IBM said that Travelport had completed a proof of concept to streamline the validation, distribution and settlement of hotel content between its own platform, travel agencies and hotels, through IBM blockchain. Travelport is turning to the IBM Watson Data Platform to personalise customer experience with new tools and traveler recommendation.

These developments are just two of many initiatives between the two companies. More recently, earlier this year IBM's Travel Manager was unveiled which aims to provide travel managers with data derived from the Travelport global distribution system to manage corporate travel spend.

The first project will see Travelport move to its next phase of IBM blockchain adoption to streamline hotel and in-trip experience ecosystem. Next, the pair will work together to generate enhanced travel experiences by usingTravelport's data and IBM's Watson Analytics Studio.

With the integration of Travelport and IBM's capabilities they will aim to develop new services, such as the ability to highlight the best time for travel related bookings.

Travelport's chief architect Mike Croucher said: "One challenge facing our industry in the new digital world is that onboarding content from smaller suppliers can be costly and take time. We know unique experiences are what modern travelers are looking for. Using blockchain to access these experiences is a value-adding deployment of this new technology. With IBM, we're removing barriers that limit travel choice."