Travel

NYU SPS release 2025 Benchmarking Report

Published

2 days ago

June 23, 2025

BARCELONA, SPAIN – The NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and its Hospitality Innovation Hub (HI Hub), in collaboration with RateGain Travel Technologies Limited, and HEDNA announced the release of the second edition of its industry benchmark report, The State of Distribution 2025.

The report, based on insights from over 700 hotel brands and 21,000+ properties across 310 cities, the 2025 report presents one of the most comprehensive views into how commercial
teams across the hospitality industry are navigating transformation.

The first edition of the report, launched last year, focused on understanding where distribution teams were headed. However, as most commercial teams have begun integrating revenue management, marketing, and distribution to drive greater efficiency and outcomes, the 2025 edition reflects this shift. Recognizing that distribution is no longer a standalone function but part of a broader commercial transformation, this year’s report explores how these functions are evolving. Furthermore, it captures how this growing collaboration is reshaping team priorities, core capabilities, and the technologies hotels depend on to compete.

The report highlights a widening gap between technological potential and operational readiness. While AI is increasingly shaping the guest journey across platforms, many hotel teams are still in the early stages of activating its full value. Technology itself is widely available, but consistent training, streamlined systems, and integrated workflows remain works in progress. Distribution teams are evolving, often with limited resources, and varying levels of investment in talent development and process automation.

As traveler expectations continue to rise, the ability to align people, processes, and platforms is emerging as a key driver of performance.

Key findings from The State of Distribution 2025 include:

AI adoption remains early-stage: While interest in AI is growing, it currently ranks lower on investment priorities due to gaps in training, talent, and integration readiness. Surprisingly, technology spend is focusing on consolidation, not AI: large chains are attempting to cut tech spend by unifying systems. Investing in AI tools is at the bottom of priority for all hotels as fixing parity and ARI management continue to pose significant challenges, requiring manual efforts.
Commercial strategies vary by scale: Independent hotels are expanding teams and actively testing new technologies, while larger chains are focusing on system consolidation and operational streamlining.
Distribution functions are becoming leaner: Even as the complexity of managing parity, APIs, and content grows, distribution team structures continue to shift as it becomes more integrated.
Reporting practices are still maturing: 80% of hotels spend up to two days a week on manual reporting, highlighting ongoing opportunities for better tools tailored to distribution analytics.
System integration remains a focus area: Many hotels, regardless of size, are working to improve data connectivity and break down silos to enable more effective cross-functional collaboration.

Christopher Murdock, HEDNA President and Director of Distribution System Support and Strategy at Accor said, “When we launched the inaugural State of Distribution report, our goal was to close a critical blind spot with the absence of a central benchmarking report for the industry. The response to last year’s report validated the need and enabled us to double down on the effort. The findings should provide a clear business case for expertise and technology investments in distribution.”

Vanja Bogicevic, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor & Director, HI Hub Experiential Learning Lab, NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, said, “This year’s report reaffirms what we see every day: hotels are investing in technology, but without investing in people, progress stalls. The State of Distribution 2025 gives hoteliers and educators alike the data to act—spotlighting where training is falling short, where team structures are evolving, and which commercial skills matter most. It’s not just a benchmark for the industry; it’s a blueprint for developing the next generation of hospitality leaders.”

Ankit Chaturvedi, Vice President of Marketing at RateGain, said: “When we launched the survey, we did not expect such an overwhelming response to The State of Distribution. And with over 700 brands sharing their insights, it’s clear that the hospitality industry sees this report as a benchmark for making better commercial decisions. As every hotel looks to adopt AI across different commercial functions, they first need a unified view of how marketing, revenue management, and distribution are evolving. That’s what this year’s edition aims to provide. Only when commercial leaders understand where each function stands – and how they’re converging – can they make decisions that drive alignment, efficiency, and impact across the entire guest journey.”

Fritz Müller, Senior Vicepresident of Revenue & Head of Europe at RateGain: “I’m genuinely thrilled about the launch of our State of Distribution 2025 report, because nothing beats unfiltered data to give us real insights into the industry’s challenges, differences and misconceptions. One finding stopped me cold: four in five hotels still spend days hand-building reports while AI sits dead last on their tech-spend wish-list – a statistic that looks backward at first glance. But think about it: until we fix the plumbing and plug the data leaks, even the flashiest algorithm, or AI, is just another shiny object that can’t move the revenue needle.”

The State of Distribution 2025 underscores that technology is essential but without investment in readiness, its potential remains underutilized. For hotels looking to scale,simplify, and stay ahead, success will depend on more than adoption. It will require integration, alignment, and action.

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

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Travel

Amex GBT Survey: Productivity Tops Sustainability as Rail Lure

Published

7 hours ago

June 25, 2025

mbaker@thebtngroup.com (Michael B. Baker)

While sustainability has been the key emphasis for companies that shift travelers to rail travel when reasonable, travelers are more drawn to rail by the productivity it brings them, according to an American Express Global Business Travel survey of 3,000 business travelers.

The survey—conducted among business travelers in the U.K., France and Germany from June 5 through June 10—showed 47 percent of travelers said enhanced work efficiency was a primary advantage of rail travel over other transportation modes. More than 90 percent of respondents said they use their time on a train to get work done, and 41 percent said they work during more than half of their total journey.

Comfort was the second most popular advantage for rail travel in the survey, cited by 43 percent of respondents, with sustainability ranking third at 39 percent, according to the survey.

“It’s things like a traveler’s ability to work whilst on board or, conversely, the opportunity to relax or recharge,” Jason Geall, Amex GBT EVP of global SME, said. “Many find that rail travel is at times less stressful and [more] relaxing with the ability to look out the window.”

Wi-Fi connectivity is the biggest area rail providers have for improvement, according to the survey, with 34 percent listing it as one of the amenities they would like to see improve the most. Geall said Wi-Fi on trains has been a challenge but is improving, while further improvement will require more investment from rail providers.

Other aspects of train travel that business travelers would like to see improved is mobile connectivity, providing quiet spaces and bathroom facilities, according to the survey. Surveyed business travelers also cited challenges in making cross-border and international rail bookings, and only 5 percent of respondents said they always have timely access to trip information such as platform numbers or delays.

Travelers showed satisfaction with other amenities, including 68 percent who said their rail providers’ charging point availability was good and 64 percent who said they were satisfied with their working space aboard trains.

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Travel

NZ Golden Visa Helps Wealthy Americans Escape Trump’s USA

Published

22 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Harry Johnson

Affluent Americans are at the forefront of capitalizing on New Zealand’s newly introduced ‘golden visa’ program, amid a significant exodus from the United States following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Applications for New Zealand’s updated ‘Active Investor Plus Visa’ – often referred to as a ‘golden visa’ – have surged since the program was modified in April. The government has received 189 applications in just over two months, surpassing the total number of applications (116) submitted in the preceding two and a half years.

About Active Investor Plus | Invest New Zealand

Balance business with lifestyle. Find out about the Active Investor Plus visa, New Zealand’s pathway to residency for investors.

New Zealand’s ‘golden visa’ rush is predominantly driven by wealthy Americans, who represent 45% of the applicants (85 applications), followed by Chinese nationals (14%) and residents of Hong Kong (13%).

Increasing global uncertainty, the decline of democratic principles under Trump administration, and concerns regarding the future of the rule of law in the United States are motivating rich Americans to pursue stable, liberal democracies characterized by robust legal and financial frameworks. And New Zealand ticks every box.

This is not the first instance of Americans considering New Zealand as a refuge. Following Trump’s election in 2016, there was a 2,500% increase in visits to the country’s immigration website. A comparable surge occurred after the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Now, in 2025, New Zealand is once again emerging as a sanctuary for the wealthy Americans escaping Trump’s chaos.

Earlier this year, the government of New Zealand significantly modified the golden visa program, with the objective of revitalizing foreign investment in a stagnant economy.

Prospective applicants are now required to invest only NZ$5 million (about US$3.7 million), which is one-third of the previous investment threshold. Furthermore, the English language proficiency requirements have been eliminated, and the compulsory residency duration has been slashed from three years to a mere three weeks.

According to NZ Immigration Minister, the new policy could attract NZ$845 million (approximately US$508 million) in new capital to the Pacific nation.

And while wealthy Americans are leaving their country, former President Trump is promoting his own interpretation of an investor visa, substituting the EB-5 visa with a “gold card” that offers US residency in return for a $5 million investment.

All these recent events developments demonstrate that borders are evolving into economic instruments, and for the affluent, citizenship is progressively becoming a strategic decision rather than a matter of place of birth.

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Travel

68% of travelers prefer tailored experiences over hotel loyalty

Published

1 day ago

June 24, 2025

Tatiana Rokou

Mews survey shows 68% of travelers, especially Gen Z and affluent guests, prioritize personalized experiences over traditional hotel loyalty rewards.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – The rules of guest loyalty are changing, and hoteliers are changing pace. According to a new survey commissioned by Mews, the industry-leading hospitality cloud, nearly 7 in 10 travelers (68%) now say they’ll stay loyal to hotels that deliver standout, personalized experiences – leaving traditional, points-based rewards behind. This shift in loyalty is unmistakable: among Gen Z, personalization reigns over points (83%) and 71% of high-income earners also prefer experiences tailored to them vs. hotel loyalty points.

“The era of transactional loyalty is over,” says Richard Valtr, Founder of Mews. “Today’s travelers want genuine recognition – the kind that comes from truly understanding who your customer is, why they have come and what they aim to achieve during their trips. More personalized experiences, less loyalty tiers. The hotels that foster continuous and meaningful relationships with their guests, where they understand their preferences and deliver experiences that are memorable and meaningful, are the ones that will see guests return time and time again.”

The poll of 2,000 American travelers found that only 24% of Americans say hotel rewards are the most valuable (behind grocery store rewards, credit card points, gas rewards and airline miles). Additionally, 82% of current hotel loyalty members cite frustrations with traditional programs, including points expiring too quickly (28%), blackout dates (24%), and difficulty earning meaningful rewards (23%). These challenges are driving travelers, especially younger and affluent segments, to seek alternatives.

Other key findings from the survey:

Gen Z Leads the Personalization Revolution

83% of Gen Z travelers would remain loyal for superior personalized experiences
89% say personalized amenities would increase their likelihood to return

Affluent Travelers Demand More Than Points

71% of travelers earning $150,000-$200,000 prefer personalized experiences
83% in this income bracket say personalized amenities boost loyalty
80% of those earning over $200,000 are current loyalty members but want more

Technology Enables Personalization at Scale

93% of travelers willing to share personal data to improve hotel experiences
70% prefer app or kiosk check-in over traditional front desk
Preference for self-service peaks at 82% among Gen Z

Not surprisingly, customer service is the ultimate hotel loyalty builder: while 88% of travelers will return if hotels consistently meet expectations, poor service (62%), facility issues (51%), and room problems (49%) remain the fastest ways to lose loyal guests.

The shift is clear: hospitality needs to move from transactions to true connections. Points systems and loyalty tiers are being replaced by real-time recognition, seamless digital experiences, and tailored offerings that make every guest feel like a VIP.

“Having a captive audience for at least eight hours of a guest stay while they sleep is a great privilege, however the real potential for hotel brands lies in creating experiences that extend beyond just an overnight visit,” added Valtr. “The brands that are succeeding are evolving to become a part of their guests’ 24-hour experience and evolve this into becoming relevant in their daily lives, delivering truly personalized experiences all year round. This could mean a guest who spends their holidays at a branded residence, works from that same brand’s workspace when on the move, and uses their gym in their home city. It’s about offering them the experiences they want, no matter where they are. This marks a significant shift in loyalty, away from simply collecting points and toward integrating the brand into the guest’s everyday life.”

Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.

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