Dida, an AI-first travel technology group, and Tsinghua x-lab have unveiled the Future Traveller Global Challenge, a unique competition aimed at bridging the gap between prototype and production in travel AI. The initiative, part of a five-year strategic partnership, invites student teams from Tsinghua University and over 50 European universities to tackle real-world scenarios from Dida's international operations. The strongest solutions will be tested in live operations, with pathways to production, internships, and accelerator support.
The competition, themed “AI Travel 2030: Travel Innovation in the Age of AI Agents,” challenges students to address complex issues such as inventory changes and varying cancellation rules. Daryl Lee, Group CEO of Dida Holdings, emphasised the real-world applicability of the challenge, stating, “We are handing students the same problems our own engineers are working on, and the strongest solutions will have the opportunity to make their way into production.”
Participants will compete in two tracks: the Business Innovation Track, focusing on reshaping the online travel value chain, and the Technology Track, which involves building next-generation travel agent solutions. The competition offers free resources from Alibaba ModelScope and support from the Ecovacs X-man Accelerator.
The semi-final will take place in Paris on 28 and 29 October, with the global final in China in November. This international structure reflects Dida's expansion in Europe, one of its fastest-growing markets. Registration is open from 1 to 14 September, with submissions in the form of project proposals or demo videos.
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