Technology
The CDC stated that people who’ve been vaccinated against #COVID19 can now gather indoors with other vaccinated people without the need to wear masks. This may be one of the best news for our industry as it opens scenarios of (almost) normality. In fact, hotels with fully vaccinated staff could welcome fully vaccinated guests just like they did in 2019. It seems to me just another reason to vaccinate people working in hospitality as soon as possible.After months of beta testing, Google eventually added organic links to its metasearch product. On top of paid results, hotels can show prices organically. According to Google, the ranking of the free, organic links is based on an algorithm that takes into consideration variables such as prices, CTR, and landing page experience and not “commercial relationships, advertising and payment to Google.”The Hotels Network launched BenchDirect, a free, real-time interactive analytics platform to help hotels compare their performance to the market.Tripadvisor has opened its Tripadvisor Plus platform to hotels. Joining is free, and those that do receive a special badge on the site and increased visibility in TripAdvisor. In return, they have to provide discounts or perks to TripAdvisor Plus members.Voyager Station is the name of the first space hotel. Constructions are expected to begin in 2026, and the hotel could be open by 2027.Kayak, the metasearch engine owned by Booking Holdings, partnered with Life House to open its first hotel, the Kayak Miami Beach.Ryanair launched an in-app health passport, so that passengers can prove their COVID-19 status before flying.According to Canary Technologies, 68% of hotels are implementing contactless check-in processes.Today is the last day of ITB Now, the digital edition of Berlin’s ITB. You can get all the info at itb.com.After the success of “Hospitality Marketplace,” Hospitality Net and FunnelTV are coming back with a brand new series titled “The Revenue Manager.” Eight panels, eight masterclasses, and 70 international C-Level speakers. The show will start in April.