The weekend wrap-up: 2026's top travel tech investors / The hotel industry could be missing out in AI era / Rules of AI travel discovery

Today's news on travel tech and distribution. 

View online June 20, 2026

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PhocusWire has been on the road with the team split between Phocuwright Europe 2026 in Barcelona and HITEC 2026 in San Antonio.  We also found time to bring you our annual top investors in travel tech piece which was the most popular article this week. The piece revealed Thayer Investment Partners, United Airline Ventures, Peak XV Partners and Antler were among the most active investors in the past year. It also included commentary from a number of investors on where they’re making their bets. A further popular read was an opinion piece from hospitality IT professional Bostjan Kozelj. He argues that hotels must ensure their inventory is structured in a readable way as new channels to market emerge such as TikTok GO.  And we published the first interview from the PhocusWire studio at Phocuswright Europe 2026. Carlo Del Mistro of Stiplo and John Matson of Propellic discussed the importance of gaining visibility on artificial intelligence (AI) platforms and shared advice on how to go about it. A packed day on Center Stage at the event in Barcelona included an executive interview with James Waters, chief business officer of Booking.com. He shared insights on human behavior, AI’s impact on the industry and the importance of assessing technology for the problem it solves. We wish everyone a happy long weekend! - Linda Fox, executive editor

Latest News Top investors in travel tech 2026 PhocusWire has delved into who were the top investors in travel tech 2026 to uncover the startups getting funding and the sectors investors are passing on. Read More The hotel industry's real TikTok GO problem has nothing to do with TikTok Boštjan Koželj argues that hotels risk missing the next wave of AI-driven distribution because many still lack the machine-readable infrastructure needed to compete in emerging channels. Read More The new rules of travel discovery in the age of AI During an interview at Phocuswright Europe, John Matson of Propellic and Carlo del Mistro of Stiplo explored how generative AI is reshaping travel discovery, brand visibility and competitive dynamics across the industry. Read More Booking.com's James Waters on the human psyche, AI and shiny things James Waters, chief business officer of Booking.com, spoke about the ways AI is impacting the travel industry and human behavior during an interview at Phocuswright Europe 2026. Read More Tripadvisor to sell TheFork to American Express for $700M The deal would expand American Express' dining footprint in Europe while allowing Tripadvisor to focus more heavily on its experiences business. Read More

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Trending Stories Germany sets a travel spending record—sustaining it won’t be simple Phocuswright's Germany Travel Market Essentials 2026 examines the market's growth, structural vulnerabilities, future outlook and more.  Read More Meet the winners of the 2026 Global Startup Pitch The eight travel tech startups will travel to WiT Singapore this fall, where they will compete for audience-voted People's Choice honors and a chance to present at The Phocuswright Conference in November.  Read More Besty AI closes $3.75M seed round Besty AI is betting that automation can transform short-term rental operations, with plans to expand its platform and grow its enterprise customer base.  Read More Startup Stage: Loook wants to be the storytelling layer for in-destination discovery Loook is building a GPS-enabled storytelling platform that automatically delivers location-based stories to travelers as they move through destinations, helping tourism organizations extend engagement beyond traditional attractions.  Read More

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Event Calendar JUN 24 WED TravelTech Show 2026 Mark your calendar now to join us in London at Europe’s only travel tech marketplace built for business.  Register Now NOV 17 TUE The Phocuswright Conference Register now for the travel industry's leading event. Register Now

Recent OTA headlines OTA moats against AI disruption may be shallower than they appear Expedia Group chairman Barry Diller says AI won't replace humans Priceline updates Penny AI assistant with Claude OTA marketing spend creeps up despite talk of AI-driven efficiency Trip.com Group’s CEO of flights on trust, technology, more Expedia Group to acquire CarTrawler in bid to become B2B ‘one-stop shop’ Expedia Group expands Meta partnership CEO Spotlight: Gonzalo Estebarena of Despegar

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