Preface II: The Last Virgin Space: Aesthetic Resistance in the Age of AI-Mediated Travel
Leonardo Caffo argues that AI and algorithmic image saturation have made pure aesthetic experience, the genuine "wow" of discovery, effectively impossible for the modern traveler. Yet rather than mourning that loss, he proposes a radical reorientation: the last virgin space of authentic experience is not the destination itself, but the friction between what AI leads us to expect and what reality actually delivers.
It is widely recognized how challenging it is to reach a consensus on the definition of a “pure” aesthetic experience. By “pure,” we mean, in more technical philosophical language, an encounter between subject and world that is not mediated by any pre-perceptual expectation that might influence the experience of the landscape we are about to observe.
For instance, today it is impossible to see the Eiffel Tower without having already been exposed to an almost infinite array of images of the monument from films and social media prior to visiting Paris. The subject already knows what to expect, perceptual purity seems to be lost, and the idea of the traveler as a discoverer of universes is significantly diminished.
The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
The 2026 HOTEL Yearbook Technology Edition - AI Everywhere is fully geared towards AI and explores how hospitality technology is preparing for a decade of profound change. With a clear focus on practical impact rather than hype, this edition examines how intelligence is becoming embedded across the hotel technology stack and day-to-day workflows, reshaping operations, revenue, distribution, guest experience, and the back office.
The publication will feature 40 editorial articles by domain experts, combined with a catalog of AI Solution Snapshots, offering readers both strategic insight and a curated overview of AI products currently available to the market, as well as an AI Glossary - a glossary of the most commonly used AI-related terms in hospitality. It brings together a wide spectrum of contributors, including academics, startups, hotel brands, established solution providers, and industry insiders, offering evidence-led perspectives, real-world lessons, and actionable guidance on what hoteliers should prioritize now to stay competitive in an AI-driven future. The publication will launch at HITEC 2026, San Antonio.