DESTINATION AND TOURISM
App in the Air | April 21, 2022
App in the Air is joining the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and furthering its commitment to helping travelers achieve carbon neutrality.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council, established to establish and manage global sustainability standards known as the GSTC Criteria, has brought consistency to the travel industry through four key sustainability pillars: sustainable management, socioeconomic impacts, cultural impacts, and environmental impacts.
As a GSTC member, App in the Air will participate in critical decision-making processes regarding the future of sustainable tourism, gain access to essential education and training opportunities that will assist the team in achieving their ambitious carbon neutrality goals and enhancing their own sustainability initiatives, all of which align with the app's and Founder's values.
For the worldwide community of App in the Air, the relationship with GSTC provides more openness about hotel sustainability policies and access to the world's largest database of sustainability-certified hotels. In addition, the search criteria, which are presently being developed and will be released later this year, will make it easier for app users to find sustainable and responsible lodging alternatives and enable regular travelers to monitor further and decrease their travel carbon footprint.
"We welcome App in the Air as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, with their plan to utilize the GSTC framework to allow frequent fliers to identify sustainable accommodation options easily through the app. Such action not only helps travelers make more conscious purchasing decisions but also provide a market-based benefit to those sustainable accommodations that gained certification."
-Roi Ariel, General Manager of the GSTC
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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
The World Travel & Tourism Council | April 23, 2022
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched a major new report at its Global Summit in Manila today, to help the sector's stakeholders understand how cyber resilience is shaping the Travel & Tourism sector and plan for a safer and more robust future.
The report, 'Codes to resilience,' in joint efforts with Microsoft, draws on comprehensive research and in-depth interviews with cyber security experts in leading Travel & Tourism organizations such as Mastercard, JTB, and Carnival Corporation, among others.
The report shows that whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled the world and the sector into a more digital future, with the opportunities provided by digitalization, new challenges have emerged, especially in cybercrime.
The inaugural report focuses on three key areas considered critical for the sector: cyber resilience, key issues and six best practices based on the lessons learnt prior to and during the pandemic.
The report goes on to show how digitalization has become a strong enabler of business within Travel & Tourism, and given the international nature of the sector, it looks at the role of legislation around individual data protection.
According to the report, more than seven out of 10 (72%) SMEs in the UK, the U.S., and Europe, have fallen victim to at least one cyberattack, and with SMEs representing 80% of all Travel & Tourism businesses, mitigating cyber risk must remain a priority for the sector.
"Technology and digitalization play a key role in making the whole travel experience more seamless, from booking a holiday, to checking in for a flight or embarking on a cruise.
-Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO
But the impact of cyberattacks carries enormous financial, reputational and regulatory risk.
This critical report reveals four key issues to address in order to improve cyber protection and enhance resilience: securing identity data, securing business operations, understanding the impact of COVID-19 and managing global legislation.
According to the report, certain actions can help businesses better prepare to repel an attack, while laying the foundation to support long-term cyber resilience. Educating and training all staff, expanding risk security beyond the physical workplace, employing a zero-trust approach to cyber security, and transparency, among others, have been recommended by industry experts as good practices.
Cyber resilience is a crucial element to the future of Travel & Tourism, as cyber systems continue to facilitate and enhance activities between the sector's stakeholders.
During a panel session at the tourism body's Global Summit event being held in Manila today, industry leaders heard that cybercrime has cost the global economy $1 trillion and could reach a staggering $90 trillion by 2030.
According to the WTTC Economic Impact Report, in 2019, before the pandemic stopped travel in its tracks, the Travel & Tourism sector generated more than $9.6 trillion to the global economy.
However, in 2020, the pandemic brought the sector to an almost complete standstill, causing a massive 50% drop, representing a severe loss of nearly $4.5 trillion.
Digitization has played and will continue to play a pivotal role in Travel & Tourism's growth and recovery from COVID-19. It is therefore essential for the sector to integrate cyber security and cyber resilience to continue its recovery from the pandemic while supporting its growth in the future.
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DESTINATION AND TOURISM
INTELITY | July 05, 2022
INTELITY®, provider of hospitality’s leading guest experience and staff management platform, announced at HITEC Orlando 2022 the strategic partnership with Incode Technologies, the industry leader in identity verification and authentication for global enterprises. To further enhance a hotel’s operations encompassing a safe, secure, and reliable check-in workflow process, the integration partnership with Incode fulfills a hotel's requirements for full ID verification and enables guest ID verification during the check-in stage, either at a single property or brand level, through any INTELITY mobile app.“The partnership with Incode furthers our strong commitment to servicing our hotelier, residential, casino, and other customers with the most advanced guest experience platform available,” said Robert Stevenson, CEO of INTELITY.
Hotel guests requiring an advanced identification check will experience a more fluid mobile check-in process. Before guests arrive on property, they are prompted to verify their identity through INTELITY’s mobile application and Incode’s powerful platform.
Hotels are able to automate the process of validating a guest’s identification with Incode to confirm the legitimacy of the presented guest ID, virtually eliminating human error. The process can confirm requirements, such as age, during the check-in process to ensure the hotel is in compliance with any requirements. Incode also provides an automated digital ID creation for a guest’s profile to interact with the hotel property and process payment sources, continuing INTELITY’s goal to provide the industry with a full contactless workflow.
“We’re excited to partner with INTELITY, the leader in guest-facing technologies, to reimagine the future of hospitality experiences. Guests can skip the check-in line and seamlessly access experience – all powered by an omni-channel identity layer that will be integrated into any INTELITY app, Together, we have created an experience that brings guests to their room and vacation faster than ever before. Our partnership will give the hotel staff what they need, where they need it, and the hotel guest the easability to enjoy their stay before they set foot in the door.”
-Ricardo Amper, Founder & CEO, Incode Technologies.
We have ID capture on the INTELITY platform, but a richer verification process is a vital element for our clients, said Matthew Lynch, VP of Product Management at INTELITY. Being the hospitality tech leader in mobile application platforms, we knew we only wanted to address this challenge with the leaders in identity verification and authentication. We quickly saw that Incode was the perfect partner.
At INTELITY, we know Incode offers the best of breed in verification solutions. This partnership is a natural and evident fit to service both of our customers, Stevenson continued. We are excited for the future of hospitality technology and thrilled to be sharing this news during the 50th HITEC trade show celebration. It truly is the best venue to announce this new partnership.
To experience the INTELITY platform and learn more about the Incode partnership at HITEC Orlando 2022 firsthand, visit booth #1129. For more information about the INTELITY platform or to request a demo, please visit intelity.com/demo. For more information about Incode, please visit www.incode.com.
About INTELITY
INTELITY is the global leader in contactless guest experience technology, uniting mobile, in-room, and operational tools into one fully-integrated hospitality platform. INTELITY has won numerous awards including becoming the “Official Guest Engagement and Staff Management Platform Provider” of the distinguished Forbes Travel Guide. The INTELITY platform is used at boutique hotels, casino-resorts, luxury residences, global hotel brands and more in over 60 countries across 6 continents. For more information, visit www.intelity.com.
About Incode
Incode is a leading identity company that is reinventing the way humans verify their identity and interact with the world’s largest companies with a highly secure and delightful AI-based experience. Incode’s end-to-end fully automated orchestration platform enables seamless access across multiple channels with products focused on onboarding, authentication and payment verification that increase conversion and reduce fraud. With its mission to power a world of trust, Incode works with a number of the world’s biggest banks, fintechs, hotels, governments and marketplaces. Incode is based in San Francisco with offices in Europe and Latin America. To learn more about Incode, visit www.incode.com
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