Amex’s travel app. Rise of secondary cities. TechnoHub is here. HBX Group’s high score.

Amex’s travel app. Rise of secondary cities. TechnoHub is here. HBX Group’s high score.

Amex launches all-in-one travel app and digital passport for modern explorers

American Express has launched a suite of new digital tools for its Card Members. Central to this rollout is the Amex Travel App, an all-in-one platform designed to help travellers discover destinations, plan, and book trips without juggling multiple websites. The app, available on iOS from September 18 and coming soon to Android, integrates curated guides, premium property options from Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, and booking capabilities for flights, hotels, and car rentals. Amex’s surveys show strong demand for such a solution, with over 80% of travellers wanting an app that combines inspiration and booking, and more than half reporting feeling overwhelmed by travel choices. The company plans to enhance the app with features like personalized hotel recommendations, destination insights, and detailed overviews of Card benefits.

Alongside the app, Amex introduced Amex Passport, a digital feature that allows U.S. Consumer Card Members to collect customizable “Stamps” commemorating their international trips. Designed as a modern replacement for physical passport stamps, these blockchain-based tokens can be customized with travel highlights and shared with friends or on social media. Survey data shows 73% of travellers want more digital ways to remember past trips, and 56% miss receiving traditional stamps. To improve the airport experience, Amex has also upgraded its Centurion Lounge Digital Waitlist by adding estimated wait times, helping members better plan lounge visits.

Agoda spotlights secondary cities as Asia’s new hotspots

Agoda is marking World Tourism Day by highlighting a surge in interest for Asia’s secondary destinations, with searches growing 15% faster than top-tier destinations compared to 2023. This trend is most visible in India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand, where governments are investing in infrastructure and marketing campaigns to spread tourism beyond traditional hubs. For example, Indonesia’s “Super Priority Tourism Destinations” and India’s UDAN scheme are part of broader efforts to drive travel demand to regional cities. Agoda data shows significant year-on-year growth in searches for these locations, including a 74% rise in Japan, 57% in Indonesia, and 39% in South Korea, outpacing growth seen in major cities.

CEO Omri Morgenshtern said this shift offers both richer travel experiences and stronger economic impact for local communities, adding that “spreading the tourism dollar more widely brings a wide range of benefits.” Agoda supports the movement by enabling rural properties to list digitally, boosting visibility for smaller destinations, and partnering with Destination Management Organizations to promote them globally.

Technoheaven unveils TechnoHub, focusing on tour operations

Technoheaven has launched TechnoHub, a tour operating platform designed to streamline complex workflows and drive growth for OTAs, tour operators, destination management companies (DMCs), and travel management companies (TMCs). Positioned as a complete operating system for travel businesses, the platform combines flexibility, automation, and scalability to help professionals deliver enhanced traveller experiences while boosting efficiency and profitability. CEO Vinod Kelwani emphasized that the launch goes beyond software, providing “a complete operating system for the travel industry” that empowers agencies and operators to stay competitive in today’s demanding market.

The platform offers a suite of features, including real-time booking and itinerary management, centralized supplier and contract control, robust API integrations, CRM-powered customer engagement, automated financial processes, and advanced analytics. Its multi-language, multi-currency, and mobile-friendly design offers adaptability across global markets, with white-label branding for agencies. By integrating booking, payments, loyalty programs, and reporting into one scalable solution, TechnoHub aims to help OTAs improve margins, DMCs localize offerings, tour operators optimize workflows, and TMCs scale corporate travel programs.

Booking tech at a crossroads, new report maps operator adoption and challenges

The third edition of Global Operator Landscape: The State of Booking Tech highlights how booking systems are becoming indispensable for tours, activities, and attractions, helping operators streamline operations, manage capacity, connect with customers, and boost revenue. While adoption is growing worldwide, many smaller or newer businesses still struggle with complex platforms or rely on manual systems like spreadsheets. The report explores operators’ satisfaction levels, key challenges, and the features that matter most when choosing booking technology, offering practical recommendations to help businesses at any stage of their tech journey gain clarity and confidence in selecting tools that power growth.

HBX Group sets new benchmark for AI-powered customer service

HBX Group, the B2B travel technology marketplace, reported record-breaking customer service performance during the peak summer season of 2025. Between July and August, the company managed over 500,000 customer cases across all channels, resolving written cases within an average of 24 hours. Its service team handled more than 200,000 calls with a 98% answer rate, an average wait time of just 22 seconds, and an impressive 93% customer satisfaction score. Chief Operations Officer Xabier Zabala credited the achievement to a combination of AI-driven tools, advanced analytics, and the expertise of HBX’s customer service professionals.

The company’s approach blends artificial intelligence with human input, using automation to process routine queries while enabling staff to focus on more complex cases. Recent innovations include the rollout of a GenAI trainer designed to help agents respond more effectively across diverse scenarios.

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