Hi Alicia,

The pressure on tourism is rising, from every side. Residents are pushing back. Climate targets are looming. Costs keep climbing. And inside the industry, some companies are trying to do things differently.

It's messy, but it's also a chance to build something better.

That's why we're launching a new content series: The Tourism We Want. It's a space to highlight stories of things that are changing: projects, partnerships, and ideas that suggest another way forward. Rather than sticking to the usual strategy deck, this is about companies willing to go off-script to rethink their roles and how things are done.

The first piece is out today. It looks at how GetYourGuide is working together with the residents of Las Ramblas and the City of Barcelona, taking a step back in numbers, to consider how a travel tech giant can contribute to the places it profits from. And doing so in one of Europe's most pressured places.

And if you know of a story we shouldn't miss (or someone quietly shaping the tourism we want) send it our way. We'd love to hear about it.

Let's head to this week's curation of the top news in travel innovation, trends and startups.

Automating hotel tasks

SuiteOp just raised €2.7 million to grow its software, which helps hotels manage daily tasks like room assignments and guest requests.

Hotels are still short on staff, and it's affecting the basics - like cleaning rooms on time, handling check-ins, keeping up with requests, etc. SuiteOp's helps automate some of that work, so teams can stay on top of things without burning out.

More than rides and rollercoasters

Universal is planning a new theme park in Bedford, about 45 minutes from London. They've already bought over 480 acres of land and started a public consultation. If approved, the park could open in 2031.

It would be Universal's first park in Europe. The project includes hotels and entertainment areas and could reshape how people travel around the region. It's likely to shift visitor patterns, attract long-haul tourists, and change how time is spent outside of London.

Not all bookings are created equal

The latest research from GetYourGuide shows how people choose activities, what kind of reviews they trust, and why it's worth understanding what different travelers care about.

To be fair, the report is packed with data & insights, but here are 5 things that I'd like to highlight:

Reviews are everything.
People trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations. If an experience has at least 5 reviews, it converts almost 4x better than those with none. Once you hit 30 or more reviews, conversions start to stay steady. So if you want more bookings, make sure people are leaving reviews.
Explorers drive most of the market.
There's one group that stands out: "Explorers." They make up 51% of travelers, but they're responsible for 60% of total spending. They look for immersive, real experiences and do a lot of research before booking. If you're thinking about where to grow, this is the group to focus on.
Not all reviews are equal.
Stars matter, but what really makes a difference is volume, how recent the reviews are, and how detailed people get. Reviews with real photos and personal stories build trust. The more real it feels, the better.
Ask for reviews at the right time.
The best moment to ask is within 3 days of the experience. That's when people are still thinking about it and are most likely to leave a review. After that, the chances drop.
Local preferences matter.
Travelers in different countries care about different things. Germans tend to avoid crowds. Spaniards care more about value for money. When you know what your audience worries about, you can avoid bad reviews and improve the experience for them.

You can download the full report here. Let me know what hit you the most :)

Inflight play

Maxposure bought Neutral Digital, a London-based company known for its content and digital design work, especially in immersive and XR-driven aviation experiences. The deal will help Maxposure level up its inflight entertainment services with sharper tech and more engaging content.

As airlines are under pressure to offer better onboard experiences, this helps Maxposure to improve both content and tech, which could help them stay competitive as passenger expectations keep rising.

Making event bookings easier

London-based HeadBox just raised €34 million. They run a platform that helps people book venues for meetings, events, and conferences.

The funding follows a successful launch in the US, where the platform brought in $25 million in booking volume and signed on its first 10 clients. The new money will go toward expanding in Australia and building out the tech. As the MICE space gets more competitive, HeadBox is focused on speed, relevance, and keeping things easy for planners.

Big boost for small hoteliers

Diamo, a startup from the US, raised $4 million to grow its team and expand its AI-powered revenue platform for independent hotels. The funding will support product development and global rollout.

Big hotel chains have long used dynamic pricing tools. Now, several hospitality tech startups (especially in Europe) are making similar tech more accessible to smaller players. Diamo joins this wave with a platform that bundles pricing automation, marketing tools, and a booking engine. They're also rolling out an AI assistant that acts like a revenue manager for hotels that don't have one.

Next-level talent wars

It seems that Google is offering some of its AI staff full pay to stay home for a year, just so they don't join a competitor. That's how tight the talent market has become.

And well, this isn't just a tech story. The travel industry is feeling it too. Airlines are fighting over pilots. Hotels are still short-staffed. Good people are hard to find, and even harder to keep.

Everyone is rethinking what makes a job worth staying for. More than being about pay, it's also about work conditions, flexibility, and whether people feel valued. Because if Google is willing to pay people to do nothing, it shows just how far companies will go to protect their talent.

See you next week,
Ana

Thank you for reading until the end.

The content of this newsletter is curated and published by Ana Metz, an innovation expert, passionate about technology and excited about the future of travel.

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FutureTravel is a weekly newsletter about the future of travel, featuring the most exciting news about innovation, trends and startups in the industry.