Beyond the Buzzword - What ITB Berlin 2026 Really Said About AI in Travel
The travel industry's AI conversation at ITB Berlin 2026 moved beyond hype toward practical maturity and real-world applications.
Opinion Articles
Leveraging B2B Co-Marketing to Drive Enterprise SaaS Adoption in Underpenetrated Hospitality Sectors
The study analyzes how B2B partnerships between SaaS vendors reduce customer acquisition costs by 66.7% while accelerating technology adoption among independent hotels in developing markets.
Your Hotel's New Front Door: What the New MCP Means for Hospitality
MCP could enable hotels to integrate AI assistants directly with their booking systems, potentially reducing dependence on OTAs for guest acquisition.
By Sergio Serra, CTO, GuestCentric Systems
How modern hotel technology solutions create a connected booking journey
Access Hospitality explains how disconnected hotel systems create booking abandonment and proposes integrated PMS/CRS solutions to streamline operations.
By Victoria Sparkes, Digital Content Writer for Hospitality, Access Hospitality
OpenAI’s Commerce Repositioning
OpenAI pivoted away from direct commerce checkout after underestimating integration complexity, while AI referrals to retail sites grew 693% year-over-year.
By George Roukas, President, GAIPAN
Why I Walked Away from a €200,000 Custom Platform for Webflow
A hospitality marketing CEO explains abandoning a €200,000 custom platform for Webflow to focus on brand experience over technical complexity.
By Sébastien Felix, Founder, Influence Society
The New Hotel AI Funnel: Discoverability vs. Transaction
The article argues hotels should prioritize AI discoverability over transaction infrastructure, as being recommended by AI systems is the gating factor for bookings.
By Stephanie Sparks Smith, CEO & Digital Matriarch, Cogwheel Marketing, Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics
100 Years of Solitude: AI and Hotel Commercial Optimization
The author draws parallels between García Márquez's novel and how hotels repeatedly face new technology waves, from websites to Google to AI, requiring constant adaptation to remain discoverable.
By Vikram Singh, Global Hotel Commercial Leader, Vikram Singh
How Geopolitical “Infrastructure Wars” Are Weaponizing Hospitality Tech
Hotels must adopt multi-cloud strategies and offline protocols as tech infrastructure becomes a target in geopolitical conflicts.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
How hotels should use AI and a smarter commercial strategy to protect profit margins against rising costs
The article outlines five AI-powered strategies to combat rising operational costs while maintaining revenue growth, from digital concierges to autonomous pricing systems.
By Jonathan Gough, Content Team Lead, Lighthouse
How hotel self-service is transforming hospitality
The article explores how self-service technology helps hotels reduce labor costs while improving guest satisfaction through faster check-ins and automated services.
The Hidden Truth About AI in Hospitality, and Why It’s Not Here to Fix You
The author argues hotels must audit systems and align culture before implementing AI, as technology amplifies existing problems rather than fixing them.
By Are Morch, Digital Transformation Coach for Hotels, Are Morch, AI Champion
7 proven ways digital guest directories can transform the way guests interact with hotel amenities and services
IRIS outlines how digital directories can boost revenue through upselling, reduce staff workload, and provide real-time updates accessible via QR codes.
By Kate Fuller, Head of Marketing, IRIS
Tech to serve the Guest, wherever they are
The author argues hotels should replace fixed workstations with mobile devices to enable staff to serve guests anywhere, eliminating wait times and front desk bottlenecks.
By Kevin King, Chief Executive Officer, Shiji
Turning PMS Data into Actionable Insights: How Hotels Can Leverage Analytics for Smarter Decision Making
The article emphasizes how integrated PMS analytics help hotels transform operational data into actionable insights for revenue optimization and operational efficiency.
By Lisa Jane Wheaton, Senior Project Strategist, Maestro
Hospitality Doesn’t Have an AI Problem. It Has an Operations Problem Pretending to Be an AI Problem
The author argues hotels need strong operational foundations before AI can be effective, as technology amplifies existing processes rather than fixing broken ones.
By Are Morch, Digital Transformation Coach for Hotels, Are Morch, AI Champion
Why Hotels Are Rethinking Traditional Cable TV
Hotels are moving away from aging cable infrastructure toward hospitality-grade streaming platforms that combine live TV with familiar streaming interfaces.
By Lance Platt, President and CEO, Groove Technology Solutions
The 5 Pillars of a Best-in-Class Hotel PMS
Growing hotel brands need flexible PMS platforms with open APIs, performance analytics, and cloud accessibility rather than rigid all-in-one systems.
By Priya Rajamani, VP of Implementation & Support, Stayntouch
Will The SaaSpocalypse Come for Travel Tech?
The article examines how AI-powered agentic engineering threatens traditional SaaS business models in travel tech by enabling companies to build custom solutions more efficiently.
By George Roukas, President, GAIPAN
Geopolitics, Energy Shocks, and AI
AI systems can process geopolitical signals, energy markets, and supply chain data to help hotels adapt quickly to global disruptions and maintain operational resilience.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited