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Global Searches for Premium Class Flights Double as Travellers Prioritise Comfort and Personalised Journeys

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Custom tour bookings surge 600% as demand grows for exclusive and tailored experiencesPlatinum Luxury Hotel bookings rise as travellers place greater value on wellness and privacy

SINGAPORE, Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Travel has become a top priority for many today, with 7 in 10 Millennials and Gen Zs saying that travel is a ‘non-negotiable’ expense, based on a 2026 AMEX Global Travel Trends Report. Not just that, people are increasingly splurging on trips, from live entertainment to personalised experiences. Research from the UK found that holidays, festivals, concerts and wellness top the 2026 wishlist as people swap big-ticket purchases for memorable experiences.

Trip.com’s latest data tells the same story: high-end travel is booming like never before. Global searches for first and business class flights on Trip.com jumped by 99% year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of 2026, while 5-star hotel searches grew by 57% YoY.

What this translates into is a growing demand for premium travel options that are highly customisable and once-in-a-lifetime moments that make a trip unforgettable.

Premium Travel Redefined: Personalised and Unforgettable Experiences

Holidays are no longer just about getting out of a country but a way to experience life differently. Travellers are increasingly looking for memorable experiences that are fully catered to their needs and preferences. Custom tours on Trip.com, where users are able to chat with a travel expert and book a tour fully tailored to their requests, have seen bookings surged by over 600% YoY globally. The largest demand is coming from Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, which is seeing some of the fastest growth in affluent travellers in the region[1].

Among Trip.com’s top two highest membership reward tiers, known as Black Diamond and Diamond+ members, custom tours are also one of the fastest-growing product lines, suggesting a shift in demand towards customised itineraries and bespoke experiences as travellers spend more on their trips[2]. Recognising this need, Trip.com offers Black Diamond members access to a dedicated 24/7 relations management team, allowing deeper personalisation and seamless service that caters to their preferences.

Beyond tailored experiences, live entertainment has emerged as a top reason for people to splurge on trips, as travellers seek unforgettable moments. 63% of Asia Pacific travellers have already crossed borders for concerts, and 66% are willing to go abroad for one, based on data from Trip.com Group. Identifying this demand, Trip.com Group has launched integrated offerings that combine concert tickets, accommodation, transportation and local attractions into one-stop packages, and this resulted in triple-digit growth in 2025. From front row seats to a sellout K-pop concert to the exclusive thrill of the F1 Paddock, live entertainment is fast becoming the motivating factor for travellers to book and spend more on their next trip.

Focus on Privacy and Wellness as Luxury Retreat Bookings Rise

For many high-end travellers, wellness and privacy are essential on any trip. Reports show that worldwide searches for “luxury” and “best spas” went up by 170%, reflecting an increased focus on wellness and relaxation as travellers seek premium experiences[3]. Luxury retreats, such as Aman Tokyo, known for its panoramic views and zen vibes, and Cheval Blanc Randheli Maldives, praised for its serene environment and private pools, are some of the top-ranked hotels featured on Trip.Best’s Top Luxury Hotels list, Trip.com’s collection of data-backed travel recommendations.

Meanwhile, global bookings for “Platinum Luxury Hotels” on Trip.com rose in the first half of this year, with interest concentrating on hotels in Mainland China and Southeast Asia, and reflecting a growing preference for high-quality stays in this region. For instance, bookings for Platinum Luxury Hotels in the Minamitsuru District in Japan, an area known for iconic Mount Fuji views and serene lakeside resorts, saw a three-digit YoY jump[4].

In particular, Mainland China has emerged as a popular destination for premium stays at comparatively lower prices. Novotel Shanghai Clover in Shanghai, one of the most popular 5-star properties in China booked by international travellers in the second half of this year, costs about USD 126 per night, making Mainland China a go-to destination for many holidaymakers seeking high-end experiences but at more affordable prices. Travellers from Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong have picked up on this trend, forming the largest overseas source markets for quality stays in China[5].

Premium Travellers are Going Further and for Longer

Most premium travellers are not constrained by seasonality nor budget, making them frequent travellers whether for work or for leisure. Black Diamond members make almost twenty times the number of bookings compared to the average member, suggesting that many high-end travellers are frequent travellers all year round[6].

Premium travellers are not just frequent travellers, they are also choosing longer-distance destinations and extending their stays. International travellers flying first or business class are expected to spend at least 14 days overseas each trip, close to 40% more than the average traveller. This stretches to as long as 20 days when it comes to European premium travellers, based on Trip.com data.

In addition, more than 4 in 10 of first and business class flights booked globally in the second half of this year are long-haul flights, indicating a strong preference for long-distance destinations when it comes to high-end travellers. Japan is a destination that premium travellers frequent, with four out of the top 10 most-booked 5-star hotels globally located there, while the Tokyo to Sapporo flight route is also the top-selling first class flight route[7]. Similarly, booking patterns among Black Diamond and Diamond+ members reflect a preference for long-haul destinations, and in particular, Western countries such as Australia, the UK, and the US. Japan stands out as a high-frequency repeat destination as well[8].

Millennials and Gen X Lead Demand for High-End Experiences

Premium travellers today comprise largely of the Millennials and Gen X, signalling a higher-placed value on elevated, comfortable and bespoke travel experiences among these age groups. Close to 1 in 2 international travellers who booked 5-star hotels in the second half of this year are aged 35-49 years old, who also form the largest majority of first and business class flight bookings, based on Trip.com data[9]. A similar trend is observed across various regions, and also among the higher tiers of Trip members, suggesting that Millennials and Gen X worldwide are eager to spend on quality experiences when they travel.

In recent years, demand for senior travel has also grown. With spending power three times that of younger travellers, many affluent and active seniors are increasingly looking to explore and spend on quality travel. Gross hotel bookings for Old Friends Club, an initiative launched by Trip.com Group to cater exclusive products for users aged 50 and above, increased by over 100% YoY in the first quarter of this year, reflecting rising demand for more personalised and experience-oriented travel offerings among seniors.

AI features on Trip.com, such as Trip.Planner, also allow users to cater their itineraries and recommendations based on their preferences and travel group types across age, lifestyles and comfort level.

Luxury travellers today are not merely seeking opulence, but a one-of-a-kind experience that goes beyond everyday moments. From impactful experiences like attending a live concert to quiet exclusivity, the premium travel experience is one that is seamless, end-to-end and ultra-personalised.

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a global travel service provider comprising Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group is on the mission “to pursue the perfect trip for a better world”. Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.

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[1] Based on Trip.com data from 1 January to 30 June 2026

[2] Based on Trip.com Group data since September 2025

[3] Based on data from Trip.com Group’s “Why Travel?” Report

[4] Based on Trip.com data from 1 January to 30 June 2026

[5] Based on Trip.com data from 1 July to 31 December 2026

[6] Based on Trip.com Group data since September 2025

[7] Based on Trip.com data from 1 July to 31 December 2026

[8] Based on Trip.com Group data since September 2025

[9] Based on Trip.com data from 1 July to 31 December 2026

 

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USI Launches AI Smart Camera Solution to Accelerate Smart Manufacturing

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NANTOU, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — USI today announced its next-generation AI Smart Camera solution, a comprehensive edge AI and vision platform that empowers manufacturers to accelerate digital transformation through AI-driven quality inspection, process automation, logistics optimization, and smart factory initiatives.

Moving beyond conventional camera hardware, USI’s AI Smart Camera integrates a high-performance, low-power edge computing platform, high-resolution imaging technology, and proprietary AI vision software to deliver real-time image analysis and actionable insights at the edge. Designed for modern manufacturing environments, the solution enables automated inspection, early defect detection, and faster, more consistent quality decisions. By reducing inspection costs, improving production efficiency, and enhancing product quality, it helps manufacturers accelerate their transition toward smarter and more autonomous production operations.

For manufacturers, the journey to AI-powered vision extends beyond object detection and defect identification. Success depends on turning AI from a proof-of-concept project into a production-ready solution that delivers consistent performance, scales efficiently, and seamlessly adapts to evolving manufacturing requirements.

USI addresses this challenge with an integrated AI Smart Camera platform that supports the complete AI development lifecycle—from data collection and dataset generation to model training and deployment. Its no-code/low-code AI model training platform further simplifies development, enabling customers to develop and deploy vision applications with greater efficiency and less dependence on specialized AI expertise.

Key features of USI AI Smart Camera include:

Real-Time Edge AI Processing: Performs image analysis and AI inference at the edge, enabling fast visual decisions and timely responses without relying solely on centralized computing.High-Quality Imaging for Industrial Inspection: Combines a high-resolution, low-lux-capable camera module with powerful Edge AI computing to support demanding inspection and machine vision applications.Faster AI Deployment: Integrates hardware, embedded software, and AI vision development tools into a production-ready platform, helping customers shorten development cycles and accelerate the transition from proof of concept to production.Flexible AI Vision Applications: Supports object detection, defect identification, OCR, key-part positioning and tracking, assembly verification, product classification, and operation behavior detection and analysis.Seamless Integration with Industrial Environments: Ruggedized design with industrial-grade interfaces, including Ethernet, Power over Ethernet (PoE), HDMI, and MicroSD, ensuring seamless compatibility with existing equipment, machine vision systems, and automation platforms.

By automating visual inspection and defect identification, the AI Smart Camera can reduce reliance on manual QA operations while improving inspection consistency. Its real-time visual intelligence can also provide actionable data to help manufacturers quickly identify process deviations, reduce defect rates, and lower production costs. The platform can further serve as an intelligent visual decision layer for automated production, providing real-time visual guidance and feedback to robotic systems. This enables manufacturers to move beyond inspection automation toward more responsive and autonomous production processes.

“Demand for AI-powered vision applications is growing rapidly across the manufacturing sector. Today’s manufacturers are seeking more than just camera hardware. They need complete, end-to-end solutions that can be deployed quickly and deliver measurable business value,” said Justin Chang, Director of the Vertical Mobility Solution Center at USI. “By combining advanced Edge AI capabilities with our integrated vision platform, we enable customers to accelerate the adoption of smart manufacturing, quality inspection, and industrial automation applications. Our solution helps bring AI from proof of concept to production faster and more efficiently.”

As a global ODM partner, USI combines expertise in product design, manufacturing, and Edge AI integration to deliver complete solutions tailored to customer requirements. The AI Smart Camera is already deployed within USI’s own manufacturing operations, providing a production-proven reference platform for industrial AI vision applications.

Building on this experience, USI can customize AI vision solutions around customers’ specific production environments and business requirements, helping shorten development time, reduce implementation risks, and accelerate their smart manufacturing journey.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/usi-launches-ai-smart-camera-solution-to-accelerate-smart-manufacturing-302871089.html

SOURCE USI

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Media’s future tense in AI-driven world

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BEIJING, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This is an op-ed from China Daily.

Philip K. Dick’s 1969 novel Ubik imagined a door that demands payment before opening — a fantasy then, but eerily prescient in today’s AI-driven world. While Elon Musk predicts AI will bring global abundance, for traditional media that abundance has already arrived — with devastating consequences.

The question is no longer whether AI changes media, but what role professional journalism can play when information is plentiful, yet truth, context and reality grow scarce.

Dick’s own life — overlooked, depressed and penniless — belied his extraordinary foresight. In The Man in the High Castle, he imagined alternate realities. Today, personalized algorithms, misinformation and AI-generated content make such alternate realities all too real.

Yet Dick’s vision also offers hope through an unexpected link with the ancient Chinese I Ching (Book of Changes). Both suggest reality is not fixed, but a pattern of ever-shifting possibilities. The I Ching asks not “What will happen?” but “What situation am I in, and how should I respond to its changing pattern?” That, arguably, is precisely the role media must adopt in the AI age: providing orientation, credibility and meaning when information itself has lost its scarcity and economic value.

Not all sci-fi is dystopian. Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics embodied faith that humans could impose rules on technology — yet today’s AI race is far more complex. Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek imagined a moneyless, post-scarcity civilization; AI may be bringing that closer, just as Google’s free search and maps once upended the world.

So where does this leave traditional media? In a Dickian dystopia, media could become a modern-day I Ching — helping people navigate uncertainty, distinguish illusion from reality, and make informed choices when no single truth prevails. In a Roddenberry-esque future, media could guide humanity on how to live wisely with AI-driven abundance.

The practical challenge remains: financing itself in the first scenario and inspiring itself in the second. As Dick warned in The Man in the High Castle, humanity’s “destiny lies in the hands of a few men.” We can only hope some of them are traditional media editors.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/medias-future-tense-in-ai-driven-world-302871740.html

SOURCE China Daily

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New agentic AI platform sounds death knell for manual presentation tools

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Sembly AI launches Sembly 3.0 in biggest evolution since 2019

SYDNEY, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Sembly AI launches Sembly 3.0, an agentic AI platform that transforms an organisation’s documents, meetings, and CRM content into finished, fully branded presentations, proposals, case studies and reports in minutes in over 45 languages.

The launch marks the company’s biggest evolution since it was founded in 2019, repositioning Sembly as an “AI execution layer” for businesses. It turns everyday business knowledge into the finished materials companies use to sell, deliver and communicate.

Users simply need to specify their goal (eg, “Sell my services”) and the client’s website, then watch Sembly get to work: pulling information from business materials, deriving appropriate branding, researching the customer, and producing a bespoke on-brand pitch deck.

“Prompts make people think about how to talk to AI. But dialogue lets them focus on what they want to accomplish,” said Gil Makleff, CEO and co-founder of Sembly AI. “That makes creating business documents faster and more efficient, turning time saved into real business impact.”

“Manually creating presentations is a thing of the past,” said Artem Koren, Chief Product & Technology Officer and co-founder of Sembly AI. “Business materials are the substrate of decision-making: they are how companies communicate, persuade and decide. Sembly 3.0 changes how they are made entirely.”

“Your customers want to hear how you serve them in their specific world and their specific situation, and Sembly makes that possible for every customer,” Koren added. “With Sembly 3.0, your results are as good as how clearly you can state your goal. That’s all you’re limited by.”

Early users of Sembly 3.0 report saving two to three weeks of work on reports and presentations that traditionally pass through multiple hands before they are delivery-ready.

Heorhii Tulchyi, Chief Technology Officer at market research company, Bell & Holmes, is one of those early users of Sembly 3.0.

He said: “Sembly has fundamentally changed how I prepare presentations and client communications. It has saved my team and me weeks of work and dramatically accelerated how we turn ideas and information into polished deliverables. I haven’t seen anything else on the market quite like it.”

Sembly 3.0 is available from today at www.sembly.ai.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/new-agentic-ai-platform-sounds-death-knell-for-manual-presentation-tools-302870013.html

SOURCE Sembly AI

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