AI in Travel
The Ultimate AI Virtual Travel Assistant for Corporate Travelers, ETTravelWorld
FCM Travel has relaunched its virtual assistant ‘Sam’ as a fully-integrated, AI-powered system set to revolutionise digital interactions across the global travel management company’s platforms. Aimed at enhancing the experience for corporate travellers, travel bookers and managers, Sam now operates as a central intelligence—offering tailored support, automation, and real-time insights.
Sam’s new iteration is available across the FCM Platform, app and browser extension. It serves as an always-on travel companion that can anticipate user needs, offer instant answers, and provide suggestions aligned with personal preferences. Whether helping travellers with flight rebookings or supporting travel managers with itinerary tracking, Sam adapts to every user profile and scenario.
“Sam is a game-changer for our customers,” said John Morhous, Global Chief Experience Officer at FCM Travel. “This isn’t just about answering your questions – it’s about creating a travel companion that understands your preferences, simplifies complex tasks, and enhances every journey.”
By learning from every user interaction, Sam refines its responses and ensures consistent, quality experiences. It is equipped to handle unplanned disruptions, access real-time data such as security wait times and visa requirements, and seamlessly operate across mobile and desktop interfaces.
Internally, Sam works behind the scenes to unify data across FCM’s systems, providing enhanced customer profiles and operational insights to service teams. According to Morhous, this dual function sets Sam apart from standalone AI systems by offering unified intelligence that supports both users and staff.
“Sam’s shared learning environment not only empowers our customers with a conversational assistant that anticipates their needs but also enhances our internal operations,” Morhous added. “This is about making travel more rewarding and efficient for everyone involved.”
With its ability to deliver customised playbooks for travel managers and provide real-time answers to queries like “Do I have any loyalty benefits?” or “Who is travelling to Mumbai this week?”, Sam marks a shift in how corporate travel can be managed—with intelligence, flexibility and foresight.
AI in Travel
Karnataka Gears Up for Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025, Hosts Global Innovation Alliance Meet
The Karnataka government has begun preparations for the 28th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2025, scheduled to take place from November 18 to 20 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), marking the summit’s first time at the eco-conscious, large-scale venue.
To promote the summit globally, the electronics, IT, and biotechnology department hosted a Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) Meet in Bengaluru on July 21. The event drew representatives from over 35 partner countries, including Germany, Australia, the UK, the US, Japan, Israel, France, South Korea, and others, along with Indian government officials and trade missions.
The summit is expected to welcome over 1 lakh attendees, including more than 20,000 startup founders, 1,000 investors, 15,000 delegates, 600 speakers, and 1,200 exhibitors from over 60 countries and all Indian states and union territories.
“Bengaluru Tech Summit has grown into one of Asia’s leading platforms for innovation and global technology exchange,” Ekroop Caur, IAS, secretary to the state government (electronics, IT, biotechnology and science and technology), said.
Reflecting on the growth of the GIA initiative, she added, “We started out in 2018 with about 10 countries, grew up to 15 by 2020 when COVID-19 hit. While the world was grappling with the pandemic, we saw our GIA partnership increase with about 20 countries. In the last three years, we have increased our engagement to over 30 countries.”
With the theme ‘Futurise’, BTS 2025 will feature 10 conference tracks, covering areas such as IT and deep tech, electro-semicon, digital health and biotech, the startup ecosystem, India–US tech conclave, global collaboration, AI universe, defence and space tech, Finverse, and My Planet, My Future, focused on climate tech.
A major attraction will be the Future Makers Conclave, a platform spotlighting changemakers, spiritual leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and pioneers. Over 2,000 startup founders are expected to attend this special segment.
The summit will also feature the Startup Springboard programme, which aims to connect promising startups with global investors, mentors and markets. It includes investor pitching sessions, one-on-one mentoring clinics, a startup pavilion, sessions on scaling and fundraising, and startup awards.
Additional highlights include the Rural IT Quiz, Bio Quiz, Exhibitor Awards, and the Global Leaders Reception.
Since its launch in 2017, the GIA initiative has expanded from 10 to over 35 countries, strengthening global ties in research, innovation, skilling and emerging technologies.
Infosys has announced an expanded partnership with Telstra International, the global arm of Australia’s top telecom company Telstra, on July 21. The collaboration aims to modernise operations, improve customer experiences, and support Telstra’s new ‘Connected Future 30’ strategy.
Infosys, a global digital services and consulting company, will help Telstra International become more efficient and innovative by using an AI-first approach. This effort will include upgrading core systems to support faster, smarter and more reliable services.
“Our expanded collaboration with Infosys is pivotal to delivering greater value for our customers and shareholders as we evolve into a software-centric, AI-first connectivity company,” Chris Ellis, head of IT, software engineering and IT, and product and technology at Telstra, said. “It strengthens our focus on world-class product engineering and software excellence—modernising and accelerating how we deliver, scale, and evolve digital experiences.”
The partnership focuses on using Infosys’ digital tools and experience to help Telstra International deliver better, more efficient services. It also presents new opportunities for the two companies to work together on customer-facing projects and global market strategies.
“As we double down on connectivity, this collaboration with Infosys will enable us to deliver more intelligent and responsive services, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of technological change while consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences,” Roary Stasko, CEO of Telstra International, said.
Telstra International serves thousands of customers worldwide and operates across nearly 200 countries and territories. With its extensive global cable network and deep experience in Asia Pacific, Telstra International focuses on helping businesses grow through secure, fast, and reliable connectivity.
“Infosys is delighted to support Telstra International in its transformation journey, leveraging the cutting-edge capabilities of Infosys,” Raja Shah, EVP and industry head of global markets at Infosys, mentioned.
AI in Travel
Bangladesh’s TripBooking.AI Launches Revolutionary AI Travel Assistant – A Game-Changer for Local and Global Travelers
Monday, July 21, 2025
In the heart of Dhaka’s busy Banani area, a group of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs are doing something that could change the way millions of people book their travel — though you have probably never heard of their company. TripBooking. AI, the first ever AI travel assistant of Bangladesh, was officially presented on the 20th of July in 2025, aiming to resolve the issue of travel planning in the country. The product — an AI assistant named Zoe that aims to remove the hassle of arranging trips — offers a smart, user-friendly solution that could soon leave old-fashioned agencies by the wayside.
The path that brought the founders here is an inspiring one. The idea behind TtripBooking was ignited by Visonary entrepruner Prottoy Sen with 15 years experience in world’s tech giant HP & Ericsson. AI in 2024. Even then, success didn’t distract him from his passion for his motherland—Bangladesh. The frustration of trying to book a trip home, which involved hours on the phone with travel agents and scouring Facebook groups, along with a constant flow of WhatsApp messages, is what propelled him to create something.
Prottoy found the perfect partners in Dipto Datta and Ahmed Ajmine, fresh Computer Science graduates from North South University, who shared his dream of modernizing Bangladesh’s travel industry. Together, they spent months in 2025 designing and developing TripBooking.AI, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to simplify the process of trip planning, making it as simple as having a conversation with an assistant.
Zoe: The Future of Travel Planning
TripBooking.AI’s flagship product, Zoe, is an AI-powered assistant with a sleek and intuitive interface, designed to make travel planning as simple as chatting on your phone. Zoe allows users to ask questions about destinations, dates, and budget constraints, and responds with curated travel packages from trusted partners at unbeatable prices. This innovation is poised to eliminate the need for time-consuming phone calls, Facebook searches, and the hassle of manually booking each piece of a trip.
What sets TripBooking.AI apart from international travel apps is its deep understanding of local needs and preferences. Zoe was designed to cater to the unique behaviors and demands of Bangladeshi travelers, making it an invaluable tool for both domestic and international trips. The platform’s current offerings include carefully curated tour packages, with plans to expand into hotel and flight bookings in the near future.
For a country where many people still rely on traditional methods of planning travel, TripBooking.AI offers an accessible, high-tech alternative that is set to change how Bangladesh travels. The platform has already garnered attention from international entities, including Amazon’s AWS Activate program, which provides TripBooking.AI with credits for over 200 AWS services. Additionally, the company has been selected for Silicon Valley’s Founders Institute Core Programme, a prestigious global accelerator that has helped over 7,800 entrepreneurs raise over $1.85 billion in funding.
An Inspiring Story of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The founding of TripBooking. AI is not just a technology story — it’s also one of resilience and entrepreneurship. Prottoy Sen’s path — from his early days at Notre Dame College to his time at MIT Bootcamp — is a testament to the combination of international expertise and local appetite. His time at tech giants worldwide influenced his vision for TripBooking. AI, and the notion that entrepreneurship could solve local problems that led him to build what is now Bangladesh’s first AI-based travel assistant.
His co-founders, Dipto and Ahmed, bring their own expertise to the table. As fresh graduates in Computer Science, they were instrumental in leading the AI innovation and technical development behind Zoe. The trio’s combined efforts have resulted in a product that is not only technologically advanced but also perfectly suited to the local context of Bangladesh.
Their passion for transforming the travel industry extends far beyond Bangladesh. The founders are already setting their sights on international expansion, hoping to make TripBooking.AI a global movement. In a country that has long faced resource constraints, they aim to prove that entrepreneurship is not just a luxury but a necessity for solving local problems.
A Future of Seamless Travel Planning
As TripBooking.AI officially launches, it is clear that the platform represents a bright future for travel planning in Bangladesh and beyond. Zoe is not just an assistant; she’s the embodiment of a new era in travel—one where the power of AI is used to simplify complex tasks and enhance everyday experiences. Whether a traveler is booking a weekend getaway to Cox’s Bazar or planning a honeymoon in Bali, Zoe will be there to handle the details.
The team behind TripBooking.AI has already inspired a new generation of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, showing that even in a resource-constrained environment, innovation is possible. Their vision for the future of travel is one where every traveler, anywhere in the world, can plan and book their dream trip with nothing more than a conversation with an intelligent assistant.
TripBooking.AI is tapping into a country where the travel industry is largely offline, with antiquated booking methods. AI provides a new, high-tech answer that will change the way Bangladesh—and the world —plans its trips. With an emphasis on both domestic and international travel, this AI-powered assistant isn’t just a tool but a testament of what’s achievable when global knowledge meets local zeal.
As it continues to gain momentum, TripBooking. AI is expected to overturn the world’s travel industry Featured as the lead theme of the global travel revolution, it is evidence that local innovation backed by global experience can accomplish amazing things.” The way you travel is going to change now with TripBooking. AI.
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