Wishes and dreams, in front and behind the scenes
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Bold aspirations, shattered dreams, green buildings, a windfall, the courts, AI and mega-projects are the focus of today's edition. Marriott's management in Bethesda is unhappy that 51 Marriott owners, who own nearly 1,000 hotels, want a larger share of Bonvoy’s revenue and are also demanding transparency. Sarah Douag has taken a look behind the scenes.
Saudi Arabia has lost face. The colossal NEOM project is scaling back, and with it, its financial clout. There is a shortfall of $16 billion needed to terminate the contracts that are still in force. The damage this project has caused to nature, the environment and people is incalculable. Sarah – who was in the mood for writing this week – was on the hunt for figures.
The architects at the renowned Japanese firm Kengo Kuma & Associates quarried the material for the façades of the new Silk Towers from a tuff quarry – right on their doorstep in Batumi, Georgia. Local resources, wood and precise wind measurements, for example, point the way to the future of urban life. This is about the harmony between nature, living and social. Susanne Stauss reports: The presentation and discussion were part of our HITT Think Tank in Brussels. ... More
Magazine
Alpitour World plans to commit around 80-90 million euros every 12 months over the next five years. Its hospitality division will benefit from 58 million in 2026 alone.
Think Tank
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Pical Resort 5*, Valamar Collection in Poreč, the most significant tourism investment in Croatia in recent years, was recently officially opened in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković and hundreds of distinguished guests from the business and public sectors.
News Mix overview
Marketplace
The search engine operator Google can be held directly liable for incorrect answers generated by its in-house artificial intelligence (AI). This was the ruling of the Munich I Regional Court.
Generative AI has become a reality in the German economy more quickly than many companies had anticipated just a year ago. 98% of companies now consider AI to be relevant to their business model and future value creation. This means that within two years, this proportion has risen from 56% (2024) via 91% (2025) to almost universal acceptance today.
OpenAI rival Anthropic has long advocated for stricter regulation of AI development. Now, the CEO of the AI company Anthropic has argued that governments should be able to stop dangerous AI.
The Danish capital aims to promote sustainable tourism. To this end, the CopenPay scheme has been developed; following two summer trials, it will now run all year round. How can you benefit? Hotels are taking part.
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HospitalityInside Think Tank HITT, edition 9
Photos from the HITT Think Tank in Brussels
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