**For years, travel professionals stood out because of their expertise. The ones who knew the best hotels, designed the smartest routes, or recommended hidden gems had a clear advantage. But that reality is changing.**

Today, clients often arrive already prepared with: ✓ AI-generated itineraries ✓ Hotel comparisons ✓ Dozens of browser tabs ✓ Inspiration from YouTube, TikTok and travel blogs

Because information is everywhere. And that changes the value of the travel professional. The question is no longer: \*\*“Who knows the most?”\*\*But rather: **“Who communicates their expertise best?”**

## The new reality of travel sales

Today, clients rarely buy based on information alone. They buy: → confidence → clarity → simplicity → a good feeling about their decision

Which means the role of the travel professional is evolving too. Not just advising, explaining or sharing knowledge. But guiding, convincing and creating trust.

Today, clients rarely buy based on information alone.

## Why presentation increasingly makes the difference

A great example from real life.

One travel company prepared an incentive proposal for a client and later discovered they were competing against two other agencies. All three proposals were strong. But there was one difference. The competing agencies delivered traditional PDF proposals. Only the winning proposal was presented as an interactive travel experience.

The client's feedback?

> “Our CEO immediately dismissed the other proposals because they felt outdated.”

It wasn’t the destination, the price, or even the content. It was about the experience of receiving the proposal.

## Modern clients expect more than a document

Think about other industries: we order food through apps, we manage banking on our phones, we track deliveries in real time… But travel proposals? They’re often still delivered as static documents. Even though travel is all about experience.

A journey doesn’t begin on departure day. It starts the moment someone can imagine what that experience will feel like, and eventually decides to book.

## How modern travel companies are adapting

The strongest travel companies today don’t only invest in knowledge. They invest in presentation. They make sure their proposals: ✓ feel professional ✓ are easy to share ✓ create clarity ✓ trigger emotion ✓ build trust

Because a premium journey deserves a premium proposal.

## One final thought

AI will continue to evolve. Information will only become more accessible. But one thing remains difficult to replace: human expertise; presented in a way that people connect with.

So the question is no longer: \*\*“How do I provide more information?”\*\*But: **“How do I make clients choose me?”**

[See for yourself how modern travel companies create that difference with a free Lato trial.](https://portal.latotravelapp.com/register)

Destination knowledge alone no longer wins clients

**Last week, Lato was present at ITB Berlin, one of the largest travel trade fairs in the world. Every year, thousands of professionals from the travel industry gather here to exchange ideas and look ahead to the future of travel. For the fourth year in a row, Lato was selected as an*****ITB Innovator*****: a recognition for companies that are at the forefront of technology in the travel sector.**

From AI to social media: during various talks and panels, it became clear where the sector is heading. Here are some of the most notable insights:

### **AI is changing the travel industry, but it's not replacing humans**

An important theme at ITB Berlin this year was the role of artificial intelligence in the travel industry. During the panel discussion *“Check-in 2026 and Beyond: Technology Trends and Developments Shaping Hospitality,”* it became clear that AI will not replace employees, but will play a crucial role in supporting them.

By automating administrative tasks and repetitive work, travel professionals will have more time for what really matters: personal contact with their customers.

In the future, AI will also help to better match travelers with, for example, the right hotel based on preferences, travel behavior, and previous experiences. However, this technology is not yet fully developed. For example, ChatGPT cannot yet book hotels directly. You still have to do this through a travel agency or booking platform.

### **Gen Z and Gen Alpha are shaping where we travel**

Did you see the viral giant croissant from Paris on social media? No? Then ask a Gen Z colleague. Another striking theme at the trade fair was the impact of social media on travel behavior.

Younger generations seek travel inspiration in a completely different way. Whereas travelers used to flock to Paris to tick off classic sights such as the Louvre, young people now choose Paris as a destination based on—yes—a viral croissant. Inspiration increasingly comes from short videos and influencers, rather than traditional travel brochures. Authenticity plays an important role in this. Content that is spontaneous and filmed by travelers themselves is often perceived as more credible than classic marketing images.

This is also clearly reflected in the figures. TikTok is now the number one source of inspiration for travel, ahead of recommendations from family and friends. No less than 70% of users have already booked a trip after seeing the destination appear on the platform. Even more striking is that 22% of travelers book within 24 hours of being inspired by a video.

### **YouTube remains strong for travel storytelling**

Although short videos dominate social media, longer video content remains important. According to insights shared by YouTube, many people watch travel videos not only on their smartphones, but also on a large screen at home. This makes the platform particularly suitable for in-depth travel stories and extensive destination videos. At the same time, YouTube Shorts is also growing in popularity, now reaching billions of daily views.

We are also responding to this trend at Lato. Videos can be integrated directly into travel proposals, allowing travelers to view inspiring visuals of their destination while reviewing their proposal. This not only makes travel proposals more inspiring, but also increases the likelihood that the proposal will turn into a booking.

### **Innovation at the trade fair: how AI speeds up travel proposals**

Lato's AI-driven proposal tool once again attracted a lot of interest. Thanks to AI-driven PDF import, existing documents can be automatically converted into an interactive travel app that can be edited directly by the travel agent.

Texts are translated and hotel information is flexibly added via the company's own database, the integrated bed bank, or based on the information from the original document. This means that a job that used to take hours can often be completed in just a few minutes with Lato. Travel professionals can respond faster, work more consistently, and create visually stronger proposals.

In addition to all the technological insights, ITB Berlin remained above all a valuable opportunity to meet travel professionals from all over the world and exchange ideas.

The common thread was clear: technology will continue to transform the travel world, but the human factor remains essential. With many new insights gained, the Lato team is already looking forward to the next edition.

Some notable insights from ITB Berlin 2026

**Travel professionals, tired of spending hours on proposals? Lato is here to help, and ITB Berlin thinks so too! For the second year in a row, we’ve been nominated for the Innovation Radar.**

## **ITB Innovation Radar?**

ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade fair, organizes nominations for the innovative products and services that have a technical, social or economic impact. Lato is proud to be on this radar for the second time, with our next-generation travel software!

👉 [Read the full article on ITB](https://www.itb.com/en/itb-360°/innovation-radar/itb-innovators-submissions/2026/lato.html)

## **AI-Based PDF Import as a Core Innovation**

Our **AI-powered PDF Import** turns any travel proposal into an interactive, beautifully structured travel app in minutes. But that’s not all, our **Flexible Control Over Content and Media** lets you tweak text, enhance images, and integrate hotel data from your own database, Lato’s bed bank, or from the uploaded file.

The result? Hours of manual work saved, faster responses to clients, and proposals that look polished, consistent, and professional every time.

👋 Come see it in action at **ITB Berlin | Hall 6.1, Booth 276**.

Meet founder Wout and the team, and discover how Lato helps you work smarter, not harder.

Lato nominated AGAIN at the ITB Innovation Radar

**Farewell to Umapped: What’s Next for Travel Advisors?**
With the recent news of Umapped shutting down, many travel advisors are left wondering what comes next. When the tools you’re using disappear, it’s more than just an inconvenience—it’s a disruption to your business.
For years, Umapped helped modernise the travel industry, and at Lato, we respect the role it played.

**Built by Travel Professionals, for Travel Professionals 🤝**
Lato isn’t just a tech startup—we’re travel professionals first. We’ve walked in your shoes. We’ve rebooked clients mid-trip, we’ve dealt with the chaos that comes with making travel exceptional.
We built Lato because we needed something better. An intuitive platform that could keep pace with real travel work.
We don’t answer to investors or acquisition plans. Our only priority is building the tool we wish we had ten years ago—and making it even better for you today.

**Supporting Umapped Users Through the Transition 🔄**
If you're coming from Umapped, we want the switch to be simple. We can help you migrate your data into Lato quickly and smoothly.
Whether you need technical help or just a conversation about how Lato compares to your old workflow, we’re here for you. We put together a quick [comparison page](https://www.latotravelapp.com/compare/lato-vs-umapped) to help you see how Lato stacks up against Umapped.

**Looking Ahead, Together 🚀**
To the Umapped team: thank you for helping raise the bar in travel tech.
To the advisors now looking for what’s next: Lato was built with you in mind, and it’s ready today. We’re independent, here for the long run, and backed by experience that only comes from being in the travel trenches ourselves.

We know what you need, because we’ve needed it too. We’re building Lato for exactly that reason. And most importantly, we’re not going anywhere.

Farewell to Umapped: What’s Next for Travel Advisors?

**Why Travel Experts Worldwide Are Choosing Lato**

In April, over 10 new travel companies joined Lato – the platform where travel professionals manage their entire workflow, from trip ideas to sales, all in one place. The new users come from all over the world: from Vietnam and South Africa to Australia, Nepal, and India. 🌍

**Some of the newest users include:**

Zuiderhuis (Belgium), Grey Travel (South Africa), Parallele23 (Australia), Reisstudio (Netherlands), Rural Heritage Journeys (Nepal), Voyages Flamming (Luxembourg), Go Indochine (Vietnam), Siva Travel (Greece), and Sijbrands Reizen (Netherlands).

**Stefanie Orlans from Zuiderhuis:**

“We chose Lato for its local roots but global ambition. It’s a user-friendly tool powered by the latest technology that allows us to work more efficiently and present our trips in a visually appealing way to our clients. We're looking forward to a sustainable partnership.”

**Why Lato?**

Because you can create stunning trips in just a few clicks, book hotels directly, manage tasks, and wow your clients with stylish digital travel apps – all in one streamlined platform.

**Coming Soon: Add Destination Info? Easy! 🌎**

Travel planning just got even easier. With Lato’s new feature, you can quickly add destination information – with one click from our extensive database. Descriptions and photos from the Lato content library are instantly available and easily customizable. Add extra tips and local highlights to make your trip even more personal.

**No hassle – just fast and efficient!**

Why Travel Experts Worldwide Are Choosing Lato

With Lato, you can create a beautiful, clear travel proposal in just a few clicks — it looks just like a real app. Perfect for sharing **and** attracting new clients.

### Here’s how it works:

**1️⃣ Record your screen**
Open your trip in the Lato app on your phone and record your screen as you scroll through the itinerary.

**2️⃣ Share in your Instagram Story**
Post the video in your Story and add a **link sticker**. With one click, your client can open the full trip on their phone.

**3️⃣ Clients can respond immediately**
In the app, your client can instantly leave their contact info if they’re interested. You’ll get a notification right away.

### Why it’s smart:

- It looks professional and engaging
- Clients can view it easily and quickly
- You instantly know who’s genuinely interested

💡 **Side note:** Since Lato gives you a shareable link for every trip, you can post it **anywhere** — not just Instagram, but also on your website, in an email, WhatsApp, or even on your business card. Convenient **and** strategic!

---

🎯 **Want to try it yourself?**
Start a free trial today via our website [latotravelapp.com](https://latotravelapp.com/)
📱 Or check out examples on our Instagram: [@latotravelapp](https://instagram.com/latotravelapp)

How to Easily Attract New Clients

Working productively does not always mean working harder and more. Often it's a matter of working smarter 😉 By performing tasks better and choosing the right software, you'll get more done in less time. And let that also be a win-win: you improve efficiency and boost productivity at the same time!

On June 20, we celebrate World Productivity Day 🎉 This day not only reflects on employee and employer productivity, but also promotes innovation and the sharing of success stories. Smarter work strategies improve performance and overall wellbeing. And let Lato be one of those smart work strategies.

Lato is an easy-to-use all-in-one solution that bets on efficiency and performance-based work. We can assure you: once you get used to Lato, you won't want to go back to your old way of working 😁

📚 Library: store all accommodations, excursions, photos and videos in your own Lato library and easily reuse them when creating new travel proposals.

💻 AI tools: need that one quote out the door today? Are you lacking inspiration? Ask AI to write a nice text for you.

📑 Documents: add documents such as vouchers, podcasts and videos to make the travel proposal more appealing. By the way, did you know you can also add default documents based on country?

🌍 Translate: do you want your travel proposal in another language? Click the desired language and let DeepL translate your travel proposal in a couple of seconds.

💪 Collaborate: send the travel proposal via a professional link instead of a PDF document and easily collaborate with other travel professionals.

These and many other Lato features make you do twice as much work in the same amount of time. So take action: look at your current work habits and choose continuous improvement!

Work smarter, not harder!

Do you still work with Word or PDF to send travel proposals? 🧐 Well, then it's time to digitize and deliver proposals in an innovative way! 😉

Our platform Lato offers the perfect solution to send out travel proposals in an innovative way.

📸 Videos en photos make the travel proposal more interactive and appealing.

📑 Travelers immediately have all documents at hand.

🎙️ Travelers can prepare for their trip through fun podcasts, music, videos or e-books.

📱 The entire itinerary, day by day, is fully laid out with info on transportation, activities and accommodations.

🌍 Multilingual clients? No problem, travelers can read the proposal in different languages.

❓ Is there a question? Travelers can easily contact you via chat.

Just admit it: an app like Lato is way more appealing than a Word or PDF document, right? 😊

☞ Don't hesitate any longer: start your free trial in Lato today and watch your conversion rates soar! Soon you will discover what you were missing all along! 🤩

Try out Lato for free

**Trips are planned, everything is booked and everyone is already eagerly looking forward to a satisfying vacation!**

## **Prepare your travelers**

Podcasts, music, videos … let your travelers prepare themselves for their unforgettable trip! Or add documents such as vouchers to their travel proposal. But how can you do that?

- Would you like to add the same document to each trip for a particular destination? Then add default documents at Settings. You can have these documents automatically added to all your new travel offers or linked to a specific country. This could be important travel information, e-books, e-sims or fun podcasts about the destination country.
- You can also add general documents (such as vouchers, travel information or beautiful videos) when creating a specific travel proposal.

Finally, determine in your Settings when you want the documents to be visible. So with Lato, you don't have the extra work of sending everything through again separately ;)

Ready for vacation!

**We are proud to say that Belgian tour operator Imagine has been happily using the Lato tool since December 2023. We asked some employees and CEO, Paul Ryckaseys, how Lato promotes their work. And the enthusiasm is great!**

Features like the PDF import reader and other AI tools save a lot of time. Not only do they make the tool more user-friendly, they also allow you to complete travel proposals in no time. According to Paul, the totality of the tool mainly adds great value. After all, Lato is not only a travel app, but also an offer tool to which management software is linked. The combination of everything creates an attractive and personalized end-to-end solution (videos, maps, podcasts ...) that every travel professional wants for his business.

"Once all accommodations, excursions, photos and videos are in the library, you save an enormous amount of time when preparing travel offers," employees Demi and Tine continue. In addition, Lato continues to evolve and a variety of innovative features will be added in the future to speed up that process even more.

When asked if Imagine would recommend Lato to other travel companies, a resounding “yes” sounded. According to Demi and Tine, Lato would only facilitate cooperation between travel professionals. After all, the more people who use the system, the faster the traveler receives a travel proposal and the more satisfied the customer is. "The attractive travel proposals are a huge added value to the image of our company. Unfortunately, Lato is not exclusive to Imagine," Paul joked at the end.

Tested and approved by Imagine!

**The months of July and August are just around the corner. For many, the best time of the year, not only because of the good weather, but also because of the many vacations planned. City trips, beach vacations, round trips, group tours ... Everyone is getting away from it all and looking for other places. But for the travel professional, that also means a lot of work to get all the travel proposals done in time. Now let's have the ideal solution for that at Lato!**

With Lato, you can complete twice as many travel proposals in the same amount of time. Our innovative and user-friendly tool not only saves a lot of time, it also allows you to create attractive and dynamic travel proposals. And the results are impressive: your conversion rates skyrocket.

## Why choose Lato as a travel professional?

- Use Lato's AI tools and generate great content for your travel proposal in just seconds. Not satisfied with the result? No problem! Ask AI to improve the text 😉
- Surprise your customers with attractive travel proposals by adding photos and videos. Upload fun images yourself or choose from our Unsplash and Pexels databases.
- Add documents such as vouchers and travel information. This way, travelers have all the necessary documents available immediately. And that's not all: did you know you can also add podcasts, videos, e-sims, music ...? Nothing more fun for customers than to be able to already prepare for their trip and immerse themselves in the local culture.
- Collaborate with fellow travel professionals. No more forwarding PDF documents from one travel professional to another. In Lato, you can easily collaborate on the same travel proposal through a professional link. No worries: your inserted information is never lost 🤗
- Keep all your data (such as accommodations, excursions, photos and videos) in your own library. Would you like to reuse an element in a new travel proposal? Lato automatically suggests saved elements based on location.

## What additional value does Lato give to your customers?

- Travelers can consult their travel proposal at any time. Both in the offer phase, as well as in the booking and travel phase, they have all the information at their disposal. Which activity? Where to stay overnight? Need a voucher? Lato knows the answer!
- Family and friends can follow travelers 😉 Because Lato is a web app, customers can easily forward the link of their travel proposal via social media, email or message.
- The DeepL translation feature allows travelers to access the travel proposal in their own language. Handy right?! As a travel professional, all you have to do is click the translation button and indicate the desired language.
- Travelers always have the latest version of their travel proposal. If something is updated, then as a travel professional you don't need to forward a new link. Lato automatically updates the travel app.

Say goodbye to Word and PDF, start using Lato and design creative and attractive travel proposals! *“Create, sell & organize travel in just one tool.”*

Good towards the summer vacation!

"***60% of TikTok users said they would book a trip based on the recommendations they see on the popular social medium",*****we learned at ITB last month.** **6 out of 10 people would be willing to follow the recommendations of any fellow TikTok user and simply book a trip.** **All this, while we as travel professionals work so hard on travel proposals to convince customers?!** **Sounds crazy right?** **Not so, honestly...**

## TikTok: a goldmine of travel tips

Travel inspiration is omnipresent on TikTok, and those interested in actively seeking travel tips can find a goldmine of information. The interest lies mostly in the depth of information provided:

- **Detailed information with added value**: You will not only find the best hotel, but will also find out which room is best located, which dishes from the restaurant you must definitely try, which "hidden" sights you can explore in the neighborhood... All kinds of details that you certainly won’t easily find in the average travel guide or via Google.
- **Authentic and honest:** On TikTok you get to see the *highs* and the *lows*. The *pros* and *cons* of an accommodation or excursion. You get to see the beautiful views from the top, and also the tough, sweaty climb that preceded it. Naturally, this makes the information you find on there a lot more credible.
- **Informative and even educational**: The content creators you find on TikTok aren’t limited to travelers giving tips. You will also find a lot of instructive information from official agencies that distribute educational content. Airlines, for example, give the floor to pilots who reassure people with a fear of flying.

A goldmine of reliable, detailed and authentic information. So that 60% of people who are easily convinced doesn't sound that crazy anymore, does it? It's high time that you, as a travel professional, start offering that same added value. Spoiler alert: this can be done very easily, with Lato.

## Lato: added value in a travel app

Throw those text-based travel offers in the paper basket. From now on, travel proposals are presented in a travel app. Increase your bookings exponentially thanks to the added value and depth that Lato's travel app offers your travelers. Let’s give you 5 examples:

1. No long-winded travel proposal, but still **lots of information**: add documents, weblinks or even podcasts with extra info.
2. Let your customer travel with a handful of fun **personal tips** that you pin to an interactive map. *(Goodbye Google Maps and information overdose.)*
3. Let customers **experience** the trip **virtually** beforehand thanks to the countless photos and videos featured in the travel app.
4. Give the customer **freedom of choice**. For example: add up to 3 accommodations and let the customers compare and choose for themselves.
5. Build a trip from your own photo selection, with images that are **truthful** and create the **right expectations** for the customer.

Lato takes you further

**We are back at one of Europe's biggest travel fairs!**

From March 5 to 7, a new edition of ITB Berlin will take place. Also this year, Lato will be present. Founders Kris and Wout and the rest of the team will be happy to tell you more about Lato's latest features!

Visit us in hall 6.1 at booth 268.

Will we see you in Berlin? Book your appointment [here](https://amber-latotravelapp.zohobookings.eu/#/186001000000193080)!

## Import PDFs and let AI convert

Our newest feature, the PDF import, will play an important role at the fair. Among other things, we will participate in the Innovation Radar with this feature.

What is PDF import?

Import traditional, document-based travel descriptions (Word or PDF) into Lato and let AI automatically convert them into an attractive ready-made travel proposal in just 45 seconds.

Plus, Lato picks the best photos from Unsplash and Pexels databases to make your travel proposal even more appealing!

All that's left for you to do is check and forward to the client 😉

Find out all about Lato's latest features at ITB Berlin!

Meet Lato at ITB Berlin

**Happy Valentine's Day! As we celebrate all kinds of love today, we want to zoom in on the love story between travel professionals and Lato. A love story between people and technology ... sounds peculiar, doesn't it! Then read on quickly and find out why Lato is the beloved right-hand man at work for many travel professionals!**

## Why they love Lato?

- Lato thinks with me and supports me (Jessie - travel expert).
- Creating and following up on quotes for my clients only takes half the time (Indira - travel expert).
- This is a handy, fast tool to create great quotes (Nathalie - travel expert).
- Great system. Very easy to use (Travel Meyers).

## What they like about Lato

- AI Tools: No inspiration to write a nice text about an accommodation or activity? Don't worry! Ask AI for help and get a creative and original text in no time!
- PDF import: Want to create a travel proposal even faster? Then use Lato's PDF reader! Import traditional document-based travel proposals and let AI turn them into attractive travel apps in just 45 seconds. Creating a travel proposal has never been faster!
- Library: Store accommodations, activities, text fields and images in your own Lato library and easily reuse them when creating a new travel proposal.
- Translation feature: Do you often have bilingual or multilingual clients? No problem! Create the travel proposal in your own language and then easily have it translated into the desired language by DeepL.

## Lato loves you

At Lato, we truly want the best for every travel professional, which is why we want to give YOU the chance to test Lato for free and/or learn more during a personal demo!

A love story

**Do you often get travel quotes forwarded to you from a local agent? Are you tired of entering all that information manually? Or are you just short of time and looking for a solution to make that process faster? Then look no further, because with our newest feature, you've come to the right place at Lato!**

**Ready to discover Lato's newest feature? Hold on tight! Because this is a uniquely innovative and revolutionary feature within the travel industry. No one beat us to it!**

## What did Lato already excel at?

Lato is known as a user-friendly tool that saves you a lot of time. Our integrated features such as AI tools and our Lato library allow you to do twice as much work in the same amount of time. Lato offers not only a travel app, but also an itinerary builder and management software, which ensures that you can organize the entire travel process in just one tool. But what if you could create a travel proposal in just seconds? It is with great pride that we introduce the trip reader.

## Why does the trip reader give that little extra?

With our trip reader you save a lot of time and have a ready-made trip offer at your disposal in no time. Let AI read a trip file (PDF, Word, txt) and import all the data. In seconds, Lato will automatically create a ready-made trip proposal for you. Moreover, through AI, our tool immediately selects the right photos for each place, accommodation or excursion. All that is left for you to do is to add any client or flight details, check the travel proposal and finally send it to the client. Revolutionary, don't you think!

Ready to create a travel quote in just seconds? Then quickly try Lato's newest feature now!

Revolutionary? Oh yes!

**A new year means new travel and therefore new travel trends. 2024 will be the year when the tourism industry will boom all over again. But in addition, 2024 will be the year of digitalization even more than ever. And let's be especially happy about this! Because the growing tourism industry inherently also means more work for the travel professional. Digitalization and online tools fortunately reduce mountains of work to the bare minimum. From young to old, everyone will go with the flow of digitalization. Let's take a look at the travel trends of 2024:**

## Personal & digital

Digitalization in the travel industry is and will be unimaginable. At a time when almost everything is going digital, the travel industry cannot be left behind and we are seeing a big switch from manual and paper to digital. This process goes hand in hand with personalization. With the increasing demand for personalized travel proposals, travel agents will have to become more responsive to the interests and desires of customers. To this end, Lato is the appropriate tool to work completely tailored to the customer. It allows you to make personalized and digital travel proposals. And that will pay off immediately: your conversion rates will skyrocket!

## Sustainable, more sustainable, most sustainable

With climate change and the negative effects of tourism, there is increasing demand for sustainable alternatives, such as train travel gaining popularity. Of course, traveling "differently" is not the only way to make the travel industry more sustainable. Using a travel app like Lato and switching completely to a digital environment avoids excessive paper consumption. More ecological and sustainable? Yes, you've come to the right place for that too with Lato.

## New travel formulas

2024 will also be the year when new travel formulas will emerge. Coupling a private trip with a business trip, solo travel ... you name it! Nothing is as easy as completely mapping out your trip in a digital app. This way, you always leave prepared and have all information quickly to hand.

The travel trends of 2024 show that Travel Software like Lato will become indispensable. Start the new year with a good intention and digitize with Lato!

Travel trends of 2024

**“✅ I have read and agree to the terms and conditions". Do you often check those too without actually reading anything? Oops ... so do we, and yet those terms and conditions are very important. Especially for you as a travel professional. We explain it to you.**

## **Terms & Conditions in Lato**

Travelers must physically sign the terms and conditions for them to be legally valid. We know from experience that trips are often confirmed via email, and so you don't actually have proof that the terms and conditions have actually been read ... Lato is changing that!

In Lato, travel conditions are always carrier for the confirmation of a trip. No booking without confirmation that the traveler has "read and accepted" the terms and conditions. This way, you as a travel professional are in a strong position and can invoke the terms and conditions at any time.

## **Why are general terms and conditions so important?**

You probably also know that travel terms are basically not mandatory. So why are they recommended?

- General terms and conditions bring clarity about the rights and obligations for you and your client. No discussion can arise in case of cancellation or other problems.
- If you do not have general terms and conditions, normal legislation is applied to your travel offers. This legislation is not always clear or sometimes misses important information for your specific company.

Legally okay with Lato? Read, tested and approved! It only takes one click of your time and you save yourself a lot of time and effort in case of problems! 😉

With Lato, you are legally okay!

**As enthusiastic as it was at the emergence of ChatGPT early this year, the travel industry's interest in artificial intelligence has, unfortunately, waned quite a bit. It's a shame, because many travel professionals simply can't quite grasp AI, and may even be a little afraid of it. According to Jan Peeters, author of TravMagazine, AI would actually give the travel industry an edge, especially when it comes to planning and customizing a trip. But as with the bulk of technological evolutions, artificial intelligence raises more questions than answers for now. How do you work with AI? How do you formulate assignments in ChatGPT? How do you get the desired results from it? We get it, you barely know what AI entails so you have absolutely no idea where or how to start. Fortunately, we do, and we're happy to help.**

## **Lato & AI**

With Lato, working with AI becomes simple: our tool does it for you. We keep up-to-date with the latest technological developments and integrate them into Lato. You can work with a ready-to-use, user-friendly tool. We automate processes, making it easier than ever for you to create and track travel proposals. Just think of tools that help write and improve content or tools that ensure proper framing of photos. And that's not all. Soon Lato will be able to automatically read PDFs, which will also automatically populate data in the right place. You won't say no to that, will you?

## **Give me an A (the A in AI)**

The revolutionary thing about ChatGPT is that the generative AI behind it transcends the fixed rules and patterns of traditional AI by generating completely new data that rivals human responses.

So today, numerous travel companies are already implementing that generative AI in the form of chatbots and virtual assistants that help you book a hotel or flight.

The travel industry is currently focusing mainly on automating and speeding up processes in order to replace humans with “robots” and reduce costs. To do this, we are currently mostly using the *artificial* side of AI, while *intelligence* is being pushed away.

## **Time for intelligence**

No chatbots at Lato. With Lato, as a travel agent, you maintain personal contact with your customer, while AI supports you in your daily tasks. Lato automates your tasks, so you can focus on adding value for your customers.

This gives you extra time to make the artificial output in Lato even stronger with your personal (and intelligent) touch. Because it is wrong to think that AI will completely take over your work. Rather, AI will cause your job to change, shifting your human focus from “creation” to “personalization” and “service”.

The goal is never for AI to completely take over. The goal is just to give you as a travel agent even more time to focus on the human aspect and provide excellent service. AI can be a big help in that though by collecting data and making suggestions.

Nobody knows what the future will bring in our constantly evolving travel industry. The only certainty we have is that staying up-to-date and surfing the waves of technological developments is essential, as Jan Peeters also clearly points out: “It is therefore essential for the travel sector to be the first to have the best and latest technology at its disposal, in order to be able to make quotes faster, to be able to design itineraries in a matter of seconds and to be able to intervene and communicate immediately with clients in crisis situations.” It all seems like a lot at once, but with Lato, your future as a travel professional is self-evident.

Source:

Article TravMagazine, "The Point of Peeters, About A.I."

The intelligence of the artificial

**Don't you agree that travel quotes are often very boring? You get them forwarded to you in a Word or PDF file, with only text and no pictures. Doesn't exactly make you want to pack your bags now, does it? Thankfully, with Lato's image library, that's a thing of the past. Nothing like being able to pimp your travel proposals with attractive photos to get your clients excited about their unforgettable trip!**

## Lato's library

Lato allows you to create your own library. Here you can not only store excursions, accommodations and text fields, but also create your own image library. This allows you to tailor an entire trip to the customer's needs and already give them a first impression through telling photos.

## Add fun photos

Lato allows you to save photos in the library as well as during the creation of the trip itself. Have a little time and want to do preliminary work for your next travel quotes? Open Lato's library and start adding new photos to use on subsequent trips. Still not that much time, but want to use nice photos in your travel quote? Then add the photos directly while creating your trip. Moreover, Lato suggests photos if you don't have any yourself of a particular destination, excursion or accommodation. Another fun fact: through its AI system, Lato always chooses the correct framing of each photo/video.

## Sort photos by location

Save your pictures in the library by location. This way, Lato automatically suggests the right photo in the right place.

Make your customers go on a trip right away with Lato's attractive and interactive travel proposals!

Say it with images

**What is at least as much fun as traveling? The prospect of a trip! Planning should be an exciting and inspiring experience, even when you leave organizing your dream trip to professionals. These days, the travel agent's job is not only to bombard clients with technical formalities, but also to get them as excited as possible for their departure. Not an easy task, but with Lato this becomes almost effortless. Because in addition to a quotation tool and a trip planner, Lato also acts as the ideal dream booster. Using podcasts, videos and photos and personal points of interest, you boost usability and bring a travel proposal to life in no time.**

## Podcasts: Travel stories brought to life

Adding podcasts makes planning a trip not only easier, but more fun. Whether it's an exciting adventure in the jungle or a relaxing beach vacation, podcasts take listeners into a story. Inspire travelers with existing podcasts or just record one yourself, we're happy to leave the creative interpretation up to you.

## Photos & Videos: A visual preview

Images say more than words, cliché but 100% true. You can describe an experience so beautifully, but powerful visualizations will convince someone faster. Not only that: the integration of photos and videos in Lato give travelers a virtual tour of various destinations. This gives them a taste of what awaits them and the excitement about their future trip can begin.

## Travel documents: Plan like a pro

To make the planning process as smooth as possible, Lato also has the ability to add and manage travel documents, such as flight schedules, hotel reservations and insurance, gathered in one convenient location. With this, save your clients time and stress both during and before travel.

## Points of interest: A personalized travel guide

Leave the fun preparation work to your clients with the help of your handy tips & tricks. Whether it's a must try restaurant, a hidden waterfall or a trendy rooftop bar, with Lato's integrated Points of Interest library, you'll give your travelers a personalized travel guide for the road.

Start using Lato today and boost your usability!

Lato tips: World Usability Day

**As we all know, the travel industry often differs greatly from other businesses. For example, with us, every customer goes home with a different product. Whether you offer customized trips or fixed packages: each travel company is different and requires specific adjustments. Moreover, if you want to actually sell a trip, your communication must also be personal and above all fast. So a system in which you can keep track of all this customer-specific information and easily follow up on the status of offers is not just a nice-to-have, but an essential must-have in the travel sector!**

For this reason, we at Lato decided to develop our own CRM system, built specifically for the niche requirements of the travel sector. This latest feature is fully in line with our main goal of enabling travel professionals to work within one single platform, in addition to also being the first step towards the development of Lato’s own ERP system for business management.

No matter how you look at it, selling is the priority of every company. Broadly speaking, a CRM system helps you better guide the customers through the buying process and ultimately sell more. We are happy to explain how you can optimize your sales processes with Lato:

**Store and manage your customer data in one central location**

Gather all your clients’ data in Lato, so that it is available to the entire team. In this way, you can follow up on travel offers smoothly, easily respond to specific requirements and also help your colleagues’ customers just as quickly.

**Maintain your relationships with customers**

Thanks to the personal data in Lato, you can always contact the customer in a very personal way. At the end of the ride you will have more satisfied and returning customers, which will boost your sales statistics.

In Lato’s CRM you simply start with entering the contact details of a lead and you end up with a happy customer who can mean a lot to you in the future as a returning customer, or who knows even as a brand ambassador! Sell faster and more with Lato. Test it now for free.

From Lead to Happy Customer

**Today is Improve Your Office Day, a day to reflect on the way you work, and think about how you can boost your productivity. At Lato, we are constantly committed to improving the work processes of travel professionals, so we would like to take the opportunity to share our tips.**

**1. Invest in technology**

With Lato you create travel proposals much faster. Several AI integrations automate your daily tasks: generate transcriptions, translate content, find appropriate images and more. Work even faster by reusing ready-made travel elements from a convenient library.

## **2. Prioritize your strengths**

With the right tools you can focus on the tasks you are good at. Thanks to Lato, travel professionals can focus on creating content-rich itineraries, while AI features automate administrative and repetitive tasks to present the final proposal beautifully in a travel app.

**3. Collaboration becomes one big party**

Collaborating with colleagues in Lato is so intuitive and easy that working becomes a true pleasure. Inspire each other with sample trips and easily reuse elements. Moreover, the positive feedback you get from your customers who receive the Lato travel app will give you a boost anyway!

In short, with Lato you completely change the way you work as a travel professional: you save time, focus on your own strengths and discover the benefits of collaboration. Improve YOUR office and start using Lato today!

Improve Your Office Day

**The house spider has found its way back into your bathtub, blankets are being pulled out of the closet massively and the days are getting noticeably shorter: autumn is officially in the country. And as the leaves begin to swirl down, Halloween is approaching fast. Have you figured out yet how you’re going to dress up this year? Perhaps as ChatGPT, the grim, unpredictable giant who has rocked our world this past year. Or is it time to face our fear of artificial intelligence and maybe even discover its joys? At Lato, we’ve been doing this thought exercise ourselves. Spoiler alert: by integrating AI software in our quote tool, making enticing travel offers has become as easy as choosing your favorite Halloween costume.**

**A timid beginning with revolutionary potential**

As Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, rightly noted last week at software giant Salesforce’s annual conference, many people underestimate the true potential of AI and ChatGPT. Altman believes that what we have seen so far is only a timid beginning of what is yet to come. While most people are already impressed by ChatGPT’s possibilities, he suggests that this is just the tip of the iceberg. One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to AI is assuming that we have already reached the peak of its capabilities, when in reality AI, like the Internet, will continue to seep into all layers of human life and businesses.

The integration of AI and ChatGBT in Lato has already proven to be a game-changer in the travel proposal creation process. AI’s ability to understand user input and generate relevant content, all in an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly design, has already saved the travel agent a lot of time. What was once a tough task, can now be accomplished with ease, allowing travel professionals to focus more on customer relationships.

**The best is yet to come**

What is crucial is to recognize that what seems impossible now, will become possible in the near future. The continued growth of AI and ChatGPT will undoubtedly lead to even more impressive improvements in tools like Lato. More than that, the integration of AI will in no time go beyond content generation and design suggestions to possibly include intelligent automation, data analysis and personalized recommendations. Ready to let artificial intelligence create your dream vacation? We guarantee there will be no ghosts or ghouls involved.

And at Lato, too, we are anything but standing still. We are happy to welcoming two extra strong profiles to our professional team. Together, we are responsible for perfecting the quotation process and optimizing your conversion. With some exciting developments on the horizon, it is safe to say: the best is yet to come!

Sources

Article Trends Knack 9/15/2023 “Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI: ‘Sooner or later we will discover something that scares the crap out of us’”

Travel professionals and OpenAI: Friends or Enemies?

**The sales phase is one of the biggest challenges in the travel industry. A simple/awesome travel description with typical/speaking stock photos is no longer enough to convince customers of a travel proposal. The modern customer demands more. Fortunately, thanks to current technologies, we are already able to offer customers a taste of the travel experience. With such a virtual experience, you establish an emotional connection and ensure that the customer longs for the real experience of the trip and … therefore books faster.**

The importance of betting on experience was recently confirmed by Google. The company recently announced quite a few innovations, including the integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT functionalities. What particularly caught our eye is that Google is now also relying on social media content to answer user questions. Why? The visual aspect of posts on social media appeals. Photos and videos ensure that the customer gets an answer, and can “experience” it right away.

However, you don’t have to be a technological giant to pull off this immersive revolution. At Lato, too, the experience is key. With our cutting-edge travel app, we aim to create immersive travel proposals, which in turn play an important role in the sales process. The combination of photos, inspiring videos and captivating travel stories in one digital app makes the trip come to life virtually from the proposal. The sense of curiosity and desire for the real trip also makes customers book faster.

As a travel professional, do you also want to enhance your customers’ experience and cash in more bookings? Then you’ve come to the right place at Lato. With the visually appealing travel app, you offer excellent experience and customer service before, during and after the trip thanks to the latest technologies. Lato is the all-in-one solution that exceeds every customer expectation. Try Lato for free and find out for yourself.

Bet on the travel experience beforehand and sell more

**It’s that time of year again … The paper race to summer vacation has begun. You’re stuck in an endless stream of writing out travel summaries, generating PDF documents, collecting vouchers and stuffing envelopes, while the printer falters incessantly in the background. Recognizable? Then it’s high time for a change.**

Switch to Lato and create your travel documents in a whole new way this summer. Offer your customers all the information they need in one convenient travel app. Save time and make a lasting impression on your customers.

- **Deliver the travel overview in a convenient travel app:** through the app, your customers always have their travel documents at hand, readily available on their phones in an interactive environment with your logo and contact information.
- **Work faster thanks to convenient features:** With Lato you fill your own photo, hotel and excursion libraries. Duplicate trips, reuse elements and create new trip overviews in no time.
- **Offer next-level customer service:** Communicate easily and quickly with your customers via the integrated chat function in the app. Answer questions, give advice and excel with your personal touch.
- **Share personal tips:** Add points of interest to the map, such as attractions and restaurants, tested and approved by you.
- **Leave a lasting positive impression:** Thanks to the convenient link to the web app, customers can share their trip with family and friends who like to follow along. This is how you impress your clients and their social circle … great word-of-mouth advertising for your travel agency.

With Lato, change the way your travel agency works: save time, provide excellent service and let your customers enjoy a seamless travel experience. Switch to Lato today and make an unforgettable impression this summer with a personalized travel app.

Adios paper storm, Hello Lato-summer

**Expedia just launched a chatbot that works with ChatGPT to help travelers plan and book a trip: the robot travel professional is born. Not great news for us human beings, would you think? At Lato, we prefer to look at such technological evolutions positively. In fact, we were already ahead of Expedia …**

What if we told you that Lato integrated ChatGPT some time ago, and so you, as a travel professional, can just use that robot as an assistant?

Copying and translating travel quotes, finding, saving and adding images, describing hotels and activities … These repetitive and administrative tasks take up hours of your time every day. With Lato, you get a virtual pair of hands that perform these tasks for you in no time. In that way, you can spend those hours of valuable time doing what really matters: creating human added value.

Your personal travel advice will win out over a robot anyway, but while you are now slaving over one travel proposal, that robot already has countless ready-made ones. So it’s high time to shift up a gear yourself, with the help of Lato. Not only will you work much faster, you will also have extra time to add a personal touch and to build a relationship with your customer. Focus on your human qualities, because in the end, quality wins over quantity.

So leave the “dirty” work to those robots and use your extra time to add value as a human being. Pamper your customers with excellent service, thanks to Lato.

The robot travel professional is born

After three long years, we were finally able to share in the ITB Berlin joy once again. Lato gathered together with more than ninety thousand fellow travel professionals in an unseen colorful “Messe” for yet another top edition. What struck us most? The exuberant atmosphere and the determination among colleagues to innovate the travel industry. “The number of enthusiastic responses we received to the integration of ChatGPT and DeepL in Lato is truly enormous.”

Not only in the media, but also at ITB Berlin, ChatGPT was a major topic of conversation. Webinars, demos, brainstorming sessions … The travel industry really does seem ready for a new wind of innovation. Travel professionals who had already heard of artificial intelligence but were still unsure what it could mean for their business, could experience it firsthand at Lato’s booth. “The bewilderment amongst visitors who saw how Lato allows you to generate, translate, share and duplicate a travel proposal at the touch of a button is very contagious”, says co-founder Wout Klingele. “We are delighted to see our enthusiasm confirmed with everyone.”

Incidentally, the Lato team ranked high on the ITB Innovation Radar, a nice recognition that was also noted by some leading experts. For example, according to Breaking Travel News, Lato is the ideal tool for creating and exchanging travel products. Hospitality Net compliments the user-friendliness and attractive design of the travel app. “At Lato, we welcome any kind of feedback as this is the only way we can continue to grow. The engaging interactions at ITB give us the energy and motivation to continue developing innovative technology solutions for the travel industry.”

Lato looks back at ITB Berlin

**In early March, the global travel industry is gathering back in Berlin for the world’s largest travel trade fair. This year’s theme is mastering transformation, or change.**

## **MASTERING TRANSFORMATION**

The travel industry faces many challenges in the coming years. Covid set the tone, already committing us to change. That transformation process will not slow down in 2023. So it is a matter of being with the trends, having a good perspective of the future and changing in the right direction in a timely manner.

## **ITB INNOVATION RADAR**

For that reason, ITB founded this year the Innovation Radar. With their eyes firmly fixed on the future, they highlight innovative products and services that have a technical, social or economic impact. Lato is proud to be on this radar.

## **LATO?!**

Lato is a tool in which travel professionals can design and sell travel proposals. The final result is an engaging travel app that enhances the traveler’s experience.

## **INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION**

Lato allows travel professionals to collaborate and inspire each other by sharing sample trips and elements that can be reused easily. To further optimize collaboration between multiple travel professionals, a DeepL translation feature was recently implemented that translates entire travel programs in seconds.

## **ALONG WITH THE TRENDS: AI**

Lato closely follows the latest technologies and has added many new features in recent months. For example, we also jumped on the ChatGPT train to automatically generate data within the platform. Furthermore, Lato is currently working on a PDF reading feature that will allow travel professionals to convert a PDF document in any language into a travel app. The AI adventure does not end here. Lato is already working with AI to automate the process of creating and selling travel proposals as much as possible and will continue to do so in the future.

**MEET LATO AT ITB BERLIN**

Find Lato at booth 128 in hall 6.1, completely in the theme of travel technology. Visit the booth and meet founders Wout & Kris and the whole team.

Lato at the ITB Innovation Radar

Just do the test: as a travel professional, the Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V buttons on your keyboard are undoubtedly completely worn out from frequent use. Copying travel proposals, cutting and pasting text into a template with your logo on it, we all know how it goes. Unfortunately, most travel professionals don't yet realize how much time they are losing with this, because so far there is no alternative method. So imagine what an integrated quotation tool, where everyone works together, will mean for the travel industry.

## 1 digital platform

Enter: Lato, a digital platform in which all travel data is collected in a user-friendly and visually appealing display. From the local agent to the travel agent, you upload and edit every travel proposal in Lato without any copy and paste. Customer and realtime flight data, accommodations, excursions and vouchers are also added to the personalized travel proposal in no-time.

## Lato library

And that's not all. All travel data created by yourself or your suppliers are stored in the Lato library, a structured database from which you can draw endless travel inspiration. In a minimum of time you can retrieve, modify and fine-tune offers, including the travel order. Again: without any copy and paste.

## Travel translation

We make it our mission never to copy-paste again. Not even to translate foreign-language travel proposals. Because at Lato, we have an integrated translation tool for that. Revolutionary, right?

Stop with cut, copy & paste... Don't let your time go to waste!

**Travel professionals are loyal people: loyal to the customer, loyal to the destination, loyal to the supplier and loyal to the... pdf. Against our better judgment, we cling to our pdf loyalty, even though it threatens to neglect other partnerships. Those who still spend hours copying and pasting travel proposals will undoubtedly be passed over in the future.**

### **MOVE OVER, PDF**

Enters: Lato, the product of a unique collaboration between a handful of frustrated PDF users and software engineers. Frustrated, because there are still too many local agents, tour operators, travel organizers and travel agents who each separately prepare the same travel offer for the same customer. And on top of that, each in their own language. At Lato, we are convinced that this process can be made more efficient. By aggregating travel data from every travel professional in the chain into 1 online tool, not only will you save time maintaining your client relationships, but sending that outdated pdf back and forth is finally a thing of the past.

### **THE LATO GENERATION**

What if we told you that the pdf is not the end of the digital age? Although it has already eased the administrative work for the travel professional in recent years, at Lato we see the many IT possibilities and the room for improvement. And besides a conversion optimization tool for your travel offers, Lato of course remains a user-friendly and visually appealing Travel app for every user in the chain. In short, an interesting new player that marks the end of the pdf generation.

Does Lato mark the end of the pdf generation?

**Hard times await us. Between high energy prices, rising inflation and wage indexations, our financial worries have gone way up. We are facing rising costs more than ever, and yet we recommend that you invest right now …**

### **Invest, because that brings on**

Getting rising costs under control also means reviewing your strategies for the coming months and even years. Don’t just think about cutting costs, but more importantly making the right choices. Choose more revenue and invest in IT … as soon as possible.

It makes no sense to wait for better times and lower costs. Instead, fight those high bills with a meaningful investment that increases your employees’ productivity in the short term.

### **Optimize your processes**

International research previously confirmed that technological acceleration is coming, especially in the area of process optimization. So prepare for the future by investing now in technology that optimizes your business operations.

First, map out your business operations. Find out what processes your employees go through, and where there is room for optimization. Then you can look at what tools fit those needs.

### **Make time for change, with the right people**

Give a few guinea pigs a chance to get started with the new tools. Make a conscious choice for “early adopters” who are open to innovation. In time, they will also convince other colleagues of the new, optimized way of working and thus lift company productivity to a higher level.

### **Travel professionals, Lato is definitely an answer**

Invest in Lato and increase not only your productivity, but also your customer satisfaction and therefore, in the long run, your revenues.

In the travel industry, partners work together all the time, but in different systems, which creates a lot of duplication of effort. Lato is a tool in which travel professionals collaborate from the design of the travel quote, to the sales and final experience of the trip in the travel app. Moreover, the tool contains a library with travel elements, samples and sample trips that you can constantly reuse. So you create travel proposals much faster, and you can present them to your customers in a visually attractive way. The final trip is then guaranteed to go very smoothly, because the customer has all the practical information in his or her pocket in the travel app.

#### Sources

*Article De Tijd 3/16/2022 “No more endless stream of emails”*

*Article De Tijd 11/7/2022 “Investing in IT is not a cost, it just brings in money”*

Invest in the future and overcome difficult times

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