Abode Worldwide’s Founder and CEO, Jessica Gillingham, was featured in the Travolution Innovation Report 2025, where she shared insights from her book Tech-Enabled Hospitality about how the industry can embrace technology without losing its human core.
Jessica’s key message is clear: mindset, not money, determines whether brands thrive or fall behind. The most successful operators see technology as a strategic asset, not a cost line. They use it to enhance efficiency, remove friction and deliver hospitality more consistently. Those who hesitate or adopt tools piecemeal risk falling behind as the pace of change accelerates.
In the interview, Jessica explains that while technology has transformed how we book, stay and engage, hospitality remains a deeply human industry. “Technology isn’t a replacement for care,” she says, “it’s a foundation for delivering hospitality more consistently.” Operators that align systems, data and service around this idea will set a new standard for guest experience in the years ahead.
Looking to 2026, Jessica predicts the rise of agentic AI—intelligent systems that will take action autonomously to optimize pricing, communication and operations. At the same time, the boundaries between hotels, flex rentals and serviced living will continue to blur, powered by data and driven by guest expectations for seamless, personalized journeys.
You can read the full interview in the Travolution Innovation Report 2025. Download your copy here
Learn more about how Abode Worldwide helps STR and hospitality tech brands build visibility, credibility and category authority in a rapidly changing market.
