trillion won (around SGD 1.03 billion) in economic impact.
India bans mobile phones inside tiger reserves
India has enforced a mobile phone ban inside safari zones at several major tiger reserves, including Ranthambhore and Bandhavgarh national parks. Visitors must deposit phones at entry gates or hand them to guides before entering; violations can result in fines or cancellation of safari permits. Drivers and guides are exempt but may carry a device for emergencies only. The ban follows mounting concern from forest officials that widespread phone use had fuelled disruptive behaviour — tourists clustering vehicles around sightings to film, calling guides to animal locations, and generating noise — which officials say alters movement patterns of tigers, leopards, and deer and disrupts ecological balance. Tour operators have been advised to inform guests in advance.
MakeMyTrip and Mastercard launch AI travel concierge in India
MakeMyTrip (MMT) and Mastercard have partnered to launch Lifestyle Navigator, an AI-powered travel and lifestyle concierge that combines MMT’s trip planning assistant Myra with Mastercard’s AI capabilities. MMT is Mastercard’s first OTA partner for the initiative, which is launching in India first. The service, available within MMT’s platform later this year, aims to assist travellers during both the planning phase and in-trip by curating destination insights, making recommendations based on traveller intent and preferences, and suggesting relevant payment products.
HEADER PHOTO: AFP
