Skift

Episode Notes Hotel tech has a long way to go before it can satisfy travelers’ demands, two executives said at the Skift Data + AI Summit in New York on Tuesday, writes Reporter Christiana Sciaudone. Chris Hemmeter, managing director at Thayer Ventures, and Kurien Jacob, partner and managing director of Highgate Technology Ventures, explained how hotel tech needs to evolve. Jacob noted how the travel industry is behind tech-wise – “room assignment can be automated,” he said. Hemmeter said the hospitality industry has been playing catch up while the traveler has changed.  Next, large numbers of travelers are making plans for the summer. But one thing many of them won’t be doing is using trip-planning apps, writes Sciaudone. Gilad Berenstein, founder of investment firm Book Bay Capital, said the travel industry hasn’t proven there’s a lot of consumer demand for a trip-planning app. He noted that Google Maps and Google Calendar are the world’s most popular trip-planning tools. Skift Research found earlier this y