A new practical paper offers guidance on the transparency obligations for AI-generated and AI-edited content—applicable to tour operators, hotels, intermediaries, and other tourism businesses since 2 August 2026—with specific guidance on images, video, text, and chatbots.

The e-money license gives Mews the regulated standing to process payments on its own infrastructure, giving hotels more control over how their money flows within the system they already run on.

New figures show that the world’s top 50 hotel brands grew by 21% to USD69.8 billion. For the 11th year in a row, Hilton tops the list of the most valuable hotel brands. Taj Hotels stands out as a "Brand to Watch", whilst Booking.com is also featured in the ranking.

How do you build customer loyalty to your brand in an age of non-commitment and AI? FTMG is now rolling out a new loyalty programme designed to replace the Spirit Club and the Direct Booking Club. The new concept: bespoke benefits rather than simply collecting points.

A study examined the visibility of hotels in AI searches. Among other things, it found that chain hotels are recommended three times more often than independently run establishments.

As part of the long-term modernisation of the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, ITB Berlin (16 – 18 March 2027) is adapting its hall layout. These changes are being implemented in parallel with the construction of dock9, the new multi-purpose convention and event venue, on the site of the former Hall 9.

Europeans' travel behaviour this summer is characterised by a subdued sense of optimism. Eleven percent of those surveyed are even staying at home altogether. That said, short breaks are booming and many a travel dream is still coming true.

From September, Accor and H World will gradually open their loyalty programs to offer members of both groups even more choice in terms of hotels and destinations. ALL Accor and H Rewards together count 430 million members.

New flight routes far from major cities, a demand for more than 42,000 jets and a boom in medium-haul flights: this is how the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus envisages the future of air travel.

Saudi has announced the launch of Package Visa, a new digital initiative that integrates tourist visa application directly into curated travel bookings. The launch is currently underway.

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has upheld the City of Zurich's regulations preventing the conversion of residential space into commercial short-term accommodation. The new rules are set to come into force in autumn and will regulate the market.

Every fifth photo of hotels and other accommodations on travel booking platforms shows evidence of being AI-generated or at least AI-optimised. This is shown by a recent study.

On 18 June 2026, the Social Affairs Committee approved the introduction of a mandatory registration scheme for holiday apartments in the city of Munich. This aims to create legal certainty and reduce bureaucracy.

The search engine operator Google can be held directly liable for incorrect answers generated by its in-house artificial intelligence (AI). This was the ruling of the Munich I Regional Court.

Generative AI has become a reality in the German economy more quickly than many companies had anticipated just a year ago. 98% of companies now consider AI to be relevant to their business model and future value creation. This means that within two years, this proportion has risen from 56% (2024) via 91% (2025) to almost universal acceptance today. 

OpenAI rival Anthropic has long advocated for stricter regulation of AI development. Now, the CEO of the AI company Anthropic has argued that governments should be able to stop dangerous AI.

The Danish capital aims to promote sustainable tourism. To this end, the CopenPay scheme has been developed; following two summer trials, it will now run all year round. How can you benefit? Hotels are taking part.

People in Germany are switching off – at least some of the time. After years of steady growth and constant digital activity, internet usage in Germany is falling noticeably for the first time.

Night trains offer an alternative to flying for medium-haul journeys. A website with clever features shows the options available across the continent.

The number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals in Germany has surged by almost 30% in 2025. 5,000 people own a quarter of the country's total financial assets. There is no end in sight to this trend.

In 2025, more than three times as many tourists as there are Greek residents flocked to the holiday destination. On jet-set islands such as Santorini and Mykonos, record tourist numbers are pushing the infrastructure to its limits.

New Mews research across 500+ properties shows AI is now standard in hotel operations, while human interaction remains critical for high-value guest moments.

IHG Hotels & Resorts is becoming a partner of the U.S. Air Force: The chain has signed a 50-year (!) contract with the Air Force - five decades to act as a hotel and management operator. 

Travelling by train from Germany to Spain – and the train is late for your connection? That can prove costly for travellers. The EU wants to strengthen their rights and make rail travel more attractive.

The German hotel industry continued to recover in 2025, without fully reaching pre-crisis levels. Overnight stays are on the rise, as are insolvencies. Details from the new industry report.

Insolvencies in Germany are on the rise: the catering, hospitality and property sectors are particularly hard hit. The record figures are hitting the federal states of Berlin and Bavaria especially hard.

The new mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, went into the election campaign with the slogan "With me, Airbnb in Paris is history'’. A ruling has now been issued that points in that direction and is aimed at short-term landlords.

Tech giants Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta plan to spend up to 725 billion US dollars (around 620 billion euros) this year as part of their AI arms race. The money is primarily set to go towards expanding infrastructure such as data centers.

Facebook-owned company Meta wants to provide users with artificial intelligence that will be active for them around the clock. This will cost a fortune. 

Hyatt is now actively using ChatGPT (OpenAI) for its staff, whilst Choice Hotels is integrating Amazon Web Services (AWS) to automate its value chain.