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.I’ve seen this transformation firsthand. In 1987, my parents took a leap of faith and bet on Iceland’s untapped tourism potential.At the time, the region where my family lived was among the most disconnected in the country, with no infrastructure to support visitors. It was trapped between two glacier rivers with no bridges to connect it to the outside world. The first bridge came in 1973, followed by a second in 1976, allowing for the first steps toward connectivity

Here's our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.SITASITA announced three partnerships this week. The company has signed an agreement with Matarat Holding to advance the digital transformation of airports across Saudi Arabia. The deal aims to implement scalable technologies to improve passenger experience and operational efficiency. SITA’s biometric solutions are already in use at major airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and NEOM.The airline information technology (IT) specialist also partnered with NEC Corporation in an effort to accelerate adoption of digital identity technology in travel. NEC will join SITA’s Digital Travel Ecosystem, an open framework that enables secure, real-time identity verification without complex integrations. SITA and Airportr have also signed a five-year agreement to expand off-airport baggage handling services, in response to rising traveler demand for home or hotel bag pickup. Airportr’s delivery platform is set to integrate with SITA’s Flex and Bag Journey systems.EDreams Odigeo reaches 7.25M subscribersEDreams Odigeo has reached its goal of 7.25 million Prime subscribers nearly a year ahead of schedule, quadrupling its base since 2021, when the goal was set. “7.25 million isn't just a figure; it's yet more proof of our capacity to execute on a long-term vision and deliver on our promises,” said Dana Dunne, CEO of eDreams Odigeo. He credited the platform’s growth to its scalable model and tech-driven approach