Innovation and trends in tourism

"Im Rahmen der ÖW-Sommerpotenzialstudie 2025 wurde das Reiseverhalten von Urlauber:innen mit Hund näher untersucht.

Mit einem Anteil von 5 % (= 7,8 Mio.) aller Sommer-Reiseplanenden aus den zehn betrachteten Märkten stellen Reisende mit Hund eine zwar kleine, jedoch interessante Zielgruppe dar. Sie finden sich in allen Altersgruppen, überdurchschnittlich oft bei den 55 bis 64-Jährigen. Zwei Drittel dieser Gruppe sind Frauen. 39 % haben bereits Urlaub in Österreich gemacht und für fast jede(n) (86 %) ist Österreich im Relevant Set der kommenden drei Jahre. 

Sie verreisen überdurchschnittlich oft (viele Kurzreisen) und haben dabei hohe Ansprüche. Zur Anreise bevorzugen sie deutlich häufiger das Auto und das Wohnmobil. Auch bei der Wahl der Unterkunft gibt es mit Ferienwohnungen/-häuser eine klare Präferenz. Camping ist bei dieser Zielgruppe ebenfalls beliebter. Obwohl sie weniger oft das Flugzeug nutzen, liegen ihre Gesamtausgaben pro Reise nur knapp unter dem Durchschnitt aller Sommer-Reiseplanenden."

Studierende der HES-SO denken Abenteu­er­tou­rismus neu
Tourismus-Studierende der HES-SO Wallis präsen­tieren Geschäfts­kon­zepte, die neue Zielgruppen für den Abenteu­er­tou­rismus erschliessen sollen.

Rund 60 Studierende im vierten Semester des Studiengangs Tourismus an der HES-SO Wallis haben unter realen Bedingungen 13 Geschäftskonzepte für den Abenteuertourismus entwickelt. Im Zentrum des praxisorientierten Projekts standen die Fragen, wie sich neue Zielgruppen gewinnen lassen und welche Angebote im dynamischen Tourismusmarkt langfristig behaupten können.

Dans un contexte où la montagne est confrontée à des défis climatiques, économiques et sociétaux majeurs, la Compagnie des Alpes engage une transformation profonde de sa stratégie. Loin de se cantonner à l’exploitation de domaines skiables, elle affirme aujourd’hui une posture nouvelle, où l’investissement dans l’humain, la biodiversité et l’habitabilité des territoires devient aussi stratégique que le rendement financier.

Cette mutation se traduit par des engagements concrets, tels que l’atteinte du Net Zéro Carbone d’ici 2030, la participation à des programmes de restauration écologique comme Nature 2050, et le développement de partenariats industriels pour la production de dameuses électriques dans les Alpes françaises. Rencontre avec David Ponson, Directeur de la Division Montagne et activités outdoor de la Compagnie des Alpes, qui nous éclaire sur cette métamorphose silencieuse mais décisive.

Airbnb has been collecting user data to lay the groundwork for the future of the app: A digital travel concierge that learns and adapts to each individual user. 

Over the past few years, Airbnb has encouraged users to complete their profiles — answering questions like 'What are you obsessed with?' and selecting up to 20 personal interests. At the time, it may have felt like a feature with no real purpose.

But all that data has laid the groundwork for the future of the app: A digital travel concierge that learns and adapts to each individual user. 

The way people travel for work is changing. Bleisure travel -blending business trips with leisure time- has moved from a growing trend to an established part of travel

Earth Day might have passed, but according to research from Booking.com, consumer awareness of travel's impact on destinations is increasing.

The online travel company’s Travel & Sustainability Report 2025, which gathered opinions from more than 30,000 travelers across 34 countries, paints a more positive picture when it comes to sentiment surrounding the impact of travel.

While in previous reports in 2023 and 2024, many travelers (28%) expressed their fatigue around hearing about climate change and questioned whether their personal actions made a difference, this year's report revealed that sustainability is important for most travelers (84%).

As the travel industry works to meet the needs of environmentally conscious customers, the question remains: How can the sector ensure good intentions do in fact have a tangible impact? While many express a preference for sustainable travel, behavior while traveling differs.

Insights from Accor, Radisson Hotel Group, NH Hotel Group and Phocuswright offer strategies to tackle this sustainability behavior gap, with a focus on the importance of education and how technology can support more responsible travel decisions.

“We have been doing sustainability for a very long time. We had our first program in the early 2000s,” said Inge Huijbrechts, chief sustainability and security officer at Radisson Hotel Group. “We were the first hotel company worldwide to carbon compensate all our meetings and events worldwide.”

Die EHL Hospitality Business School präsentiert den Bericht «Food and Well-Being 2025». Zentrale Erkennt­nisse: Ernährung fördert Wohlbe­finden, Konsum­trends setzen auf Gesundheit und Nachhal­tig­keit. Heraus­for­de­rungen bleiben Fehlin­for­ma­tionen und ungleicher Zugang.

There is an apocryphal ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times”. We in the travel industry are certainly living through an interesting time for tourism in 2025.

After a smooth take-off at the start of the year, the travel industry quickly hit turbulence as concerns about trade, tariffs, and policy weighed on the global economy. Make no mistake, the state of travel in 2025 remains strong. Our industry continues to grow. Travel has shown impressive resilience in a world tested by macroeconomic uncertainty and evolving consumer expectations.

Then there is the pace of technology. Machine learning, once the gold standard for artificial intelligence is now table stakes. Travel technologists have gotten their footing with generative AI tools and are scaling LLMs even as we start to look forward to an agentic future. Changes in how businesses and consumers use AI could upend the long-established competitive landscape. Interesting times, indeed

Sarah Balet, chercheuse en tourisme régénératif à l'institut Tourisme de la HES-SO Valais-Wallis était l'invitée du Podcast NOUVELLES VOIES dédié à l'entreprise régénérative. 

Dans cet épisode intitulé Voyager autrement : le tourisme peut-il devenir régénératif ? Sarah Balet partage les résultats de ses recherches et son expérience de terrain. On y parle d’une nouvelle manière de concevoir les séjours, à la fois plus responsables et plus puissants, pour les visiteurs comme pour les hôtes.

"Airbnb’s latest push into locally run experiences and on-demand amenities marks a strategic move to capture more of the $1 trillion travel experience economy.


Airbnb on Tuesday unveiled the much-anticipated relaunch of its experiences offering. Airbnb will add more options for large attractions – particularly through guided tours — though there remains a focus on niche, curated, and locally run experiences. 

The company also debuted a new services product, which allows consumers to order hotel-like amenities to their Airbnb. And these services aren't just for travelers: Local residents can also order them. 

The numbers are potentially big: Airbnb said it would invest up to $250 million and CEO Brian Chesky has previously talked about a goal for launching businesses that could do $1 billion a year in revenue."

Over the last couple of decades, technology has modernized the travel industry by streamlining bookings, enhancing digital customer experiences and making travel more accessible and efficient. Now, it’s time for technology to play a larger role, beyond the basics of bookings, to help solve harder-to-fix challenges like alleviating overtourism and empowering small businesses in developing regions.

In short, technology—done well—has the potential to transform tourism into a positive force in support of sustainability and economic inclusion.

By reducing intermediaries, redistributing tourism demand and integrating sustainability into core operations, travel technology has the potential to create a more equitable and resilient global travel landscape.

Like the rest of the travel industry, the future of the tours and activities sector will be altered by some form of AI, though exactly how remains to be seen. The evolution of the in-destination experience aided by AI was discussed during part two of Phocuswright’s The New Age(nts) Trend Series, an online event led by Mike Coletta, senior manager of research and innovation at Phocuswright.

Panelists Alex Bainbridge, CEO of Autoura, co-founder and CEO of TripSchool Mitch Bach and Janette Roush, senior vice president of innovation and chief AI officer at Brand USA, joined Coletta for a wide-ranging, in-depth and informative conversation. 

“We feel strongly that some of the recent capabilities of generative AI models have significant implications for the in-destination experience. Specifically, advanced computer vision capabilities allow them to understand surroundings and context really well, and advanced real-time voice capabilities enable very natural conversations,” Coletta said. “And together, these stand to revolutionize how travelers tour neighborhoods and sites of interest, get recommendations and interact with locals.”

Position description

Acquire, carry out and manage R&D projects in one or more of the above-mentioned fields.
Collaborate with regional, national and international companies, public institutions and universities to develop high-impact projects.
Establish partnerships with companies, universities and partner schools at regional, national and international levels.
Disseminate scientific results through articles and presentations at conferences.
Teach at Bachelor’s and Master’s levels in the corresponding subject areas at the School of Management.

Food as the cornerstone of well-being: Food has evolved far beyond its traditional role as a source of sustenance. Once viewed primarily as a means to satisfy hunger and later as a status symbol, food now touches nearly every layer of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It nurtures not only the body but also mental health, a sense of community and supports planetary well-being, enabling the balance between human prosperity and the health of earth’s ecosystems. The concept of Food Well-Being (FWB) captures this multifaceted impact, highlighting food's role in bringing pleasure, purpose, health and sustainability into daily life. 

Consumer trends and the conscious shift: Driven by heightened post-pandemic awareness and access to information, consumers today are more informed than ever and are increasingly prioritizing health, transparency, as well as sustainability in their food choices. This shift is shaping new expectations and offers for the hospitality industry, from personalized nutrition to plant-forward menus and tech-enhanced dining experiences. A growing number of consumers seek food that is healthy and adjusted to their personal needs while still being convenient and quick.

Hospitality’s role in promoting well-being: The industry is positioned and expected to influence well-being at multiple levels. Through innovative practices like nature dining emersions, planetary diet offers, social eating initiatives or even just small shifts in their existing offering, hospitality providers can create environments that support both hedonic (pleasure-driven) and eudaimonic (purpose-driven) well-being.In recent years, chefs have taken a prominent role in these efforts, but everyone in the business, from line cooks and servers to management, has an important part to play. This highlights the growing importance of cross-disciplinary, continuous education to meet these expectations effectively.

Challenges and opportunities: While the rise of the conscious consumer signals progress, it also presents challenges, such as the increased spread of misinformation, addressing systemic inequalities in access to healthy food and navigating the complexities of sustainable food sourcing. Innovations in technology and education, alongside stronger commitments to shared responsibility, offer pathways to address these issues. The report highlights that achieving meaningful impact will require collaboration across sectors, embracing diverse perspectives and scaling innovative solutions to create more equitable and sustainable food systems.

Future-ready companies are distinguishing themselves by strategically balancing technological advancement with authentic human connection.

The travel industry in 2025 is shaped by key trends including AI technology, personalized experiences, responsible tourism, and ‘bleisure’ – the blending of business with leisure. Companies must adapt by adopting eco-friendly practices, deploying AI at scale for personalization, offering unique experiences, providing wellness services, and catering to solo travelers. 
Future-ready companies include Booking.com, Delta Air Lines, and Marriott, based on their robust performance in relevant metrics.   
AI agents, like OpenAI’s Operator and China’s Manu, are revolutionizing travel booking, potentially disrupting traditional travel agencies by enabling autonomous trip planning.