For frequent flyers and occasional globetrotters alike, jet lag is without a doubt the most annoying part of travelling. The immense impact of jet lag can be explained through the role of our circadian rhythm, aka our internal clock. That clock is situated in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in our brain and regulates a large array of things in our daily lives. The most obvious one is when to wake up and when to go to sleep, but our appetite, body temperature, and immune system are also closely tied to our circadian rhythm.

When travelling across several time zones, the body’s internal clock can’t shift as rapidly as the actual external time. This may result in everything from sleep disruption to gastrointestinal issues. Eventually, our circadian rhythm realigns with the external time at a pace of around one hour per day.

One hour a day is great; however, it may not be enough. Short (business) trips across the world have become very common and have thus increased the need for quick adaptation. Travellers who are still looking to make their jet lag combat more efficient could very well find a remedy in the jet lag app Timeshifter.

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“Jet lag is a temporary circadian rhythm disorder caused by crossing time zones faster than your circadian clock can adjust. Your internal clock stays on home time, so you feel sleepy, awake and hungry at the wrong times. Left alone, the clock shifts by up to an hour a day; correctly timed light exposure and light avoidance help it shift faster,” explains Steven Lockley, co-founder and chief scientist at Timeshifter.

While many travellers concentrate on sleep and maybe caffeine while trying to put an end to their jet lag, according to Timeshifter, individually timed light is the recipe for success. The app believes that correctly timed light exposure and light avoidance will accelerate adaptation, while seeing light at the wrong time will make jet lag worse.

Over the last couple of years, Timeshifter has been working with scientists and travellers alike to come up with a formula allowing people to beat their jet lag in the quickest way possible. Based on 129,852 post-travel surveys, travellers who followed the app’s advice were 14.1 times less likely to report very severe jet lag compared to those who did not follow the advice, and 96.4% of users cross time zones without feeling jet lagged.

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According to Timeshifter, the algorithms used by the app are the same ones used by NASA, something that is confirmed by former NASA astronaut Mike Forman.

“Avoid jet lag the way astronauts do. As an astronaut I did a great deal of traveling internationally for speaking, training, etc. NASA had access to doctors and scientists who developed algorithms that gave us written schedules to follow before, during and after our trips to help us avoid jet lag. These are the same algorithms used by Timeshifter. As a retired astronaut I use this app religiously when I travel. It works,” said Mike Foreman. 

Timeshifter’s approach is fully personalised. When planning a time zone-crossing journey, travellers can enter their flight details – including stopovers – in the app. They are also invited to add personal details such as age, sleeping habits, caffeine and melatonin use, and more. Based on one’s personal profile and the travel journey, the app will then come up with a multi-day plan.

That jet lag plan usually starts the day before the flight and tells users when to sleep, when (not) to sleep, when (not) to drink caffeine, and when (not) to be exposed to light. The main goal is to realign one’s circadian rhythm with the actual time as quickly as possible by combining elements shown to reset the circadian clock and elements that alleviate the symptoms. According to Timeshifter, one might be able to gain up to four hours a day when following the schedule.

Although the schedule tries to be as realistic as possible, it is unlikely for travellers to be able to follow it 100%. The inability to lie down, dishes being served, and other passengers might simply not allow for a 10-hour nap on a 10-hour flight. However, to stay as effective as possible, the app suggests paying attention to light exposure even when sleeping is not an option – for example, by closing the eyes or putting on a pair of sunglasses. 

Travellers wanting to try out Timeshifter can do so for free during their first journey. Afterwards, customers have the option to pay €8.94 ($9.99) per individual plan or €22.35 ($24.99) per year for unlimited access. Additionally, several hospitality brands such as United Airlines’ Premier 1K and InterContinental Hotels have started to offer a Timeshifter plan to their customers as part of the booking experience.

L’article Jet lag app used by NASA astronauts helps travellers adjust with light exposure est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The development might, for some, conjure images of a Star Wars droid army production line; however, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been accused of hyperbolic claims for his products in the past and, this time, even he warned investors that the path to full-scale consumer-ready production would be “bumpy.” He noted there are “still some things we need to tweak about the design, because you need to deliver a robot that is safe and reliable and has long duration.”

Nonetheless, the vision of a droid training facility may not be so far from the truth. One of the biggest problems to solve, according to Musk, is building robot hands. He said Tesla is creating an “Optimus Academy,” where robots will practice tasks and generate data to improve the AI models that power them. The company needs to reach 400 megawatts of training computing capacity by the end of 2026, and Musk added it will be April 2027 before the new Tesla AI5 chip can be installed in the robots, giving the droids a “big step change in intelligence.” 

Q3 Shareholder Update → https://t.co/u0UcDOuMNa Highlights – FSD Supervised attach rate grew to over 75% of new vehicle deliveries in NA – Unveiled the next-gen Roadster – Record deliveries in Canada, Australia, Japan & Taiwan – Tesla Semi now in volume production. Top variant can go up to 500 miles at a full 82,000 lbs while achieving efficiency of 1.7 kWh/mile – about a third of the energy a comparable diesel truck burns for the same load – Ended the quarter with the largest backlog for our passenger vehicles in 4 years! FSD Supervised – 4 new approvals since Q2 (Croatia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia) – FSD is now live in nine EU countries & used by over 100,000 customers logging more than 160 million kilometers since initial approval Robotaxi – Deployed Cybercab into our Austin fleet – Hit nearly 2 million cumulative unsupervised miles, 8x growth in the quarter – Austin service now runs 6 am to midnight, with wait times continuing to come down as we add cars & improve the orchestration algorithms – Added Grok to Cybercab with Grok Bot & Connectors, letting you interface with your inbox, calendar, files, chats and tasks, all by voice. Transport, office & living room in one Robotics – Started production of @Tesla_Optimus on our high-volume lines in Fremont. These are the first production-quality bots we’ve built, proving that the current manufacturing process for Optimus is suitable for a commercial product SI Compute – On track for 400 MW of training compute by year end, feeding both vehicle & humanoid autonomy – Austin Fab construction continues, equipment commissioning planned for 2027 Battery – Battery supply is still the limiter on how fast we ramp vehicles globally, so we’re expanding on every front: pack capacity in Berlin, cathode and lithium refining in Texas, LFP cells in Nevada – Shipped the first Megapacks built entirely with our own LFP cells – Increasing 4680 output to support ramp of Cybercab, Semi & Model Y Energy – Megafactory Texas is up & running, with Megapack 3 production started – Highest-ever order rate & backlog for energy storage Grid constraints & power availability are making Megapack the answer for SI infrastructure demand: it excels at supplying large data center loads, smooths out demand spikes, helps new projects meet grid connection rules & makes the grid itself more stable All with less local fossil fuel generation Supporting Infrastructure – Added 2,100+ net new Supercharger stalls, up 14% year over year

— Tesla (@Tesla) October 21, 2026

Despite those challenges, Tesla’s message remains that, “The bots coming off this line are the first production-quality bots that we have manufactured,” adding that their current processes are “suitable for a commercial product.” What could that product offer consumers, particularly travellers?

The first thing to note is the cost. Optimus robots are projected to cost between $20,000 and $30,000 (around €18,000 to €27,000) and, according to Tesla comments in July 2026, are currently being tested for deployment in factories, performing sorting, parts handling, and quality inspection tasks. But, as Kim Kardashian has already demonstrated, future consumer-level functions could include butler-type services, such as making cocktails or dinner when on return from a trip, packing or unpacking bags, tidying, carrying luggage, or helping navigate complex environments (a potential gamechanger for travellers with limited mobility or cognitive challenges).

Aside from computing and battery capabilities, obstacles include resistance to robot assistants within the aviation sector, which at present is imposing widespread bans on droids over battery safety concerns. 

But, in 2024, at the Future Investment Initiative Institute, Musk predicted “by 2040 there will probably be more humanoid robots than there are people,” saying: “I think every one of the eight billion people of Earth, I think everyone’s going to want their Optimus buddy.” And he is not the only one attempting to answer that demand. In the US alone, competitors include Oregon State University spin-off, Agility; Archer Aviation co-founder Brett Adcock’s Figure AI; as well as Sunday Robotics, 1X, and Weave Robotics, which are all slated to roll out manufacturing this autumn. Meanwhile, around the world, firms such as Lenovo are developing similar bots, including the Daystar Legged Robot. Already reported by Travel Tomorrow, it’s a six-limbed dog-like assistant promising high mobility and stability across complex terrains that can carry up to 100kg upstairs, conduct wilderness surveys, and potentially perform emergency rescues, working for 24 hours a day without getting tired.

Spending on such developments is huge at a time when Tesla, for one, faces pressure on profits in its core automotive business. But these products could transform how we reach, explore, and inhabit the world (and space), with potentially groundbreaking implications.

L’article Tesla begins Optimus humanoid production with first deliveries slated by end of 2027 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Much has been said about AI’s influence on travel and the assistance it can provide, as well as the possibility that it could eventually replace human travel agents. However, as the technology becomes more widespread, a more nuanced picture is emerging.

A survey conducted in July by Mews, a hospitality technology company, of 3,250 travellers in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US revealed a clear distinction between tasks that travellers are happy to delegate to AI and those that they would rather handle themselves.

While 63% would use AI to monitor hotel room rates for price drops and 56% for real-time translations, only 44% would use it to plan their itineraries and 41% to personalise their hotel rooms.

The results clearly favoured letting the machine handle tasks requiring little human input, such as recommending room rates (57%) or summarising reviews (56%). Travellers were also relatively open to AI recommending restaurants and activities (53%) but were less enthusiastic about using it for check-in and check-out (46%) or planning their entire stay (46%).

Travellers also seem more comfortable receiving AI-generated recommendations based on information they have willingly shared, such as their stated preferences (61%) or previous hotel stays (56%), than on data gathered from their online behaviour (43%) or from external sources, including social media (34%).

American travellers were found to be the most comfortable with AI drawing on their previous hotel stays to make recommendations (63%).

These findings provide an interesting addition to previous research on the adoption of AI in the travel industry. As reported by Travel Tomorrow in August, 54% of US travellers had already used AI to plan a trip, while 75% intended to do so in the future. However, the latest survey suggests that using AI to plan a holiday does not necessarily mean letting it make the decisions.

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Spaniards, on the other hand, place particular importance on transparency: 72% said they would be more willing to use AI-enabled services if they had greater control over their personal data.

The study also found that travellers in all eight countries were less willing to rely on AI to manage aspects of their stay than to help them plan ahead.

British travellers are particularly reluctant to embrace personalisation during their stays, with only 30% considering it important, compared to an average of 40% across all countries surveyed.

Meanwhile, Italians and Spaniards are the most enthusiastic about AI. In Italy, 58% expect hotels to offer digital check-ins. Spain shows the highest proportion of positive attitudes towards AI (58%).

“Having clever technology is great, but firstly, we should know whether guests want a task done for them or want to be part of it. Get that wrong and even good AI feels intrusive”, Josef Starýchfojtů, Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO) of Mews, said.

For hoteliers, this translates into reassurance that AI can handle routine tasks, thereby freeing up staff to focus on areas that technology cannot replace, such as personal attention, meeting individual needs, and human interaction. 

“We’re building for human hospitality: technology handles the mundane, repetitive admin, and hotel teams have more time for their guests”, Starýchfojtů concluded.

L’article New survey reveals what travellers really want from AI est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Smart glasses are becoming increasingly popular. Allowing their wearers to access AI assistance, to listen to audio, and to film their surroundings, the accessories are a handy hands-free technology. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta alone has sold 9 million pairs of Meta Ray-Bans since the launch in 2023. 

However, people are becoming increasingly aware of the risks involved with the technology. Norway’s government will soon be proposing a bill to the Norwegian parliament, proposing to temporarily ban the use of smart glasses in a number of public spaces.

“I am worried that ‌new, powerful technology is being introduced where people risk being ‌photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without knowing it. We do not want a society where people worry about being recorded without their knowledge, photographed or filmed in places and situations where they are accustomed to not being monitored,” Torgeir Micaelsen, Norway’s minister of digital affairs, said. 

The proposed ban would be temporary, in order to allow the authorities more time to put together a final ruling. At the time of writing, the details of the bill are still being discussed, especially the exact places where the ban would apply. 

Although the government wants to concentrate on places where privacy is very important – such as hospitals, changing rooms, schools, and playgrounds – the bill might very well be extended towards public spaces in general. Smart glasses could thus eventually apply to concerts, sports events, parks, beaches, museums, and shopping centres throughout Norway. 

However, the government also noted that their use will undoubtedly remain allowed in private settings and a selection of public spaces. Moreover, an exception might apply to some vulnerable groups, allowing them to benefit from the socially beneficial uses of smart glasses.

By proposing the bill, Norway’s government is joining a growing number of people who distrust smart glasses. For example, Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders has suspended sales of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, the UK Cinema Association is taking action against the technology, and the French child welfare group E-enfance has received dozens of reports over the course of 2026 from women and children being filmed with the glasses in public spaces, against their will.

Meta, however, insists the glasses are completely safe and pose less privacy risks than some other types of technology. 

“We’re excited that our glasses continue to be very popular for listening to music, making calls, or getting live translations, so we’re continuing to expand styles and features around the world. Every pair with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when you take a photo or video. It can’t be turned off and the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with it — something smartphones and other camera’s don’t have,” a Meta spokesperson said.

At the moment of writing, it is not yet clear if or when the temporary bill will go into effect and whether or not a final ban will follow.

L’article Norway to temporarily prohibit smart glasses in some public spaces est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Presented on Wednesday, 9 September, by Apple’s new chief executive John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook earlier this month, the iPhone Duo opens like a book to reveal a 7.6-inch display, while retaining a 5.4-inch external screen when folded. Starting at $1,999 (around €1,720), it will also be the most expensive iPhone Apple has released. For European consumers, however, the direct conversion does not reflect the final retail price, which is higher due to VAT and regional pricing. For example, in Belgium, prices start at €2,339 for the 256 GB model, rising to €2,589 for 512 GB, €3,089 for 1 TB and €3,839 for 2 TB.

Apple has confirmed that the iPhone Duo will arrive in several European markets on 23 October 2026, with pre-orders opening on 16 October. France, Germany and the UK are among more than 70 countries and regions included in the first wave, while the device will reach a further 28 markets from 30 October.

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The launch takes Apple into a foldable smartphone market where rivals including Samsung, Google and Motorola have already been active for several years. Foldables, however, remain a relatively small segment, accounting for less than 5% of the overall smartphone market, according to CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood.

For travellers, the significance of the format could go beyond simply having a bigger screen. A device that combines smartphone portability with some of the working space associated with a small tablet could make tasks such as navigating maps, checking itineraries, editing photographs, reading documents or working between apps easier without carrying an additional device.

That could be particularly relevant for travel journalists, bloggers, vloggers and other creators who increasingly produce and publish material directly from destinations. Apple’s Split View allows two applications to run side by side, meaning, for example, a reporter could consult notes while writing, a traveller could compare a booking with a map, or a creator could work across editing and publishing applications on the same screen. Apple has also demonstrated the device running productivity applications such as Zoom and Slack.

Apple has confirmed that the Duo will support the USB-C Apple Pencil later this year, extending a capability previously associated with the iPad to an iPhone. That could make the larger display useful for annotating documents, taking handwritten notes or sketching while travelling.

A different approach to travel photography

The folding format also introduces several possibilities for photography and video. The Duo has two 48-megapixel rear cameras, while its outer screen can act as a preview when somebody else is taking the photograph. Users can also take selfies using the higher-resolution rear cameras while seeing themselves on the external display.

For solo travellers and content creators, the phone can be partially folded and placed on a surface, effectively creating its own stand for photographs, video calls, time-lapses or video recording without necessarily requiring a tripod.

Apple has added features specifically designed around the two-screen configuration, including Duo Preview, which lets the person being photographed see the framing, and Smart Take, which uses on-device artificial intelligence to identify when subjects are posing and automatically capture images.

The main camera can record 4K video at up to 120 frames per second in Dolby Vision, while Apple’s updated software allows Cinematic effects to be applied after recording. Those specifications could make the device particularly interesting to vloggers and mobile journalists, although whether a foldable phone can replace dedicated cameras, laptops, or other professional equipment will depend heavily on individual workflows.

A pocket-sized workspace?

The Duo is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro processor and runs iOS 27.1, which has been adapted to accommodate both screens and different folding positions. Apple says third-party applications, including Netflix, Zoom and Slack, are already taking advantage of the format.

The company is also putting artificial intelligence at the centre of the device through Apple Intelligence and its new Siri AI. Features include the ability to draw on information from messages, emails and photographs, understand what is displayed on screen and perform actions across applications.

Such capabilities could eventually have obvious applications while travelling, from finding reservation information buried in emails to organising schedules or working with content on the road. As with other AI assistants, however, their practical value will depend on accuracy, language and regional availability, as well as users’ willingness to give software greater access to personal information.

Apple says Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing where possible, alongside its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. Siri AI is initially being rolled out in beta in English, with French, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese and Korean support expected in October.

Connectivity is another potentially important consideration for international travellers. The Duo is eSIM-only worldwide and includes Apple’s C2 cellular modem, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The device also supports Apple’s satellite connectivity features when users are outside cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

Battery life, meanwhile, is rated at up to 24 hours of mixed use across both displays. Apple says the phone can reach 50% charge in approximately 20 minutes using compatible wired charging, an increasingly relevant consideration for travellers relying on a single device throughout a day on the road.

Foldable, but not for everyone

Despite the possibilities, the Duo is positioned firmly at the premium end of the smartphone market. Foldable devices also continue to face questions around long-term durability and whether their additional screen space provides enough everyday benefit to justify their cost and complexity.

Apple says it has addressed durability through a grade 5 titanium construction, an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, Ceramic Shield protection and a hinge containing more than 100 components. The internal folding display uses several protective layers designed to reduce stress as the phone repeatedly opens and closes.

Apple’s arrival could nevertheless give the foldable category considerably more visibility. Analysts see the launch as characteristic of the company’s tendency to enter emerging product categories after competitors have spent years developing them rather than attempting to be first. Reuters reports that analysts at IDC expect Apple to capture around 40% of the foldable market by the end of 2027, although the category remains a niche compared with conventional smartphones.

Whether the Duo can push foldable smartphones beyond their current niche remains uncertain. For travellers and travel professionals, however, combining a larger screen with photography, video, editing, navigation and multitasking in a pocket-sized device could make it a useful tool on the road. Whether those advantages justify its premium price will become clearer once the Duo reaches consumers in October.

L’article Apple enters foldable market with iPhone Duo, but what could it mean for travel? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

This pioneering study surveyed over 1,000 US leisure travellers and more than a hundred destination marketing leaders.

@mindtrip.ai Stop juggling 12 tabs to plan one trip Mindtrip puts inspiration, itinerary-building, and booking in one place — so you go from "we should go to Tokyo" to a full day-by-day plan in minutes, not weekends. Start Anywhere — drop in a TikTok, a screenshot, even a PDF, and watch it turn into a real itinerary 11M+ points of interest — destinations, hotels, restaurants, and activities backed by real data, not guesses Built-in collaboration — invite your travel crew, group chat, co-edit the plan, no 47-text group chains Book without leaving the app — flights, hotels, and experiences through trusted partners Your trip, organized — receipts, confirmations, and plans all live in one hub, before and during the trip Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a 3-country itinerary, Mindtrip turns "let me Google this" into "let's go." Plan smarter. Travel better. Mindtrip it. #travelapp #travelplanning ♬ original sound – ★

The numbers speak for themselves. Although 54% of travellers have used AI to plan a trip, and 75% intend to do so in future, only 22% of destination marketing organisations (DMOs) currently offer AI-assisted trip planning on their websites, and just 26% have a documented AI strategy.

The gap is considerable, but not insurmountable yet. AI is advancing quickly, and 72% of DMO leaders admit that organisations failing to adopt it within the next two years risk becoming irrelevant when it comes to destination discovery.

“Travellers aren’t waiting for the industry to catch up”, says Michelle Denogean, CMO of Mindtrip. “AI is already reshaping how people discover destinations, build itineraries and make travel decisions. The organisations that move now have an opportunity to become more useful, more visible, and more valuable to travellers.”

This technology is already influencing where people go. Around 40% of travellers have discovered places thanks to AI, and approximately one-third (29%) have changed their destination based on AI recommendations.

Unsurprisingly, it is the younger generations who are leading this shift. AI is not only competing with social media, it is also becoming an increasingly popular tool for trip planning. In fact, almost seven in ten millennials (69%) and 63% of Gen Z travellers report using AI assistants as frequently as social media for trip planning.

Their use of AI assistants goes well beyond inspiration. Travellers are most likely to use AI to research itineraries (42%), compare flights, hotels, and tours (32%), and find destination ideas (32%). Sixty percent use it to research attractions, restaurants and transport options, 56% to compare prices and 43% to build itineraries and organise trip details.

The discrepancy with destination marketing organisations (DMOs) is staggering here too, as most still focus on inspiration rather than practical planning, and only 20% of DMO leaders see itinerary building as a priority.

“We’re witnessing the biggest shift in travel planning since online booking transformed the industry”, explains Sylvia Weiler, President and GM of Sojern Destinations. Travellers, she adds, now expect AI to guide them at all stages of the travel process, from inspiration to booking. “The opportunity for DMOs is to become the trusted source powering AI-driven travel decisions.”

That transition is underway already. More than a third of travellers are comfortable with AI participating in the booking process, with millennials and Gen Z leading the way, although confidence rises when human assistance is available.

Perhaps more tellingly, 63% say they would use an AI trip planner directly on a destination website, while 25% are less likely to use a site that does not offer AI features. These figures should give hesitant DMOs pause for thought.

There is still time to remedy this, though.

“For destination organisations, this creates an opportunity to extend their role beyond inspiration and become a more connected part of the traveller journey”, said Brad Johnson, Sabre’s Vice president of product management.

AI can no longer be described as a new or optional feature. It has become an integral part of how people travel, and the challenge for DMOs is to embrace this change or risk being left behind.

L’article Travellers are nearly two years ahead of the travel industry on AI est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

AI is becoming part of several stages of the travel journey, from inspiration and research to decision-making and experiences during the trip. According to the report, 42% of travellers use AI during planning and research, while 36% use it for inspiration and discovering new places. Another 35% use AI while travelling, for example to find information or recommendations during their stay. The use of travel chatbots has also tripled in five years, increasing from 6% to 18%. A traveller planning a city trip, for example, may now ask an AI assistant to create an itinerary based on interests such as local food, museums or sustainable activities instead of comparing multiple websites individually.

This change in travel behaviour creates a new challenge for destinations, as information needs to be structured in a way that can be understood by both people and AI systems. If a destination is not clearly represented in AI-generated answers, it risks being overlooked when travellers are deciding where to go. Amadeus highlights that destinations need to look beyond traditional search engine optimisation (SEO) and also consider generative engine optimisation (GEO). While SEO helps websites appear in search engine results, GEO focuses on making information easier for AI systems to understand and use in generated responses. For example, a destination promoting itself as a hiking location needs to clearly communicate information about trails, accessibility, seasons and local experiences to improve its chances of being recommended by AI tools.

The report also highlights the growing importance of data in helping destinations make better decisions. In a more unpredictable global environment, DMOs need to move beyond analysing past tourism figures and start using forward-looking information to anticipate future demand. The biggest data challenges for destinations include access to forward-looking demand indicators, mentioned by 39% of DMOs, followed by comparative market performance data at 36% and actionable behavioural insights at 33%. Access to this information allows destinations to identify emerging markets, adjust investments and prepare strategies before changes in demand become visible. Abu Dhabi explained in the report that it analyses traveller profiles across key source markets, including preferred travel periods, accommodation choices and visitor motivations, to support its marketing and product development decisions.

Beyond technology and data, the report shows that travellers are increasingly choosing destinations based on the experiences and emotions they want to gain from a trip. After returning from a journey, 41% of travellers say they value a refreshed mind and calmer state of mind the most, while 18% mention a clearer and lighter sense of self. During the decision process, travellers are mainly motivated by freedom, space and open itineraries (29%), connection with local culture (24%), discovery and exploration (22%) and ease with reduced decision-making (17%). This indicates that destinations can no longer focus only on attractions, but also need to communicate the personal benefits and experiences they offer.

Personalisation is becoming another important factor in destination competitiveness, with travellers increasingly expecting experiences that match their individual needs. According to Amadeus, 74% of travellers consider personalisation important when planning their trips, while many are willing to pay more for experiences that save time, reduce complexity or create emotional value. For DMOs, this means developing different experiences for different types of visitors instead of promoting one general offer to everyone. A family travelling with children, a couple looking for wellness experiences and a solo traveller interested in local culture may all visit the same destination but search for different activities. By understanding these motivations, destinations can create more flexible itineraries and better connect visitors with experiences that match their interests.

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The changing expectations of travellers are also transforming the role of DMOs, which are moving from destination promoters to experience architects. Destinations increasingly need to coordinate visitor flows, strengthen cooperation between public and private partners and create tourism models that benefit both visitors and local communities. According to Sol Freixa, Vice President Commercial, Destinations at Amadeus, travellers are looking for more than simply checking landmarks off a list and want experiences that offer connection, discovery and personal growth. This means DMOs are becoming responsible for shaping the overall visitor journey, from the first moment of inspiration to the experience on the ground. Their future role will be to bring together technology, knowledge and local partnerships to create destinations that remain attractive in a changing travel environment.

L’article AI takes a bigger role in travel planning as 69% of travellers rely on generated summaries est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Philippe Pleckspaen helped launch Jooks, an application that guides users around a destination while highlighting places of interest. Designed primarily for runners and cyclists, it can also be used while walking or, for instance, using a wheelchair.

The app combines geographical positioning with local information and also allows users to book personalised experiences, including hotels along their route, sightseeing runs and guided tours.

All routes are carefully curated, enabling users to explore villages, towns and cities at their own pace. Today, Jooks offers themed, touristic and training-focused routes in more than 300 cities across over 75 countries.

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The first route was launched in Lyon, France, while Belgium’s first was created in Braine-l’Alleud, which now has three circuits and where Philippe also coaches a local jogging club.

Auckland, New Zealand, widely regarded as the birthplace of modern jogging, has the largest number of users. In Belgium, the app is most popular in Namur and Leuven. There are also numerous routes in the UK, including five in London, one of which has been designed for wheelchair users.

A special promotion will take place in Wavre this month, where three routes are available, to coincide with the World Hockey Championships.

An idea born on a run

The concept emerged during a business trip to Madrid.

After finishing work for the day, Philippe and two colleagues went for a run through the Spanish capital. Although they passed several interesting landmarks, they had no way of knowing their history or significance.

Reflecting on the experience afterwards, they realised how useful it would have been to have an app that combined exercise with local discovery. That idea eventually became Jooks.

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Combining tourism and fitness

The initiative is developed in partnership with local tourism offices and chambers of commerce, which pay an annual fee of €500 to help create walking and running routes showcasing local attractions.

The free app includes information on landmarks, famous local figures and regional culinary specialities. It is available in 12 languages, including English, French, Dutch, Italian and Chinese.

Since the project began, around 500 routes have been created, including 42 in Belgium and 80 in Paris alone. One Belgian route has even been designed for Brussels’ famous annual 20 km race.

Routes range from around 4 km to an average of 10 km, while cycling itineraries generally extend up to 40 km.

The project is financed by participating municipalities, while Philippe and his two colleagues, Olivier and Christophe, continue to expand the network.

According to Philippe, the app is intended to be entirely self-guided, allowing users to explore destinations at their own pace while combining physical activity with cultural discovery. He said the team hopes the platform can improve wellbeing and encourage people to discover places that are often overlooked, even by local residents. Routes can also be adapted in response to user feedback.

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Putting the app to the test

The latest route was launched on Sunday, 2 August, in Gerpinnes, a picturesque municipality in Wallonia’s Hainaut province.

This writer was among the first to test the app in Gerpinnes, located around 12 km south of Charleroi.

Known for its traditional folk marches, particularly the Pentecost march honouring Saint Rolende, Gerpinnes attracts more than 2,500 participants dressed in uniforms from the First and Second Napoleonic Empires.

Using the app, a small group of runners from Braine-l’Alleud completed an 11 km circuit through the town.

The route passed medieval monuments, castles, fountains and churches, including Saint Michael’s Church, where the remains of Saint Rolende, daughter of Didier, King of the Lombards, are kept. According to tradition, she died of exhaustion in nearby Villers-Poterie during the 9th century.

Regular stops allowed participants to learn more about the area’s history while also enjoying its quiet streets and green surroundings.

A boost for local tourism

Edmond Van der Meiren, president of the Gerpinnes tourist office, welcomed the initiative, saying it would help showcase the municipality to a wider audience while encouraging residents to discover places they may not have known before.

He said Gerpinnes already attracts visitors thanks to its heritage and traditions, but believes joining the Jooks network will further strengthen its tourism offer.

With more than 500 routes now available across over 75 countries, the initiative continues to expand by encouraging destinations to combine active travel with local heritage, culture and outdoor exploration.

L’article New app lets travellers explore 300 cities while running, cycling or walking est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The centre focuses on preventing the harmful use and abuse of digital technologies rather than restricting access through bans. According to the organisations behind the project, digital tools have become an essential part of young people’s daily lives, making it necessary to teach them how to use these platforms in a more conscious way. Florence’s Youth Policies Councillor Letizia Perini explains that technology itself is not the problem, but that young people need support in finding a balance.

“Digital technologies are part of young people’s everyday lives and represent an extraordinary opportunity. Precisely for this reason we have a duty to support them in making increasingly conscious use of these tools, helping them to find a balance between the time spent online and the time devoted to relationships, sport, culture and shared experiences,” says Perini.

The Discover centre will welcome young people between the ages of 10 and 25 and will provide different types of support. The services will include guidance programmes, a listening desk and workshops focused on media education and social interaction. Activities will encourage young people to spend time away from screens through board games, manual activities, group work and other shared experiences.

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The project will also involve the wider community by connecting schools, youth centres, sports clubs, libraries and local organisations. Parents and educators will be able to access the centre as well, as the initiative aims to create a wider network around young people’s digital habits. In more complex situations, such as social withdrawal, isolation or psychological difficulties, local health services will be able to provide additional support.

Ester Macrì, President of Retesviluppo, says the centre represents a different approach from the restrictions introduced in some other countries. “We will not simply be imposing bans, but an innovative approach based on two pillars: guided disconnection and the promotion of conscious use of technology, to turn young people from passive consumers into active protagonists of their time,” she explains.

The opening of the centre comes at a time when governments around the world are debating how to protect children from possible negative effects linked to excessive social media use. Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban on social media for users under 16. The measure requires platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat to prevent underage users from creating or maintaining accounts.

The Australian approach has sparked international debate about the role of governments in regulating children’s access to online platforms. Supporters argue that restrictions are needed to protect young people’s mental health and wellbeing, while critics have raised concerns about privacy, age verification and whether teenagers will find ways to bypass the rules.

France has followed a similar direction and approved legislation banning social media access for children under 15. The measure, which will be introduced in stages from 2026 to 2027, requires users to verify their age before accessing social media platforms. French authorities argue that stronger protections are needed because of growing concerns about the impact of digital platforms on children.

Italy has chosen a different path by focusing on prevention instead of prohibition. Rather than removing young people from online spaces, the Discover centre aims to give them the knowledge and support needed to navigate digital platforms responsibly. The project reflects a wider European discussion about how societies can protect younger generations while recognising that technology remains an important part of modern life.

L’article Italy opens first digital addiction centre as Europe debates social media restrictions for minors est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

When choosing a hotel or restaurant, many travellers do pay attention to the reviews of others to determine the quality of said places. Yet reading all those comments can get quite time-consuming when there are hundred or even thousands of them.

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Some platforms, websites, and webshops have thus added a handy little feature during the past few years: an AI summary. In short, the tool summarises all reviews left by customers and gives users an objective overview of the comments, both positive and negative, left by others.

A new analysis by consumer champion platform Which?, however, shows that those AI summaries might not always be as reliable as one might think. According to the organisation, TripAdvisor’s AI summery of hotel reviews tends to concentrate on glowing reviews, while shortcomings are often ignored. The issues omitted included food poisoning, sexual harassment, and hygiene failures.

One of the cases studied by Which? is the Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria in Cape Verde. According to the AI summary tool, the place proves to be “popular with many travellers” with “spacious rooms” and “diverse restaurants”.

That particular hotel, however, is the subject of a group action lawsuit involving more than 400 holidaymakers who are claiming to have experienced illnesses linked to poor hygiene standards and food safety failings. The food poisoning comments and other reviews pointing to poor hygiene weren’t reflected in the AI summary in March according to Which? and the summary concerning the Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria in Cape Verde has since been made unavailable.

Holiday ends tomorrow and I can’t wait to get home. 6 days of food poisoning, addicted to Imodium, unable to eat or drink anything and so lethargic.@RiuHoteles Cape Verde have seen the last of us. RIU Palace Santa Maria is no 5* resort

Don’t believe the brochures!

— YNWA Kaiser (@YNWA_Kaiser) October 11, 2025

Which? noted similar patterns, in which the AI summary tool concentrated on positive reviews and left out negative remarks, for other hotels as well. With this in mind, Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, warned users to stay alert.

“The platform has a responsibility to revisit the accuracy of its AI summaries and AI chatbot. This failure to surface critical safety information is unacceptable and potentially life-threatening. In the meantime, users should scroll past these summaries and look at guest reviews, particularly one-star ratings, and at reviews on other sites, to make sure their next stay is a safe one,” Boland said.

Following the publication of Which?’s research results, TripAdvisor has not failed to react.

“No review content has been suppressed or hidden by the introduction of these tools, and the suggestion they pose danger to travellers is an unfounded claim that seems designed to generate controversy rather than inform readers. We believe our community understands that AI technology is still developing and has the common sense to check any AI advice against Tripadvisor’s billion-plus reviews and contributions,” a spokesperson commented.

According to the platform, AI summary tools are not intended to replace individual reviews -which can be easily found by clicking on the separate review elements – and instead provide a mere snapshot of the vast amount of comments available.

“We also have comprehensive safeguards in place to ensure important safety information is properly reflected across our platform. Our AI systems are designed to capture all types of traveller feedback, and we continuously monitor and refine our models. Our systems automatically suppress AI Summaries for listings that feature warnings from travellers about serious safety incidents such as death, drugging or sexual assault, helping ensure this content is highly visible to our community”, the TripAdvisor spokesperson continued.

Which?’s analysis confirms earlier research, showing AI tools have a tendency to tone down negative observations, instead choosing for shallower alternatives.

L’article Tripadvisor AI summaries accused of masking negative hotel reviews est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.