AIRBNB, MONDEE MOVES SIGNAL ROLE OF ACQUISITIONS IN TRAVEL’S RACE FOR AI

Generative artificial intelligence has been the topic of 2023, and companies have taken note with bigwigs speaking openly about plans to integrate the technology. But Airbnb’s recent acquisition of GamePlanner.AI and Mondee’s acquisition of Purplegrids - both announced last week - hint at a different kind of strategy, one that may have developed in the interest of speed as industry heads race towards an AI-focused future

Mondee Acquires AI Company Founded by Former Apple Developer

Mondee has acquired an AI company called Purplegrids in an all-stock deal valued at roughly $19 million. Mondee primarily provides travel agents with a tech platform for making wholesale bookings on behalf of customers. The company in July released an upgraded version of its travel booking platform that is integrated with the latest advancements of AI and includes a chatbot called Abhi.

TRIPADVISOR LAUNCHES NEW AI TRAVEL PLANNING FEATURES

Tripadvisor is rolling out artificial intelligence-created summaries that are meant to give travelers additional insight on key features as they research hotels. The news comes on the heels of Tripadvisor’s July launch of its AI-powered travel planning tool and what the company called successful public beta testing of its travel itinerary generator.