Welcome The human touch

Following the advice of expert speakers at a recent industry event, I decided to play around a bit with ChatGPT. With this technology-focussed issue in mind, I asked it: 'What are the hottest tech innovations in business travel?'

No prizes for guessing what was number one on its list – Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning!

The rest of the answer touched on some of the key trends, but it was far from a deep dive. Put it this way, it didn't make me worry that my job would be obselete any time soon and that the future of this magazine was under serious threat.

You (our knowledgable readers) need more than a broad (and rather bland) overview, so that's why we asked seven industry experts to share their insights on the future of business travel distribution in our feature on pages 30-35. We also know that the shortcomings of Online Booking Tools remain top of the agenda for travel managers, so that's why we've dedicated pages 18-22 to this topic.

Of course, our technology special edition wouldn't be complete without our annual Tech Hotlist, revealed on pages 24-28. Congratulations to all the innovators and innovations that made it into the top 10 this year. And a big congratulations to everyone who has made it into the shortlist for the 2023 Business Travel People Awards (see pages 10-11). We're busy gearing up for the ceremony on September 25 at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London, to celebrate our industry's best people. While technology continues to play a vital role in business travel, we still need the human touch, and that's what our People Awards are all about. We can't wait to see you all there.

EDITORIAL

EDITOR

Bev Fearis

CONTRIBUTORS

April Waterston & Charlotte Flach

DIGITAL EDITOR

April Waterston

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Steve Hartridge

Advertising Sales

PUBLISHER / COMMERCIAL HEAD

Kirsty Hicks

DESIGN & PRODUCTION DESIGNERS

Matt Bonner and Caitlan Francis

PRODUCTION & STUDIO MANAGER

Clare Hunter

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

Steve Hunter

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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Bmi Publishing

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Matt Bonner CEO

Martin Steady

Bev Fearis, Editor

Jan Luyken Amsterdam

Art House

Named after the Amsterdam-born artist and poet, this historic, 62-room townhouse is the first under a new brand of independent hotels from Zien Group, the parent of Eden Hotels. Rooms come in snug, snug single, small, medium and studio.

Taste Of Italy

Housed within a neoclassical building that was once the city's first railway station, Avani Palazzo Moscova has 65 rooms and suites and a signature seafood restaurant, Forte Milano, with a pretty terrace. Guests can also enjoy treatments, a sauna, hammam and jacuzzi at the spa, within the confines of the station's original vaults.

Bulgari Hotel Roma HOME COMING

Bulgari has opened its first hotel in Rome, home of the luxury brand. This restored 1930s building has 114 luxurious rooms and suites, with made-tomeasure tapestries and Murano crystals. Its spa, with marble columns, stained glass windows and mosaics, recreates the atmosphere of ancient Roman baths.

MULTI-PURPOSE

This 23-room boutique hotel is the final part of a long-awaited Bromley Old Town Hall regeneration project. As well as the new accommodation, the landmark building also has workspace and meeting rooms and an all-day restaurant, Dorothy and Marshall, giving guests and locals 'connection, collaboration and community'.