Las Vegas just hosted a massive gathering of luxury travel professionals, and one Korean company stood out from the crowd. Tourvis Select, a luxury hotel platform owned by Tidesquare, took home the “Best Agency Culture Award” at the 2026 Virtuoso Travel Week gala. This marks the first time an agency from the North & Southeast Asia region has secured this specific honor. The event itself was a big deal, drawing over 4,800 luxury travel professionals from 105 countries for business meetings, regional conferences, and the Travel Tech Summit.
The award isn’t just a trophy; it recognizes agencies that prioritize employee well-being and inclusive workplace cultures. Only one winner is selected per region, making the achievement notable for Tidesquare. CEO Min Yoon stated the company will use this recognition to deepen global partnerships. The goal is to strengthen Tourvis Select’s position as a trusted luxury travel brand in Korea.
AI in the Boardroom
Tidesquare wasn’t the only Korean entity in the spotlight. It was the only Korean company invited to speak at the Travel Tech Summit on August 9. The presentation reached more than 700 industry attendees and focused on AI-driven work innovation. Sunny Chang, Director of Global Business Development, outlined the company’s “AI First, Human Final” approach. This model automates repetitive tasks, freeing up over 200 hours per team monthly.
Humans still retain final decision-making for work requiring expertise, judgment, and empathy. That includes customer consultation and concierge service. Tidesquare plans to expand travel-specific AI applications by combining accumulated travel data with AI. The aim is to deliver personalized experiences based on a traveler’s purpose, schedule, and companions.
While tech is reshaping how travel is managed, the market is also shifting in how people book. A new partnership between eviivo and Dida is opening a new distribution channel for independent hotels. This integration allows eligible properties to distribute live rates and availability directly from eviivo Suite to Dida’s network. That network includes more than 40,000 travel distributors across APAC and over 200 global source markets.
Related Post: GlobalTix and Myrealtrip join forces in travel tech push
Bookings flow automatically into the property’s eviivo reservation calendar. This move responds to growing APAC travel demand. Expedia Group research found 65% of travel professionals expect regional demand to increase over the next two to three years. Dida, which calls itself the No.1 B2B outbound player in China, offers 2.2 million travel products. The connection is initially available to eligible eviivo customers in the UK and Europe.
It’s interesting to note that while technology connects these platforms, human behavior is driving the actual transactions. B2B guests are known for booking earlier, staying longer, cancelling less, and spending more. This behavioral shift is what makes the Dida integration so valuable for hotels looking to diversify demand without adding operational burden. North America is set to follow pending tax and payment testing.
Refunds and Risk Management
Travel disruption has fueled a surge in refund protection uptake. Protect Group reports that Refund Protect conversions among its travel partners nearly doubled this summer. The conversion rate rose from 14% to 27%. The UK showed the strongest momentum, with a 56% increase in Refund Protect purchases. France recorded a 26% rise in conversions.
Stephen Joyce, Global Strategy Lead – Travel & Tours at Protect Group, attributed the shift to travelers becoming more intentional about managing risk. They are protecting the highest-impact parts of their journey rather than altering plans. Joyce predicted the trend will intensify due to growing travel complexity and global volatility. Refund Protect offers a 100% refund of booking value and integrates directly into the checkout flow.