Finland’s phone-free island. Risk of greenwashing. Shiji’s frictionless payments, and more.
Tourist island declares itself phone free
Finland’s Ulko-Tammio tourist island is going phone-free this summer.
Those travelling to the island, located in the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, will be encouraged to switch off their smart devices, take a break from social media and enjoy n [...]
Mapping cherry blossoms in Japan. Airbus helps elephants. Hopper’s risky business, more
Flickr’s role in cherry blossom research
Research by Monash University experts has tracked Japanese hanami (flower viewing) via social media images, producing a remarkable map of cherry blossoms across Japan to document their annual bloom and calculate its peak in major cities.
The study gathe [...]
Reviewing hotel reviews. Australia banks on Hopper. Digital nomads in Europe, more
Commbank opens a travel account with Hopper
Australia’s CommBank is the latest organisation to hop onboard Hopper to help make it easier for the bank’s customers to book flights, accommodation and car rental – both domestic and international.
Hopper ‘s range of travel features will be pa [...]
BritGPT is AI on roids; Unbundling travel insurance; Guinness World Records validates Travelport+
Brits put AI on “steroids”
The UK government plans to invest £900m in a cutting-edge supercomputer, as part of its new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy – a move will enable the country to build its own “BritGPT”.
Adam Harris, founder & CEO of Cloudbeds, which provides techno [...]
Future of Extended Reality; eating “phygital” chocolate; Air NZ’s digital goals; More
McKinsey’s take on the future of XR in travel
McKinsey and Co, in an extensive new report, has posed the question, ‘Can travel go virtual’, can the travel industry grab a US$20 billion opportunity offered by the metaverse.
The answer? Yes, no and maybe.
McKinsey suggests it’s time for [...]
AI pioneer regrets his work; US Airlines’ 5G dilemma; Uber vs Australia; EU wary of multimodal ticketing
IATA’s sensitivity about 5G sensors
The US government says will not delay a deadline for airlines to refit planes with new sensors to address possible 5G interference, despite concerns the 1 July cut-off date could cause travel disruption.
Airlines are warning they will not be able to meet the [...]
How to bag a Coronation tag; Air India is all tech; Russians avoiding European destinations
Air India enters the digital age
Air India chief, ex Scoot Singapore boss, Campbell Wilson, is making digitalisation of the airline’s operations a priority.
The national carrier has been a laggard for years but under new owners Tata Group, Air India hopes to recapture some, if not all, of its [...]
A good guide for hoteliers; Airbnb pauses Experiences; Low-cost airline embraces future tech
Hoteliers, don’t forget to reply to a review
How can hoteliers improve visibility of their properties on Booking.com? Unsure? A guide released by Shiji ReviewPro might help.
"The Hotelier's Guide to Booking.com”, provides insights into the importance of reputation and how to improve review [...]
TV inspires travel; Airport public bath; Tripadvisor’s fake reviews; China retail recovery
White Lotus is white hot for Thailand
Guardian travel writers in the UK have been looking at the growing trend of “set jetting” following Expedia's 2023 travel trends report which revealed television is influencing people’s choice of holiday more than ever.
Expedia research found that stre [...]
Digital nomad downsides; AI counts SWISS passengers; Emojis influence Airbnb rentals
The dark side of being a digital nomad.
A study by Passport Photo Online has found – not surprisingly – that the life of a digital nomad isn’t all out lazy days around the pool and piña coladas at sunset.
Seeking the views of 950 US digital nomads, Passport Photo Online discovered lonelin [...]
