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Obituary: Dr Mike Gibas BA (Hons) MA PhD (1961–2025)

Obituary: Dr Mike Gibas BA (Hons) MA PhD (1961–2025)

Dr Mike Gibas, the acclaimed designer, artist, writer, and creative visionary whose work defined excellence across industries and generations, passed away on 21st September 2025 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 63.

HFTP Announces 2025 Paragon Award Recipient – Chris Garland

HFTP Announces 2025 Paragon Award Recipient – Chris Garland

Christopher Garland was selected as the 2025 Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) Paragon Award recipient for his significant contribution in guiding industry professionals in financial reporting for hotel companies through leadership roles with the association. Garland is an active participant in the Global Finance Committee (GFC), the group behind the recently-released 12th revision of the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry. Garland will be recognized at the upcoming HFTP Annual Convention on October 22 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. “I am truly honored to receive the Paragon award from HFTP,” said Garland. “Following in the footsteps of hospitality legends is humbling and I am grateful for this recognition.”

Atlantis, The Palm Selects Yardi to Enhance Retail Leasing and Property Management

Atlantis, The Palm Selects Yardi to Enhance Retail Leasing and Property Management

Atlantis, The Palm, one of the United Arab Emirates' most iconic and luxurious resorts, has selected Yardi® to manage its expanding retail portfolio. The resort is a premier dining and entertainment destination and is home to Aquaventure World, the world's largest waterpark. This partnership reflects the resort's continued investment in advanced technology to elevate its retail leasing capabilities and commercial management operations.

Holiday Inn Express launches limited edition scent-powered alarm clock - smell breakfast.

Holiday Inn Express launches limited edition scent-powered alarm clock - smell breakfast.

Say goodbye to blaring alarms and the dreaded snooze spiral – Holiday Inn Express by IHG has unveiled a world-first hotel experience designed to transform mornings, one mouth-watering scent at a time. Introducing the Holiday Inn Express Breakfast Alarm Clock: a clever new in-room device that helps to wake guests with the irresistible smell of breakfast. As part of its ongoing mission to help guests sleep better, wake easier and never miss brekkie again, all Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia and New Zealand, as well as participating hotels in Singapore, Thailand and Japan will now offer guests the chance to trial the exclusive in-room scent experience.

United Receives FAA Certification for First Starlink-Equipped Mainline Aircraft

United Receives FAA Certification for First Starlink-Equipped Mainline Aircraft

United has announced the FAA certified its first mainline Starlink-equipped aircraft, and the first commercial flight is planned for October 15. This certification comes less than five months since the first Starlink-equipped United customer flight on the Embraer 175 regional aircraft and less than a year since United signed the industry's largest agreement of its kind with SpaceX to bring Starlink's fast, reliable Wi-Fi service free to MileagePlus members on the airline's mainline and regional aircraft fleet.

TRAVELPORT LAUNCHES AUTOMATED COMMISSION TOOL TO BOOST AGENT REVENUE

TRAVELPORT LAUNCHES AUTOMATED COMMISSION TOOL TO BOOST AGENT REVENUE

Travelport, a global technology company that powers travel bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide, today announced a strategic partnership with Farenexus to integrate the advanced contract management solution nexusCMT into the Travelport+ platform. This collaboration delivers powerful new tools that aim to help travel agencies and TMCs increase profitability, eliminate manual errors, and make smarter booking decisions.

Arabian Travel Market to launch dedicated Travel Tech show at 2026 edition

Arabian Travel Market to launch dedicated Travel Tech show at 2026 edition

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has announced the launch of ATM Travel Tech, a new co-located event that will debut at ATM 2026, taking place from 4–7 May 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Evolving from its previous role as a high-growth sector on the show floor, ATM Travel Tech will now span two dedicated halls in recognition of the importance of this rapidly growing market segment, providing an immersive platform for the ideas, innovations and partnerships that will shape the future of global travel.

Ride in Comfort: The Benefits of Motorcycle Earplugs and Alpine Hearing Protection

Ride in Comfort: The Benefits of Motorcycle Earplugs and Alpine Hearing Protection

Riding a motorcycle is about freedom, focus, and the open road—but it also means exposure to constant wind and engine noise. Over time, that noise can be more than just distracting—it can become damaging. That’s why many riders now consider earplugs an essential part of their gear. And when it comes to quality and comfort, Alpine Hearing Protection is a name many riders trust.

Dida appoints industry veteran Daryl Lee as Group CEO

Dida appoints industry veteran Daryl Lee as Group CEO

Dida Holdings - an AI-first tech leader and one of the fastest-growing global traveltech companies, today announced that its founder, Rikin Wu has appointed Daryl Lee as its new Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 5 October 2025. A pivotal leadership appointment: Lee was previously global CEO WebBeds and before that led GTA across the Middle East & Asia Pacific. He began his career in aviation and hospitality with Singapore Airlines and earned a degree in Economics from the London School of Economics. He joins Dida at a decisive moment for both the company and the wider industry as travel and hospitality are being reshaped by AI, automation, and digital connectivity and Dida is uniquely positioned at the crossroads of these transformative shifts.

eTip Concludes Housekeeping Week with Record $14,000 Tip

eTip Concludes Housekeeping Week with Record $14,000 Tip

eTip, the pioneer in digital tipping for hospitality, announced the close of Housekeeping Week with a historic milestone: a single tip of $14,000 given through the platform. This unprecedented moment highlights both the generosity of guests and the growing importance of digital solutions that make staff recognition seamless and impactful.