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How to Save Time, Money and Effort on Business Travel with a Corporate Lodging Solution

AUDREY FAIRBROTHER | August 4, 2021 | 74 views

Business Travel
Business travel is a huge expense for many companies. Did you know that the average cost of a business trip totals $1,286?

Lodging accounts for the majority of that figure, while meals, flights and car rentals make up the rest.

But it’s not all bad news. For every dollar spent on business travel, companies see a $2.90 increase in profit and a $9.50 increase in revenue. So, business travel is at least well worth the investment.

Nevertheless, wouldn’t it be great if you could make that same amount of profit and revenue with a smaller business travel spend?

That idea isn’t as crazy as you might think. Many companies rely on an unmanaged business travel system. They waste time, effort and money by manually organizing their work trips.

By choosing a corporate lodging solution for all of your hotel bookings, you automate a lot of the process, achieving cheaper and more efficient business travel as a result.

So how exactly does a corporate lodging solution save companies time, effort and ultimately, money? Let’s dive into the details

Spotlight

American Society of Travel Agents

The global advocate for travel agents, the travel industry and the traveling public. ASTA members are from 120+ countries and represent 80% of all travel sold in the U.S. By offering industry-leading advocacy, market knowledge, education and training, ASTA promotes and facilitates the business of travel in a vibrant global marketplace that is rewarding for agents, suppliers and retail consumers.

OTHER ARTICLES
BUSINESS TRAVEL

Leveraging AI English Language Training Tools to Address Travel Surge

Article | August 10, 2021

Following the relaxation of travel restrictions worldwide, the travel and hospitality industries are bracing for a surge in demand, which will be exacerbated by the upcoming holiday season. As widespread delays and cancellations become more likely, companies like airlines are looking for new ways to put customer experience first. In a global workplace, not being able to speak more than one language, especially English, can hurt productivity and customer service. For this reason, people who work with customers need to have good communication skills. Investing in AI English Language Training Tools Traditional training for staff in the travel and hospitality industries requires in-person sessions. It can be expensive and impractical because employees have tight work schedules and staff operates in different time zones. AI app-based training alternatives solve these key issues, allowing employees to learn "on-the-fly" whenever possible. Digital training alternatives can provide greater levels of personalization for task assignment and user feedback. This individualized approach to staff development is difficult to replicate in large in-person sessions. Because all tasks are given and done digitally, management teams can track each user's progress and how well training is going for the whole department. Offering Excellent Customer Experience English communication is vital to offering an excellent customer experience and long-term profitability as the travel industry recovers. Artificial intelligence-powered English language training solutions stand out from the crowd. This technology has the potential to constantly advance and improve over time, thanks to its own learning community. Ed-tech learning tools that incorporate future-proofed AI technology will enable providers to confidently invest in training, increase staff engagement, and provide best-in-class customer experiences to global travelers. As a result, companies in the travel and hospitality industries that put communication skills training at the top of their list of priorities and speed it up can increase customer loyalty and stay competitive with other market leaders.

Read More
BUSINESS TRAVEL

Crypto Tourism: A Quick Guide

Article | August 5, 2022

Cryptocurrencies have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. They have progressed from a speculative asset class to one gaining widespread mainstream acceptance. And it's not just retail investors who are interested; cryptocurrencies are finding applications in various industries, including tourism. Yes, the travel industry, like many others, has warmed up to these virtual digital assets. It has even spawned a new type of operation, namely crypto tourism. Introduction to Crypto Tourism Crypto tourism is categorized into two broad groups: the first has tours and travel packages purchased with cryptocurrency. Emirates Airlines, the biggest airline in the UAE, has said it will soon accept bitcoin as a form of payment. Air Baltic, a Latvian airline, has also been accepting bitcoin for a long time. The second type of crypto tourism is trips and travel packages where crypto conferences, classes, or lectures are a big part of the schedule. You might not understand why someone would take a vacation to go to a lecture or learn about blockchain. Well, most people don't go on vacations like these. Instead, they focus on entrepreneurs and crypto fans who want to network, meet people with similar interests, and discuss business ideas. In addition to the usual sightseeing and relaxing, these crypto trips include talks by well-known speakers and industry veterans. Limitation and Scope Crypto tourism is a small market with few options, and only a small number of travel partners accept crypto payments. Also, the people who put on some crypto trips often use these events to sell ICOs and do other marketing. However, crypto tours are great for people who want to learn about cryptocurrencies, meet others interested in the same things, and relax. They are also great if you want digital money to pay for your trip. Then, you don't have to worry about currency exchange rates or losing cash. A Different Reality Crypto tourism might be niche, but it is a new reality in the travel industry. It allows safe transactions and innovative tours, which many businesses are keen about.

Read More
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Smart Airports: Hassle-free Air Travel & Revenue

Article | December 10, 2020

Airports are embracing data and technology to improve the experience for both passengers and vendors. Such ‘smart airports’ where internet-connected devices control functions like thermostats and security using cloud-based technologies to enhance the consumer experience, are quickly becoming commonplace. The Emergence of Smart Airports Smart Airports were made to solve control and management problems that airports are having more and more of because of the number of people and goods that go through them. Because of this, experts from all over the world are focusing on smart airports, which use the latest developments in telecommunications, infrastructure, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Advantages of Smart Airports Real-time data improves operational efficiency. Cost reduction, productivity improvement, and operational perfection. Demand optimization through passenger flow control and entry automation. Improved passenger handling, flight control, check-in, etc. Biometric monitoring systems, advanced cyber security, and reliable operations and maintenance improve surveillance and security. Better ground and health surveillance (cleaning frequencies, availability of amenities, etc.). The Revenue Angle A smart airport uses Wi-Fi access points as sensors to track passengers’ location and record their dwell times. With this data, the airport could place signs and ads where they would be seen. While landing travelers previously made few purchases, this airport placed signs for products they may want to buy before leaving where they would be seen. The result was increased sales for retailers and landside revenue for the airport operator. (Source: Deloitte Study) Traveler’s & Airport Operations Experience A traveler constantly interacts with technology systems and stakeholders during his journey through the airport. The smart airport systems influence the traveler’s safety, convenience, and overall experience at the airport. Operations like bag tracking, indoor navigation, in-store beacons, geo-fencing, queue analyzer, biometric screening, Wi-Fi passenger tracking, and building management systems are powered by IoT implementations that make an airport smart. Creating a Smart Airport: The Checklist A well-structured planning process can assist airport leaders in navigating all of the options and gaining confidence in achieving the airport's business objectives. The checklist includes the following steps: Selecting an IoT solution that aligns with your business goals Determine the organizational and technical abilities required to implement the solution Craft a road map to address gaps between the required abilities and existing abilities

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Big Data In Travel: Triggering Business Transformation

Article | July 7, 2022

Global travel agencies are striving to maintain a competitive edge in the market. They are relying on big data to analyze the current state of the market, automate work processes, and better understand customer needs to streamline their businesses. Big data is now an important part of the future of the travel industry because it helps: Accurate decision-making Customer demand forecasting Service personalization Travel marketing Optimization of pricing strategies How is Big Data Sourced? The following data sources are used to gather big data: UGC Data User-Generated Data (UGC) is the most affordable data to obtain and includes textual data gathered through questionnaires, social networks, and image data. Device Data Device data gives access to GPS data, mobile roaming data, bluetooth data, RFID, WiFi data and more. This data is harder to obtain and is expensive. Transaction Data Web search data, web page visit data, online booking data, etc., constitute transaction data. Advanced web services such as Google Analytics can help collate this data. The sourced data is analyzed using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP). How Is Big Data Changing the Way Travel Companies Operate? With the help of big data, you can increase your performance, get deeper customer insights, and offer an excellent customer experience to travelers. Let us briefly examine how big data can help you achieve all these objectives. Optimize Your Revenue Optimize your costs and accurately predict short-term and long-term revenues. Through customer experience metrics, you can also analyze your profit potential, correctly forecast peak period demand and offer relevant services to customers at the right time. As a result, protect your agency from unexpected expenses and make the most of customer demand. Recognize & Capitalize on Trends Historical, real-time data and a standard analytical approach help you understand the changing trends in the tourism industry. Then, you can swiftly take measures to adapt to these changing trends and capitalize on the ones that contribute to revenue. Bleisure is an excellent example of such a travel trend. Improve Your Marketing Campaigns Big data processes large amounts of information on your target audience and helps you see which marketing campaigns can succeed based on long-term forecasting. Consequently, you can prevent any unexpected losses while executing seasonal marketing campaigns. Additionally, big data collects information on your competitors and target audience in real-time, so you know the kind of marketing campaigns you need to execute to remain ahead in the race. Enhance Brand Reputation Big data considers customer reviews and comments to help you understand which aspects of your business need improvement. Internally collected feedback and big data analysis can create a standard to improve the brand reputation of your agency. Conclusion Big data in the travel industry is more than just a trend; it is a tool for better understanding the market situation and each customer in general (potential and existing). All of this lays the groundwork for a more personalized approach and accurate prediction of what customers want, and contributes to an elevated customer experience and an increase in revenue.

Read More
BUSINESS TRAVEL

Post-Pandemic Travelers Driving Demand for Private Villa Rentals

Article | August 10, 2021

Following the relaxation of travel restrictions worldwide, the travel and hospitality industries are bracing for a surge in demand, which will be exacerbated by the upcoming holiday season. As widespread delays and cancellations become more likely, companies like airlines are looking for new ways to put customer experience first. In a global workplace, not being able to speak more than one language, especially English, can hurt productivity and customer service. For this reason, people who work with customers need to have good communication skills. Investing in AI English Language Training Tools Traditional training for staff in the travel and hospitality industries requires in-person sessions. It can be expensive and impractical because employees have tight work schedules and staff operates in different time zones. AI app-based training alternatives solve these key issues, allowing employees to learn "on-the-fly" whenever possible. Digital training alternatives can provide greater levels of personalization for task assignment and user feedback. This individualized approach to staff development is difficult to replicate in large in-person sessions. Because all tasks are given and done digitally, management teams can track each user's progress and how well training is going for the whole department. Offering Excellent Customer Experience English communication is vital to offering an excellent customer experience and long-term profitability as the travel industry recovers. Artificial intelligence-powered English language training solutions stand out from the crowd. This technology has the potential to constantly advance and improve over time, thanks to its own learning community. Ed-tech learning tools that incorporate future-proofed AI technology will enable providers to confidently invest in training, increase staff engagement, and provide best-in-class customer experiences to global travelers. As a result, companies in the travel and hospitality industries that put communication skills training at the top of their list of priorities and speed it up can increase customer loyalty and stay competitive with other market leaders.

Read More
BUSINESS TRAVEL

T&E Management: Understanding Travel Spend & Cutting Costs

Article | August 5, 2022

Cryptocurrencies have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. They have progressed from a speculative asset class to one gaining widespread mainstream acceptance. And it's not just retail investors who are interested; cryptocurrencies are finding applications in various industries, including tourism. Yes, the travel industry, like many others, has warmed up to these virtual digital assets. It has even spawned a new type of operation, namely crypto tourism. Introduction to Crypto Tourism Crypto tourism is categorized into two broad groups: the first has tours and travel packages purchased with cryptocurrency. Emirates Airlines, the biggest airline in the UAE, has said it will soon accept bitcoin as a form of payment. Air Baltic, a Latvian airline, has also been accepting bitcoin for a long time. The second type of crypto tourism is trips and travel packages where crypto conferences, classes, or lectures are a big part of the schedule. You might not understand why someone would take a vacation to go to a lecture or learn about blockchain. Well, most people don't go on vacations like these. Instead, they focus on entrepreneurs and crypto fans who want to network, meet people with similar interests, and discuss business ideas. In addition to the usual sightseeing and relaxing, these crypto trips include talks by well-known speakers and industry veterans. Limitation and Scope Crypto tourism is a small market with few options, and only a small number of travel partners accept crypto payments. Also, the people who put on some crypto trips often use these events to sell ICOs and do other marketing. However, crypto tours are great for people who want to learn about cryptocurrencies, meet others interested in the same things, and relax. They are also great if you want digital money to pay for your trip. Then, you don't have to worry about currency exchange rates or losing cash. A Different Reality Crypto tourism might be niche, but it is a new reality in the travel industry. It allows safe transactions and innovative tours, which many businesses are keen about.

Read More
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How Best Practices for Travel Expense Management Can Benefit your Business

Article | December 10, 2020

Airports are embracing data and technology to improve the experience for both passengers and vendors. Such ‘smart airports’ where internet-connected devices control functions like thermostats and security using cloud-based technologies to enhance the consumer experience, are quickly becoming commonplace. The Emergence of Smart Airports Smart Airports were made to solve control and management problems that airports are having more and more of because of the number of people and goods that go through them. Because of this, experts from all over the world are focusing on smart airports, which use the latest developments in telecommunications, infrastructure, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Advantages of Smart Airports Real-time data improves operational efficiency. Cost reduction, productivity improvement, and operational perfection. Demand optimization through passenger flow control and entry automation. Improved passenger handling, flight control, check-in, etc. Biometric monitoring systems, advanced cyber security, and reliable operations and maintenance improve surveillance and security. Better ground and health surveillance (cleaning frequencies, availability of amenities, etc.). The Revenue Angle A smart airport uses Wi-Fi access points as sensors to track passengers’ location and record their dwell times. With this data, the airport could place signs and ads where they would be seen. While landing travelers previously made few purchases, this airport placed signs for products they may want to buy before leaving where they would be seen. The result was increased sales for retailers and landside revenue for the airport operator. (Source: Deloitte Study) Traveler’s & Airport Operations Experience A traveler constantly interacts with technology systems and stakeholders during his journey through the airport. The smart airport systems influence the traveler’s safety, convenience, and overall experience at the airport. Operations like bag tracking, indoor navigation, in-store beacons, geo-fencing, queue analyzer, biometric screening, Wi-Fi passenger tracking, and building management systems are powered by IoT implementations that make an airport smart. Creating a Smart Airport: The Checklist A well-structured planning process can assist airport leaders in navigating all of the options and gaining confidence in achieving the airport's business objectives. The checklist includes the following steps: Selecting an IoT solution that aligns with your business goals Determine the organizational and technical abilities required to implement the solution Craft a road map to address gaps between the required abilities and existing abilities

Read More
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Big Data In Travel: Triggering Business Transformation

Article | July 7, 2022

Global travel agencies are striving to maintain a competitive edge in the market. They are relying on big data to analyze the current state of the market, automate work processes, and better understand customer needs to streamline their businesses. Big data is now an important part of the future of the travel industry because it helps: Accurate decision-making Customer demand forecasting Service personalization Travel marketing Optimization of pricing strategies How is Big Data Sourced? The following data sources are used to gather big data: UGC Data User-Generated Data (UGC) is the most affordable data to obtain and includes textual data gathered through questionnaires, social networks, and image data. Device Data Device data gives access to GPS data, mobile roaming data, bluetooth data, RFID, WiFi data and more. This data is harder to obtain and is expensive. Transaction Data Web search data, web page visit data, online booking data, etc., constitute transaction data. Advanced web services such as Google Analytics can help collate this data. The sourced data is analyzed using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP). How Is Big Data Changing the Way Travel Companies Operate? With the help of big data, you can increase your performance, get deeper customer insights, and offer an excellent customer experience to travelers. Let us briefly examine how big data can help you achieve all these objectives. Optimize Your Revenue Optimize your costs and accurately predict short-term and long-term revenues. Through customer experience metrics, you can also analyze your profit potential, correctly forecast peak period demand and offer relevant services to customers at the right time. As a result, protect your agency from unexpected expenses and make the most of customer demand. Recognize & Capitalize on Trends Historical, real-time data and a standard analytical approach help you understand the changing trends in the tourism industry. Then, you can swiftly take measures to adapt to these changing trends and capitalize on the ones that contribute to revenue. Bleisure is an excellent example of such a travel trend. Improve Your Marketing Campaigns Big data processes large amounts of information on your target audience and helps you see which marketing campaigns can succeed based on long-term forecasting. Consequently, you can prevent any unexpected losses while executing seasonal marketing campaigns. Additionally, big data collects information on your competitors and target audience in real-time, so you know the kind of marketing campaigns you need to execute to remain ahead in the race. Enhance Brand Reputation Big data considers customer reviews and comments to help you understand which aspects of your business need improvement. Internally collected feedback and big data analysis can create a standard to improve the brand reputation of your agency. Conclusion Big data in the travel industry is more than just a trend; it is a tool for better understanding the market situation and each customer in general (potential and existing). All of this lays the groundwork for a more personalized approach and accurate prediction of what customers want, and contributes to an elevated customer experience and an increase in revenue.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

American Society of Travel Agents

The global advocate for travel agents, the travel industry and the traveling public. ASTA members are from 120+ countries and represent 80% of all travel sold in the U.S. By offering industry-leading advocacy, market knowledge, education and training, ASTA promotes and facilitates the business of travel in a vibrant global marketplace that is rewarding for agents, suppliers and retail consumers.

Related News

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

VeriFLY by Daon Expands Capabilities to Streamline Access to Travel Documents

Daon | September 28, 2022

Daon, the Digital Identity Trust Company, announced expanded usage of its VeriFLY™ digital travel app to allow users to save required travel or event documents directly to their digital itinerary, providing one-point access for retrieval. VeriFLY is the world’s first widely adopted digital travel app to help travelers and event attendees quickly and safely meet their destination’s and event’s health and identity requirements.VeriFLY is the first mobile app service of its kind to support multiple airlines (codeshare, interline) and any number of countries’ travel requirements. It applies health certificates and related documents to multiple travel legs with similar entry/transit requirements. Its newest capability is now available in over 65 countries. “Daon VeriFLY continues to provide customers with the best user experience while traveling due to its ability to adapt quickly and effectively to the travel industry’s changing requirements, This new expanded capability removes the added stress of travel restrictions, providing travelers with health document credentials throughout their entire travel journey, including multiple leg trips, outbound and inbound travel, codeshares, interline and more.” -Tom Grissen, CEO of Daon Previously, VeriFLY users could only access necessary documents for point-to-point travel, but this new capability allows customers to use VeriFLY for multi-leg travel, even if there are different airlines within the complete itinerary to help federate across the VeriFLY ecosystem. This creates a seamless user experience more aligned to the airline web and app experience that travelers expect. VeriFLY gives travelers the benefits of a faster, smoother process – while enabling the carriers to deliver more on-time flights, faster boarding times, less counter transaction time, lower ground handling costs, fewer inadmissible passengers and related fines, better audit trails, all while promoting higher passenger usage of online check-in and self-service. Travelers worldwide have widely adopted VeriFLY and continue to utilize the mobile app for their ongoing travel experiences. VeriFLY is used by major airlines, cruise lines, hotels, and other businesses, including American Airlines, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Japan Airlines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Viking Cruises, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, and many others. VeriFLY recently reached the milestone of more than 12M travelers serviced, and recently over 1 million Carnival Cruise guests have used VeriFLY for a seamless travel experience. The VeriFLY travel app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Users can create a secure profile and input flight information, upload crucial travel related documents, and any other essential identity and health documentation. Visit Daon at World Aviation Festival in Amsterdam (booth 12.561) on October 4-6, 2022, to learn how VeriFLY is defining the future of seamless travel. About Daon Daon, the Digital Identity Trust company, enables market-leading organizations worldwide to easily and accurately proof, verify, authenticate and secure customer identities at every trust point across the entire customer lifecycle. With industry-leading identity proofing and biometric authentication technologies at its core, Daon’s technology ensures that customer identities are accurately verified, easily asserted and safely recovered. By mitigating fraud, reducing friction, and ensuring regulatory compliance, Daon help businesses deliver a seamless customer experience, increase customer satisfaction and reduce cost. Daon delivers these solutions through its AI and ML-powered IdentityX® platform, chosen by leading companies in financial services, telcos, travel & hospitality and other industries to secure and process hundreds of millions of digital identity transactions daily. Learn more at www.daon.com.

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BUSINESS TRAVEL

Cain Travel agency signs GDS agreement with Sabre to drive agency sales and revenue growth

Cain Travel and Sabre | August 05, 2022

Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR) a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, announced a new distribution agreement with Cain Travel, a US-based travel agency. This new agreement will enable Cain Travel to complement services to their customers worldwide, drive efficiencies and support their economic growth by leveraging their proprietary technologies along with Sabre's travel marketplace (GDS). Cain Travel will have access to Sabre's marketplace of more than 400 airlines, 750,000 hotel properties, and hundreds of tour operators, rail, car rental and cruise providers, to sell customized travel packages from suppliers around the world. Additionally, the travel agency will use their proprietary technologies – powered by Sabre API's – along with the reach represented by the Sabre GDS to differentiate its services among their competitors. "The key reasons Cain Travel chose Sabre were its technology and strategic vision on NDC. We were looking for a travel technology partner that could help us address many aspects of our business – driving revenue, reducing costs, and improving our efficiency, Sabre's technology strategy including its approach to NDC will make it easier for our staff to find the content and personalized offers that our customers expect. We look forward to a successful and bright future with our new partner." -Michael Cain, President of Cain Travel Group of Boulder Founded in 1985, Cain Travel is one of the nation's largest independent travel management companies, providing a unique set of travel solutions. "As the industry continues to recover, travel companies face the challenge of quickly adapting their business to this dynamic market's changing needs and requirements, We are excited to serve as the strategic technology partner for Cain Travel and to bring them onto the Sabre GDS where they will have full access to Sabre's leading technology and broad travel content." -Andy Finkelstein, senior vice president, Global Agency Sales and Corporate Solutions for Sabre Today, thousands of agency points of sale are shopping, booking and servicing NDC offers through the Sabre marketplace. Sabre continues to broaden its NDC capabilities, coverage and content from multiple airlines. About Sabre Corporation Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveler experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre's technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information visit www.sabre.com. About Cain Travel The Cain Travel Group of Boulder, Inc. (Cain) is a certified Woman Owned Small Business founded in 1985. Since our inception, Cain has grown to become among the largest privately held TMCs in the country. Cain has achieved this success through a combination of employing extremely experienced and dedicated staff, enjoying unparalleled employee and customer retention rates and conceptualizing, developing and deploying new technologies designed to enhance traveler experience and facilitate the success of travel programs. The Company is based in Boulder, Colorado.

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BUSINESS TRAVEL

Monarch Alternative Capital Grows Orlando Hospitality Portfolio through Multiple Acquisitions

Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM) | July 14, 2022

Monarch Alternative Capital LP, a leading investment firm with approximately $9.4 billion of assets under management, announced the purchase of three hotels in Orlando, Florida. Given the firm's established reputation within the market, Monarch was able to acquire the newly-built, high quality properties located in Orlando submarkets adjacent to Monarch's existing hotels at a discount to replacement cost in off-market transactions. With these acquisitions, Monarch's hospitality portfolio in Orlando now totals approximately 2,000 keys across seven properties. As the Orlando market continues to show encouraging signs of economic recovery, these hotel purchases exemplify Monarch's ability to identify and invest in premium properties in an attractive and dynamic market that is poised to outperform as the business cycle evolves. Monarch purchased the Aloft Orlando ("Aloft") and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Orlando ("Holiday Inn Express"), both located in the Lake Buena Vista submarket within close proximity to Disney World. In addition, the firm acquired the TownePlace Suites Orlando ("TownePlace Suites") located in the Universal Studios submarket. In aggregate, the three properties represent over 430 keys. Relative to other limited-service hotels, each asset offers a high-end room product, multiple food and beverage options, an outdoor swimming pool, and an on-site fitness center. In addition, the Aloft and Holiday Inn Express combined have over 2,700 square feet of meeting and banquet space, which can be used for additional events, special occasions, and business needs. The three newly acquired properties are located near or along International Drive providing guests with easy access to nearby major attractions, including Disney World theme parks, the Orange County Convention Center, SeaWorld and Universal Studios. Bo­th the Aloft and Holiday Inn Express are affiliated with the Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel program, and the TownePlace Suites is a Preferred Universal Partner hotel, which permit the hotels to extend additional benefits to guests at Disney World and Universal theme parks, respectively. Monarch believes these acquisitions will further enhance its Orlando portfolio given the properties' locations in desirable submarkets and elevated product offering. "We remain very excited about the opportunity set in the Orlando market, and these recent hotel additions reflect our conviction in Orlando as a market that is well-positioned for recovery and continued growth. Furthermore, this clustering of assets allows us to leverage our existing presence and drive supplemental revenue and cost synergies as we continue to scale our portfolio in the market." -Ian Glastein, Managing Principal and Co-Head of Real Estate at Monarch Monarch has partnered with HHM, an industry-leading hospitality management, investment, and development firm with over 185 hotels across 30 states, to operate and manage the portfolio. About Monarch Alternative Capital LP Monarch Alternative Capital LP is a global investment firm founded in 2002 with approximately $9.4 billion in assets under management. Monarch focuses primarily on opportunistic and distressed situations across corporate debt, real estate, special situations, and other market segments. Monarch draws on the skills and experience of its employees across its offices in New York and London. For more information, please visit www.monarchlp.com. About Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM) HHM is an award-winning hotel management and investment company that operates over 185 full-service and select-service hotels across 30 states and in virtually every major hospitality market from coast to coast. HHM is a leading manager of Marriott and Hilton hotels, while also operating over 30 independent hotels ranging from The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia to The Joule Hotel in Dallas to The Whitney Hotel in Boston. HHM's highly experienced and stable operating team is known for being nimble, accountable, and entrepreneurial in how they drive market-leading results for owners including publicly traded companies, private equity firms, and family office investors. Additional information on HHM can be found at www.hhmhospitality.com and www.independentcollection.com.

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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

VeriFLY by Daon Expands Capabilities to Streamline Access to Travel Documents

Daon | September 28, 2022

Daon, the Digital Identity Trust Company, announced expanded usage of its VeriFLY™ digital travel app to allow users to save required travel or event documents directly to their digital itinerary, providing one-point access for retrieval. VeriFLY is the world’s first widely adopted digital travel app to help travelers and event attendees quickly and safely meet their destination’s and event’s health and identity requirements.VeriFLY is the first mobile app service of its kind to support multiple airlines (codeshare, interline) and any number of countries’ travel requirements. It applies health certificates and related documents to multiple travel legs with similar entry/transit requirements. Its newest capability is now available in over 65 countries. “Daon VeriFLY continues to provide customers with the best user experience while traveling due to its ability to adapt quickly and effectively to the travel industry’s changing requirements, This new expanded capability removes the added stress of travel restrictions, providing travelers with health document credentials throughout their entire travel journey, including multiple leg trips, outbound and inbound travel, codeshares, interline and more.” -Tom Grissen, CEO of Daon Previously, VeriFLY users could only access necessary documents for point-to-point travel, but this new capability allows customers to use VeriFLY for multi-leg travel, even if there are different airlines within the complete itinerary to help federate across the VeriFLY ecosystem. This creates a seamless user experience more aligned to the airline web and app experience that travelers expect. VeriFLY gives travelers the benefits of a faster, smoother process – while enabling the carriers to deliver more on-time flights, faster boarding times, less counter transaction time, lower ground handling costs, fewer inadmissible passengers and related fines, better audit trails, all while promoting higher passenger usage of online check-in and self-service. Travelers worldwide have widely adopted VeriFLY and continue to utilize the mobile app for their ongoing travel experiences. VeriFLY is used by major airlines, cruise lines, hotels, and other businesses, including American Airlines, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Japan Airlines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Viking Cruises, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, and many others. VeriFLY recently reached the milestone of more than 12M travelers serviced, and recently over 1 million Carnival Cruise guests have used VeriFLY for a seamless travel experience. The VeriFLY travel app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Users can create a secure profile and input flight information, upload crucial travel related documents, and any other essential identity and health documentation. Visit Daon at World Aviation Festival in Amsterdam (booth 12.561) on October 4-6, 2022, to learn how VeriFLY is defining the future of seamless travel. About Daon Daon, the Digital Identity Trust company, enables market-leading organizations worldwide to easily and accurately proof, verify, authenticate and secure customer identities at every trust point across the entire customer lifecycle. With industry-leading identity proofing and biometric authentication technologies at its core, Daon’s technology ensures that customer identities are accurately verified, easily asserted and safely recovered. By mitigating fraud, reducing friction, and ensuring regulatory compliance, Daon help businesses deliver a seamless customer experience, increase customer satisfaction and reduce cost. Daon delivers these solutions through its AI and ML-powered IdentityX® platform, chosen by leading companies in financial services, telcos, travel & hospitality and other industries to secure and process hundreds of millions of digital identity transactions daily. Learn more at www.daon.com.

Read More

BUSINESS TRAVEL

Cain Travel agency signs GDS agreement with Sabre to drive agency sales and revenue growth

Cain Travel and Sabre | August 05, 2022

Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR) a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, announced a new distribution agreement with Cain Travel, a US-based travel agency. This new agreement will enable Cain Travel to complement services to their customers worldwide, drive efficiencies and support their economic growth by leveraging their proprietary technologies along with Sabre's travel marketplace (GDS). Cain Travel will have access to Sabre's marketplace of more than 400 airlines, 750,000 hotel properties, and hundreds of tour operators, rail, car rental and cruise providers, to sell customized travel packages from suppliers around the world. Additionally, the travel agency will use their proprietary technologies – powered by Sabre API's – along with the reach represented by the Sabre GDS to differentiate its services among their competitors. "The key reasons Cain Travel chose Sabre were its technology and strategic vision on NDC. We were looking for a travel technology partner that could help us address many aspects of our business – driving revenue, reducing costs, and improving our efficiency, Sabre's technology strategy including its approach to NDC will make it easier for our staff to find the content and personalized offers that our customers expect. We look forward to a successful and bright future with our new partner." -Michael Cain, President of Cain Travel Group of Boulder Founded in 1985, Cain Travel is one of the nation's largest independent travel management companies, providing a unique set of travel solutions. "As the industry continues to recover, travel companies face the challenge of quickly adapting their business to this dynamic market's changing needs and requirements, We are excited to serve as the strategic technology partner for Cain Travel and to bring them onto the Sabre GDS where they will have full access to Sabre's leading technology and broad travel content." -Andy Finkelstein, senior vice president, Global Agency Sales and Corporate Solutions for Sabre Today, thousands of agency points of sale are shopping, booking and servicing NDC offers through the Sabre marketplace. Sabre continues to broaden its NDC capabilities, coverage and content from multiple airlines. About Sabre Corporation Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveler experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre's technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information visit www.sabre.com. About Cain Travel The Cain Travel Group of Boulder, Inc. (Cain) is a certified Woman Owned Small Business founded in 1985. Since our inception, Cain has grown to become among the largest privately held TMCs in the country. Cain has achieved this success through a combination of employing extremely experienced and dedicated staff, enjoying unparalleled employee and customer retention rates and conceptualizing, developing and deploying new technologies designed to enhance traveler experience and facilitate the success of travel programs. The Company is based in Boulder, Colorado.

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Monarch Alternative Capital Grows Orlando Hospitality Portfolio through Multiple Acquisitions

Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM) | July 14, 2022

Monarch Alternative Capital LP, a leading investment firm with approximately $9.4 billion of assets under management, announced the purchase of three hotels in Orlando, Florida. Given the firm's established reputation within the market, Monarch was able to acquire the newly-built, high quality properties located in Orlando submarkets adjacent to Monarch's existing hotels at a discount to replacement cost in off-market transactions. With these acquisitions, Monarch's hospitality portfolio in Orlando now totals approximately 2,000 keys across seven properties. As the Orlando market continues to show encouraging signs of economic recovery, these hotel purchases exemplify Monarch's ability to identify and invest in premium properties in an attractive and dynamic market that is poised to outperform as the business cycle evolves. Monarch purchased the Aloft Orlando ("Aloft") and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Orlando ("Holiday Inn Express"), both located in the Lake Buena Vista submarket within close proximity to Disney World. In addition, the firm acquired the TownePlace Suites Orlando ("TownePlace Suites") located in the Universal Studios submarket. In aggregate, the three properties represent over 430 keys. Relative to other limited-service hotels, each asset offers a high-end room product, multiple food and beverage options, an outdoor swimming pool, and an on-site fitness center. In addition, the Aloft and Holiday Inn Express combined have over 2,700 square feet of meeting and banquet space, which can be used for additional events, special occasions, and business needs. The three newly acquired properties are located near or along International Drive providing guests with easy access to nearby major attractions, including Disney World theme parks, the Orange County Convention Center, SeaWorld and Universal Studios. Bo­th the Aloft and Holiday Inn Express are affiliated with the Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel program, and the TownePlace Suites is a Preferred Universal Partner hotel, which permit the hotels to extend additional benefits to guests at Disney World and Universal theme parks, respectively. Monarch believes these acquisitions will further enhance its Orlando portfolio given the properties' locations in desirable submarkets and elevated product offering. "We remain very excited about the opportunity set in the Orlando market, and these recent hotel additions reflect our conviction in Orlando as a market that is well-positioned for recovery and continued growth. Furthermore, this clustering of assets allows us to leverage our existing presence and drive supplemental revenue and cost synergies as we continue to scale our portfolio in the market." -Ian Glastein, Managing Principal and Co-Head of Real Estate at Monarch Monarch has partnered with HHM, an industry-leading hospitality management, investment, and development firm with over 185 hotels across 30 states, to operate and manage the portfolio. About Monarch Alternative Capital LP Monarch Alternative Capital LP is a global investment firm founded in 2002 with approximately $9.4 billion in assets under management. Monarch focuses primarily on opportunistic and distressed situations across corporate debt, real estate, special situations, and other market segments. Monarch draws on the skills and experience of its employees across its offices in New York and London. For more information, please visit www.monarchlp.com. About Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM) HHM is an award-winning hotel management and investment company that operates over 185 full-service and select-service hotels across 30 states and in virtually every major hospitality market from coast to coast. HHM is a leading manager of Marriott and Hilton hotels, while also operating over 30 independent hotels ranging from The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia to The Joule Hotel in Dallas to The Whitney Hotel in Boston. HHM's highly experienced and stable operating team is known for being nimble, accountable, and entrepreneurial in how they drive market-leading results for owners including publicly traded companies, private equity firms, and family office investors. Additional information on HHM can be found at www.hhmhospitality.com and www.independentcollection.com.

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