PIXI unveils AI platform to transform luxury travel content

PIXI has launched a new AI-powered content platform aimed at supporting professionals within the luxury travel trade, including hotels, resorts, destination management companies (DMCs), and travel advisors.

The platform is positioned as an industry-specific solution for the discovery, curation, and sharing of visual content, and is already in use by a range of hotel groups and travel designers across multiple markets.

Addressing industry challenges

The expansion of independent contractor models within the travel trade, coupled with increasing competition from online travel agents (OTAs) and influencer-driven marketing, has led to calls for more effective tools for travel sellers. PIXI seeks to address these needs by offering instant access to branded content assets, enhanced visual search capabilities, and secure asset management within a single interface.

Emma Squire, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, commented on the limitations of current industry practices.

"We have the most aspirational and sexy content of any industry, but it mostly sits in every hotel's cloud or under lock and key in a media gallery. It's a totally outdated way of marketing your product. It's like designing a haute couture dress just to leave it in a cupboard in your back room. PIXI is the catwalk of the industry, an opportunity for brands to tell their story, showcase their brand, and be discoverable by the global trade that sells them," Squire said.

"Think Dropbox and Pinterest for luxury travel, but smarter, safer, and actually built for the industry. PIXI is the ultimate visual search engine for the travel industry, making hotels, resorts, and suppliers instantly discoverable and marketable through their content," Alan Ball, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, stated, describing the platform further.

Gary Mudie, Chief Product and Technology Officer, addressed the technological drivers behind PIXI.

"As OTAs and influencers dominate with fast, visual storytelling, the trade risks being left behind. With AI-powered tagging, secure asset control, and seamless sharing workflows, PIXI is a vertical SaaS platform that functions as a visual command centre for luxury travel brands," Mudie said.

Market context

According to PIXI, industry research shows that 73% of travellers are influenced by visuals when making booking decisions, yet the tools used by hotels and travel advisors for accessing and sharing content are considered by many to be outdated. The company highlighted that 80% of luxury travellers still prefer to book via a human advisor, and that OTAs have begun to invest significant resources into visual and AI-powered user experiences, further changing the landscape for travel sellers.

Industry responses

"Before PIXI, it was a scramble every time an advisor asked for a video or asset set. Now, everything is beautifully organised, on brand, safe guarded and instantly shareable. PIXI has transformed the way we support our travel partners — and made it easier for them to sell our hotels." - Marteyne Van Well, Regional General Manager Six Senses Laamu and Kanuhura, Maldives

"PIXI is transforming the way we source visual content & information from our hotel partners. It's intuitive, beautifully designed, and will save our team hours every week," Neil Bedford, Chief Operating Officer of Select Collection, commented on operational impacts.

Platform and expansion

PIXI is offered free of charge to qualified travel designers, featuring integrated data asset management tailored to the requirements of hotels and luxury travel professionals. The platform connects properties with travel agencies and operators through AI-powered content curation and distribution. Global hotel groups and boutique brands have adopted the software, including Six Senses Maldives, The Beaumont London, Trump Hotels Global, The Lindis Group New Zealand, Porto Zante Greece, RaaS Hotels India, Universal Resorts Management Maldives, and others. There are now over 200 luxury agencies and operators, with agents spanning 30 global markets, utilising the service.

The company recently completed a pre-seed funding round with backing from figures in the luxury travel and hospitality sectors. Access to the platform is set to expand further, with a 30% discount for partners who register before the end of June, under the PIXI Pioneer Rate scheme.

Leadership perspective

The founding team comprises Emma Squire as Chief Executive Officer, Alan Ball as Chief Commercial Officer, and Gary Mudie as Chief Product and Technology Officer. The team combines experience in luxury travel operations, commercial strategy, product and technology development, and enterprise software.

Squire developed the idea for PIXI after 15 years working within the luxury travel sector, observing the disconnect between high-quality storytelling and the inefficiency of existing content sharing systems. She took the step of raising funds and launching the new platform while also continuing her work in travel design. Ball contributed his experience from over two decades within hotel sales and marketing, observing that successful travel brands were often restricted by legacy content management processes. Mudie brings a background from technology and product leadership roles in sectors including health, fashion, and music, providing expertise in scaling technology platforms and developing secure, user-focused software.

The company anticipates continued uptake among hotels, resorts, travel designers, and agencies seeking to optimise the creation, management, and distribution of visual content in the luxury travel sector.