10 Mar 2025

The Power of Data: How Insights Are Reshaping the Future of Travel

Published: 10 March 2025
By: Jonathan Carter-Chapman, Marketing Director, Northstar Travel Group
Topics: Travel Technology, Data Integration, eSIM Solutions, Traveller Wellbeing, Carbon Reporting
Read Time: 7 minutes

Quick Summary

Travel technology is undergoing a data revolution. With rising pressure to offer smarter, safer, and more sustainable travel experiences, agencies are rethinking how they manage, share, and monetise information.

From next-generation data platforms to simplified global connectivity, new tools are helping travel businesses turn raw data into powerful commercial and customer insights. This blog explores two of the most important developments in travel data right now:

Centralised data engines that enrich, automate, and streamline operations
Global eSIM platforms enabling travel brands to offer connectivity as a new revenue stream

Based on updates from TripStax and Truely, we examine how these innovations are reshaping everything from carbon reporting and traveller wellbeing to ancillary revenue and operational scalability.

Travel Tech Show | 19-20 June 2025 | ExCeL London

1. Data as Infrastructure: The Rise of Intelligent Travel Stacks

In the last two years, TripStax has become a standout example of how data, when handled smartly, can become the central nervous system of travel operations.

At the heart of its success is the TripStax Core – a cloud-based, agnostic data engine that processes over 84 million data exchanges per year, up from just 3 million in 2022. Instead of charging per transaction like many tech vendors, TripStax only charges once per booking ingestion, regardless of how many times that data is accessed or enriched via its ten interlinked modules. That pricing shift alone has made it an attractive alternative for over 400 global clients.

Key Benefits of the TripStax Model:

Cost savings: Eliminates repeated vendor charges for data calls
Scalability: Clients can start small and add more modules over time
Data enrichment: Adds third-party insights for carbon, risk, and wellbeing
Automation: Reduces manual processing, streamlines workflows

This model is especially valuable in a climate where automated CO₂ data, traveller security, and employee wellbeing are no longer optional extras. In 2023, TripStax made 43.6 million carbon data requests to platforms like Thrust Carbon—a clear sign of rising sustainability requirements.

CEO Jack Ramsey explains it best:

The TripStax Core ensures a clean flow of data to internal and third-party systems. The rise in requests for automated carbon, risk, and wellbeing data shows that TMCs are moving toward using a centralised ‘single source of truth’ for their travel data.

This focus on automation and integration is enabling travel companies to respond faster, reduce vendor complexity, and better meet the expectations of modern travellers and corporate clients alike.

2. Seamless Global Connectivity: The eSIM Advantage

While operational data is one piece of the puzzle, connectivity on the move is another. And that’s where Truely’s Switchless™ eSIM technology comes into play.

By removing the need for multiple SIMs or complex roaming packages, Truely offers instant access to local networks in over 200 destinations—all from a single eSIM. But the real innovation lies in how travel businesses can monetise this technology.

Truely Offers Three Partnership Models:

Co-branded products: Add your logo and offer connectivity directly to travellers
White label solutions: Build your own eSIM brand
API integrations: Embed eSIM functionality into your own tech stack

As Joost Cordes, Truely’s CRO, puts it:

Our goal is to make global data connectivity accessible to everyone—but we can’t do that alone. That’s why our focus is on empowering travel brands to launch their own offerings and unlock new revenue.

With live demos at the TravelTech Show and free eSIMs handed out to visitors, Truely is making it easy for businesses to test and visualise the benefits for themselves.

What makes this especially timely is the rapid shift toward digital-first, always-connected travel. As travellers demand seamless mobile access and businesses look for new ancillary revenue streams, offering smart connectivity has become a clear win-win.

3. What It All Means for Travel Businesses

The takeaway from both TripStax and Truely is this: Data is no longer a backend concern—it’s a frontline business asset.

Whether you’re using it to:

Automate carbon and risk reporting,
Integrate third-party wellness insights,
Or monetise mobile connectivity via white-labelled eSIMs,

…the goal is the same: to offer smarter, more connected, and more profitable travel services.

Here’s how to make the most of this shift:

Practical Steps for Agencies and TMCs:

Invest in centralised platforms like TripStax to avoid data silos and repeated costs
Automate reporting and enrich bookings with third-party insights for compliance and care
Launch value-added services like Truely’s eSIM offering to drive new revenue
Choose modular solutions that let you scale without disrupting daily operations

Conclusion: From Data Overload to Data Opportunity

The future of travel isn’t just digital—it’s data-defined. And with smart, flexible platforms like TripStax and Truely leading the way, the barriers to adoption are falling.

By harnessing the power of enriched, automated, and monetisable data, travel companies can do more than just operate—they can innovate, scale, and thrive.

As the industry continues to evolve, now’s the time to ask:
What role will your data play in your next stage of growth?

Key Takeaways

TripStax proves the power of a centralised data engine in streamlining operations and automating compliance.
Truely enables travel brands to offer global connectivity with zero friction—and generate revenue doing it.
Carbon reporting, wellbeing data, and risk insights are fast becoming essential in corporate travel.
Modular, cloud-based solutions reduce cost, increase agility, and support long-term scalability.
Connectivity is the next frontier for revenue growth in travel—and Truely’s eSIM model makes it accessible to all.

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