Travel tech experts have developed innovative solutions that leverage blockchain and artificial intelligence to make the travel industry more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable at the Web3 Hackathon in Frankfurt.
Organised by Lufthansa Systems and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) in partnership with the Camino Network Foundation, in just 48 hours, teams from 13 travel and tech companies created practical, ready-to-use solutions. The hackathon use cases demonstrated that these new approaches are significantly more efficient than traditional distribution channels.
Rather than focusing on theoretical models, the event was all about practical implementation. The goal: to explore new ways of distributing flight and travel products via the blockchain-based Camino Network. Key topics included new payment methods, CO₂ offsetting, access to emerging sales markets, and personalized group travel.
A jury of Lufthansa Group (LHG) experts selected the three most compelling projects:
- The Unimoni team presented a solution for integrating 300,000 non-IATA travel agencies in India into the Camino Network – including local payment methods and direct access to Lufthansa flight content. The solution significantly lowers distribution costs and opens new international markets, with strong potential for expansion to other regions.
- The SWISS and Digital Hangar team impressed the jury with their concept for enhancing Travel-ID via Web3 wallet integration, allowing the issuance, exchange, and management of digital identities and real-world assets such as vouchers and digital services.
- The Hotelplan team developed a group booking solution: travelers starting from different locations but heading to the same destination can book together while paying individually – more easily, quickly, and affordably than before.
Additionally, the jury named Carbify as the “Winner of the Hearts.” Their solution demonstrated how the Camino Network can support CO₂ reduction by providing full traceability of compensation activities – down to the geolocation of each planted tree.
“Beyond the many innovative use cases developed during the hackathon, it was particularly impressive to see how the teams successfully integrated Lufthansa Group flight content into their platforms in just two days,” Mickael Woelcke, project manager at SWISS and one of the hackathon’s main initiators, said.
“The commercial potential of this technology is promising – especially with faster and more efficient partner integration and significantly reduced distribution costs. It’s now up to the industry to carry these advances forward and turn them into sustainable, market-ready solutions.”
The hackathon clearly showed how connections that used to take months can now be established within days, CEO of Chain4Travel and initiator of the Camino Network, Pablo Castillo, added.
“Compared to traditional distribution channels, the new solutions are significantly more efficient – with up to 98% cost savings, as demonstrated by Hotelplan, and up to 50% improved sustainability, as measured by Carbify’s CO₂ analysis.”
What’s next?
The hackathon demonstrated the transformative potential of Web3 technologies in the travel industry. The results highlight how B2B partners can be integrated much faster, improving time-to-market and reducing both distribution costs and IT-related carbon emissions.
The Lufthansa Group is currently evaluating which of the hackathon projects could be developed into concrete pilot applications. Chain4Travel, the initiator of Camino, will continue to support travel industry partners in applying Web3 technology in meaningful and practical ways.
Jury
Ana Jaime Agramon (Head of Digital Products & IT Portfolio, SWISS)
Ignatz Hannak (Head of Digital Ecosystem Steering & Innovation, Lufthansa Airlines)
Jochen Göttelmann (VP IT Lufthansa Airlines and Operations IT Lufthansa Group)
Sebastian Riedle (Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Managing Director Product, Digital Hangar)
Tim Fischbach (Head of Touristic Sales Home Markets, Lufthansa Airlines)
The Camino Network is a layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for the travel industry. Operated by a consortium of leading industry players, Camino is revolutionising the distribution landscape and solving key challenges in connectivity, payments, and settlement within the multi-billion-dollar travel sector. Supported by over 200 brands, more than 100 validators, and backed by over US$10 million in funding, Camino is driving the future of Web3 travel.
