News Briefs

New reports from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Microsoft highlights the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its role in shaping the future of Travel & Tourism. 

The final two reports of a series on Artificial Intelligence from WTTC entitled "Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI): Overview of AI Risks, Safety & Governance" and "Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations," underscore a commitment to a digital future that prioritizes safety, ethical considerations, and responsible AI adoption.

Launched during the global tourism body’s participation at the UN General Assembly in New York, these reports mark significant milestones in WTTC's mission to promote innovation and excellence in customer experiences through the safe and trustworthy integration of AI.

"Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI)" delves into the potential risks associated with AI deployment and offers strategies for establishing frameworks that promote transparency, accountability, and fairness. 

From addressing bias and discrimination to ensuring human oversight of AI systems, this report empowers organizations to harness the power of AI responsibly.

In the fourth and final instalment, "Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations," WTTC provides a detailed overview of the AI ecosystem across key countries and international organizations. 

It shows how policymakers are navigating the AI landscape and shaping regulations and strategies to foster AI innovation, while ensuring its ethical and responsible use.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “In a rapidly evolving landscape, AI emerges as a catalyst for positive change. The insights provided in these reports demonstrate that AI is not just a technological advancement; it is a strategic tool that can personalize customer experiences, drive sustainable improvements, and shape the future of Travel & Tourism.

“AI is already being used across our sector with incredible results. Several major hotel groups including Iberostar are using AI to monitor and reduce food waste, which recently resulted not only in a 27% cost saving but prevented thousands of kilos of unwanted food going to landfill. “ 

Julie Shainock, Managing Director, Travel, Transport, & Logistics Industry for Microsoft said: “We are seeing AI being embraced across the entire travel eco-system enhancing the customer experience, the employee experience and also driving more efficiency in operations, but we know we are only at the beginning of the journey.

“We are excited to see what the future holds as AI becomes more widely adopted to automate the more mundane tasks of travel and harness the true spirit of travel, to elevate the human experience.”

According to WTTC, AI has the power to revolutionize how businesses in the Travel & Tourism sector operate, offering immense opportunities for growth and innovation.

Both reports underscore the urgent need for Travel & Tourism businesses to embrace AI as a strategic priority, investing in talent and fostering collaboration between humans and AI. 

But despite the sector's increasing recognition of AI's potential, challenges such as AI-skilled workforce shortages in the Travel & Tourism sector persist, highlighting the importance of proactive measures to overcome barriers to adoption.

As AI continues to reshape the world, WTTC remains at the forefront, advocating for safe, ethical, and inclusive AI innovation. 

PopID and Steak n Shake announced today that all Steak n Shake locations in the United States now accept PopID Check In (to review favorite orders and loyalty points) and PopPay for checkout. With more than 300 locations, Steak n Shake is the first national restaurant brand in the United States to adopt biometric check-in and checkout nationwide. PopID’s biometric check-in feature makes kiosk ordering faster, easier, and more personalized.

The implementation of PopID in every Steak n Shake location was accomplished rapidly and at low cost through a partnership between PopID and ACRELEC, a leading supplier of kiosk-ordering hardware and drive-through products. Cameras were shipped to every restaurant for attachment to the existing ACRELEC kiosks. “As explained in our recent publication, ACRELEC believes that our integrated biometric solution provides various benefits to restaurant operators related to throughput, ticket size, and loyalty engagement,” says Bruno Lo-Re, President of ACRELEC America.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with PopID and to be on the edge of biometric technology for the benefit of our customers. Our guests now have the option to use biometrics for a faster and more seamless experience,” says Sardar Biglari, Chairman of Biglari Holdings, the parent company of Steak n Shake.

Now that biometrics are enabled for all ordering and payment inside Steak n Shake restaurants, PopID and Steak n Shake will begin implementing biometric check-in and checkout at the restaurant’s drive-through units. “Similar to the kiosks, biometric check in can increase loyalty participation and revenue at the drive thru while also reducing payment processing costs,” says John Miller, CEO of PopID and Chairman of Cali Group. “Additionally, biometric payment at the order confirmation screen enables staff members to work on tasks other than taking payments by card and phone at the order pick-up window.”

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

Curator Hotel & Resort Collection (“Curator”) is announcing Toast as a new preferred cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) platform partner. This collaboration will help  member hotels’ F&B outlets improve operations, increase sales, and create an overall better guest  experience. 

“At Curator, our objective is to support our distinct member properties with solutions that help them  optimize operations and drive revenue,” said Brent Hayhurst, Vice President of Program Development  for Curator Hotel & Resort Collection. “This new collaboration with Toast empowers member hotels and  resorts to incorporate more sought-after guest convenience features in their POS platform like digital  menus, flexible ordering options, and both mobile payment and room charge integrations. With Toast,  our collection of properties will be able to focus on providing elevated service and unique experiences,  while also streamlining business operations.”  

Toast for Hotel Restaurants is designed to meet the unique needs of hotel restaurant operators and  offers robust integrations with leading hotel property management systems (PMS), helping them  leverage technology to enhance the hospitality experience with more integrated food and beverage  operations and a streamlined experience for staff and guests.  

“With the Toast for Hotel Restaurants platform, leading hospitality groups like Curator Hotel & Resort  Collection can streamline their operations and focus on providing top-notch service and memorable  experiences,” said Dan Bell, Group Vice President, Hotels at Toast. “We are delighted to bring Toast's  comprehensive digital platform, offering software solutions including point of sale, payments,  operations, digital ordering, retail, and more, to Curator’s member hotels and resorts.” 

Guests at more than 60 IHG Hotels & Resorts properties across North America can use AirPlay to stream content privately and securely from their iPhone or iPad directly to their in-room big-screen smart hotel TVs by LG Electronics. 

LG Hotel TVs are the first to offer AirPlay, bringing the comfort and convenience of home to the hotel experience. According to Michael Kosla, senior vice president, LG Business Solutions USA, this powerful new amenity will enable a major benefit for IHG guests and owners alike. 

“IHG Hotels & Resorts are bringing one of the major comforts of home to guests’ hotel rooms to greatly enhance travel experiences,” Kosla said. “Our LG smart hotel TVs are the first to provide AirPlay compatibility, making it easy for hotels to offer iPhone and iPad users content sharing capabilities in a simple and secure way. IHG properties with compatible LG hotel TVs will have an immediate leg up with travelers who use iPhone or iPad, boosting guest satisfaction while providing real differentiation.” 

With these new capabilities, in-room entertainment at select IHG properties will be more personalized than ever before. Guests can quickly connect to the compatible LG hotel TV and the hotel’s Wi-Fi network by scanning an on-screen QR code, and then share almost anything to the big screen directly from their iPhone or iPad. Guests can even pair multiple devices to the TV, so friends and loved ones traveling together can also enjoy their favorite entertainment.

Each QR code is unique to the hotel room and ensures that content is available only to the guest,  meaning anything guests share to the hotel TV stays personal and private. Once a hotel guest checks out, all pairing information stored on the TV is erased.

According to Jolie Fleming, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ chief product & technology officer, the availability of AirPlay for in-room entertainment and content sharing caters to the modern needs and expectations of leisure and business travelers and sets IHG apart as a leader in guest experiences.

“We’re setting a new standard for guest experiences by integrating AirPlay into our guest rooms,” Fleming said. “As travelers demand greater access to frictionless technology and streaming services become ever more popular, this new capability will ensure seamless connectivity and personalized entertainment options for every guest. Whether traveling for business or vacation, AirPlay is sure to become a preferred feature, replicating the home entertainment experience like never before."

With AirPlay, guests can privately and securely stream their favorite shows and movies on Apple TV+ and other popular streaming services, listen to personal playlists on Apple Music or other platforms, view vacation photos, practice a presentation, play fun games on Apple Arcade, or get a workout or meditation in with Apple Fitness+ in their guest rooms. 

The leading television provider to the U.S. lodging and hospitality industry, LG offers a variety of commercial-grade Smart Hotel TVs ranging from 43- to 75-inches diagonal with up to 4K Ultra HD resolution to suit virtually every space from standard guestrooms to penthouse suites. The powerful LG Pro:Centric Smart software enables use of modern solutions including content streaming and interface customization. LG’s latest Smart Hotel TV models offer AirPlay right out of the box, while earlier models can add the capability via a software update.

Today’s launch makes AirPlay available at more than 60 select IHG properties, including Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.  

Recently, global hospitality brand IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) launched AirPlay in the first phase of hotel rooms, giving guests the ability to stream content privately and securely from their iPhone or iPad to the TV in their guest rooms. AirPlay is available at more than 60 hotels in North America, including properties like InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, Hotel Indigo NYC Downtown – Wall Street and Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata. 

IHG is the first hospitality company to provide AirPlay functionality as part of its in-room entertainment experience. With AirPlay, IHG provides seamless connectivity and enhances the overall guest experience, improving guest satisfaction. Guests can simply scan a QR to the hotel's Wi-Fi network and enjoy a personalized entertainment experience. Each QR code is unique, ensuring that a guest's content remains personal and private and streams only to the LG hotel TV in the room.

Jolie Fleming, Chief Product & Technology Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: "When people travel, we know they want to take some of the comforts of home with them – whether that's watching their favorite shows or finishing a movie they started. As the first hospitality company to integrate AirPlay, IHG Hotels & Resorts is leading the way in making the guest experience even more personalized, enabling guests to enjoy content smoothly and securely on their in-room TV. Whether guests are traveling for business or leisure, this offering will undoubtedly become a favorite feature, creating a home-away-from-home entertainment environment like never before."

IHG Hotels & Resorts continues its dedication to enhancing guest experiences by investing in transformative technologies. Integrating AirPlay in hotel rooms provides an enhanced guest experience, while also driving value for hotel owners and improving operational efficiency through innovative partnerships and solutions.