Bangkok-based travel technology firm Dida has taken home the AI Initiative of the Year – Thailand trophy at the Travel Daily Media Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 – Thailand. The recognition highlights the company's work on Dida MCP, an AI-native gateway that lets travel platforms plug directly into live hotel inventory and booking capabilities.
Dida MCP is designed to close the gap between AI-driven hotel recommendations and actual transactions. Instead of stopping at suggestions, travellers can now move from a chatbot or AI assistant's pick to a confirmed reservation within the same interface. The solution gives approved partners access to real-time availability, rates, and booking functions across more than two million hotel properties worldwide.
Bridging AI discovery and booking
For travel businesses, the appeal lies in keeping control of the customer relationship. Dida provides the underlying hotel supply and booking infrastructure, while partners manage the front-end experience. This allows airlines, hoteliers, tour operators, and online travel agencies to introduce AI-powered booking features without handing over their brand or customer data.
“The award is a testament to the team's work in building the technology that supports the next generation of AI travel booking,” said a Dida spokesperson. “We believe AI should not just recommend – it should deliver.”
Dida MCP also simplifies the technical side of launching AI travel products. Rather than building complex integrations from scratch, approved partners can connect their own AI agents, apps, or platforms to Dida's global supply. The solution currently covers hotel inventory, with flights and in-destination experiences planned for future expansion.
The win places Dida among a cohort of innovators recognised at the Thailand edition of the Travel Daily Media awards, which honour excellence across hotels, airlines, airports, cruise lines, tour operators, and travel technology. Other winners this year included Hotelverse for ancillary revenue and Gother's Beyond OTA for initiative of the year.
The broader context is a travel industry increasingly focused on AI-driven personalisation. As TravelDaily 2026 discussions have shown, growth now depends on smarter technology and customer experience, not just scale. Dida's approach aligns with that shift, offering a practical way for travel companies to embed AI booking without heavy development costs.
For travel professionals, Dida MCP represents a potential shortcut to AI-enabled commerce. Whether an airline wants to add hotel bookings to its app, a tour operator seeks to enhance its itinerary builder, or an agent wants to offer AI-driven trip planning, the gateway provides a ready-made connection to live inventory.
The award also underscores Thailand's growing role as a hub for travel technology innovation. With the country's tourism sector rebounding and events like the IMF–World Bank meetings drawing global attention, local tech players are gaining international visibility.
Dida's win is a clear signal that AI is moving from hype to practical application in travel. By making it easier for any platform to offer live booking, Dida MCP could help accelerate the adoption of AI assistants across the industry.
