Robots to AI, the technology behind Trump’s plan to seal the Southern Border

Technology

Kevin Cohen, the CEO and co-founder of Tel Aviv-based startup RealEye, opens his computer, ready to introduce the tools that he believes will keep America’s borders more secure.

The screen fills with photos of people young and old, from all ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. “We’re basically aggregating information from hundreds of thousands of sources online, not only to classify someone as a potential danger or threat, but also to indicate the probability of them meshing into various nefarious networks,” says Cohen. “We can take 50,000 individuals and within literally seconds, I can give you the insights and the indexing of their behavior.”

Pres. Donald Trump has vowed to seal the Southern Border from the moment he re-enters the White House this week. Bloomberg via Getty Images

RealEye has developed two AI-driven platforms, Masad and Fortress, that provide real-time vetting and “semi-active” monitoring of immigrants entering a country either legally or otherwise, with a history of illegal or suspicious activities. These tools draw not just on criminal records (which could be as innocuous as traffic violations), but also digital footprints left on social media and the dark web.

Cohen pulls up the profile of a man named Yosef, and instantly the man’s history appears like bullet points on the screen. “We can see that this specific individual funnels money to Hamas and other operatives,” says Cohen. “We know this guy is no good.”

Migrants and asylum-seekers along the US-Mexico border wait to be picked up US Border Patrol agents, who are increasingly facing staffing shortages just as the number of illegal arrivals surges. Joel Angel Juarez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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In just a few days, Donald Trump will be inaugurated for his second term as US president. He’s vowed that on Day One, his priority will be “the largest deportation operation in American history,” and there is “no price tag.” Trump’s plans to secure our Southern border include everything from a proposed hotline center for citizens to call in tips on undocumented migrants to building a massive immigration detention center on a 1,402-acre plot on the Rio Grande. Trump has also indicated his intention to continue construction of a 30-foot-high fence across the US-Mexico border. In fact, he’s considering declaring illegal immigration a national emergency to unlock funds for border wall construction. 

“We have to be smarter… and find more creative ways to make sure everybody crossing the border is who they say they are,” observes Kevin Cohen, CEO of RealEye, a Tel Aviv-based startup using artificial intelligence to prevent potentially dangerous criminals and security threats from crossing international borders. Courtesy of RealEye

In December, Trump even filed an amicus brief in support of a legal effort to stop the Biden administration from selling border wall materials. A court order put a stop to Biden’s efforts. Further emboldened, Trump will likely also revisit plans he’d considered in his first term, like floating barriers, which were briefly tested in the final year of his presidency. In 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott picked up on the idea, constructing 1,000 feet of sphere buoys in a section of the Rio Grande. Despite attempts by the Biden administration to stop it, claiming the floating barriers violated the federal Rivers and Harbor Act, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last summer they could remain.

A composite image of a RealEye case-study, which uses tens of thousands of data points to identity potentially nefarious individuals looking to enter a country illegally. Courtesy of RealEye

Along with these physical barrier strategies, Artificial Intelligence-based strategies such as those found with RealEye will likely form a large part of both securing our Southern Border and Trump’s deportation strategy. The Department of Homeland Security has already been allocated $5 million in its 2025 budget to open an AI office, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has called AI a “transformative technology.” Sam Altman, the OpenAI CEO who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, predicted that President Trump “will lead our country into the age of AI.”

Another AI company preparing for a busy year is Bavovna AI, a Ukrainian startup who’ve developed autonomous, AI-powered drones. Although drones have been used on the US border since 2005, they’ve been increasingly sabotaged by Mexican cartels with GPS-jammers. But Bavovna’s drones — already battle-tested in Ukraine’s war with Russia — can traverse complex landscapes without GPS or any visual odometry, thus evading detection.

Artificial intelligence, which has been embraced by companies like RealEye, is forming a key component of Trump’s likely migrant strategy. AI leaders such as OpenAI’s Sam Altman have contributed heavily to Trump’s inaguration. Getty Images

Like RealEye’s Cohen, Bavovna’s co-founder and director Pramax Prasolov, is tight-lipped about their relationship with the upcoming administration, other than saying they’re “exploring opportunities to support border security operations.” But on Christmas Eve, Prasolov hosted a special demo flight test in Tampa, Florida, whose guests included high-ranking officials from the Department of Defense and the US.Air Force.

“These UAVs are not just tools for surveillance but solutions for maintaining operational superiority in contested environments,” Prasolov says. It’s only a matter of time before “electronic warfare” becomes “essential to secure U.S. borders,” he says. 

Robotic dogs from Ghost Robotics, in use at Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fl in December, may be deployed along the Southern Border. REUTERS

AI is nothing new to the border; during Biden’s presidency, Democrats pushed for “smart border” technologies like virtual towers, which promised a more “humane” alternative to Trump’s border wall. And last fall, the bipartisan Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act was passed by the House compelling the DHS to explore how to best utilize AI, machine-learning and nanotechnologies in border security programs.

The Trump administration clearly appears on board. They “plan to increase the use of AI surveillance systems along the border,” says N. And Trump is taking off the safety bumpers. Biden signed an Executive Order in 2023, vowing a “safe, secure, and trustworthy” development of AI; Trump has promised to nullify it when he takes office.

Neil Sahota, an AI advisor to the United Nations AI for Good Initiative, says Trump may try to build both a “physical” wall and “digital” wall to regain control of the Southern Border. Courtesy of Neil Sahota

There are plans already in place to improve on the existing AI, like a proposed $101 million to upgrade and maintain surveillance towers. “These towers . . . detect and identify unauthorized crossings, and distinguish between humans, animals, and vehicles,” says Sahota. “Under a Trump administration, this initiative is expected to expand radically, turning his promise of a physical wall into a digital one.” In fact, Customs and Border Protection plans to complete a network of more than 1,000 surveillance towers by 2034.

There will also be a full introduction of “robodogs,” first unveiled by the DHS in 2022. These four-legged military-grade machines, developed by Philadelphia-based Ghost Robotics, “are designed to navigate challenging terrains, including sand, rocks, and human-made environments like stairs, making them well-suited for the diverse landscapes encountered along the border,” says Sahota. Although they’re currently still being tested by the DHS, Trump is enthusiastic enough about the technology to have at least one robodog on security patrol at Mar-a-Lago.

Floating buoys have been used to create a water-based border barrier in Texas. AFP via Getty Images

There have been concerns that the dogs could be weaponized, especially after some models were introduced with sniper rifles. The last company that attempted something similar, tech startup Brinc, faced public backlash in 2021 over drones they manufactured equipped with tasers. But Ghost Robotics CEO Gavin Kenneally assured a House Oversight Committee in 2023 that their technology would only be used for patrolling, not violence. (Ghost Robotics did not respond to requests for comment.) 

Some of the other AI being introduced isn’t quite so dystopian, but it’s no less complex. RealEye’s vetting system, for instance, goes beyond existing DHS strategies, which focus mostly on biometric indexing. This is insufficient, says Cohen, to intercept bad actors — such as terrorists or cartel members — who are exploiting the migration system to enter the US illegally. “You have somebody’s fingerprint and that’s it,” explains Cohen, who says his firm has partnered with intelligence agencies in Israel, Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan. “There’s no tracking of their digital presence…[to gauge] who these individuals are before they came into the country.”

Department of Homeland Security Chief Alejandro Mayorkas has described AI as a transformative technology in the effort to control illegal migration. Getty Images

Machine-learning technologies are also far better suited to identify patterns and anomalies that might be overlooked by border patrol agents — overwhelmed by the surge in Biden-era migrants and whose current staffing crunch has been called “unsustainable” by a DHS report in 2023. “Some AI systems…can analyze communication intercepts in multiple languages to identify potential security threats,” says Sahota. “AI can also…identify…unusual movement patterns near the border or irregular travel itineraries can be flagged for further investigation.”

Lawyer Marina Shepelsky worries that AI and other sophisticated digital technologies could possess inherent biases. “They can vet and deny people who have criticized Trump,” she says.

Although many of these tools are still being field-tested, there have already been success stories. In 2023, an AI model identified the unusual travel patterns of a truck making regular crossings at the U.S./Mexico border, and when police investigated, they discovered 75 kilograms of narcotics hidden in the vehicle.

But the rise of AI in border security isn’t giving everyone comfort. Sahota calls it a double-edged sword. “While AI offers vast potential to streamline operations and secure borders, its misuse—intentional or not—could lead to dangerous outcomes,” he says. “There’s a slippery slope where AI can be weaponized, eroding civil liberties, violating privacy, and fostering systemic bias. Under the Trump administration, the aggressive expansion of AI in border security could turn these tools into mechanisms for mass surveillance and control.”

A Ukranian-made drone by Bavovna AI. “These UAVs are not just tools for surveillance, but solutions for maintaining operational superiority in contested environments,” says Bavovna AI-director and co-founder Pramax Prasolov. Courtesy of Max Prasolov

Marina Shepelsky, the CEO, co-founder, and immigration attorney at New York-based Shepelsky Law Group, worries that AI vetting could have built-in biases. “They can vet and deny people who have criticized Trump,” she says. “Or anyone who has posted some religious Muslim thoughts, or anyone who has posted ‘communist’ thoughts on social media.”

The US Customs and Border Protection agency has plans to develop a network of over 1,000 surveillance towers along the Southern Border over the next decade. Joel Angel Juarez for NY Post

Cohen, however, thinks concerns about AI being abused are misdirected. “The ‘special interest aliens’ we’re going after are technically felons,” he says. “We’re not targeting individuals that are just trying to become breadwinners for their family or make a better life.” For Cohen, making life difficult for immigrants with criminal intentions is very much personal. As a teenager, his family briefly moved from Israel to Florida, and they lived next door to Mohammed Atta, who would become a ringleader of the September 11 attacks. 

“I’ve never stopped thinking about it,” he says. “That’s why we’re doing this, to keep guys like him . . . from making it into the country. We have to be smarter than them, and find more creative ways to make sure everybody crossing the border is who they say they are.”

How scientists with disabilities are making research labs and fieldwork more accessible

Science and Health

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — The path to Lost Lake was steep and unpaved, lined with sharp rocks and holes.A group of scientists and students gingerly made their way, using canes or a helping hand to guide them. For those who couldn’t make the trek, a drone brought the lake — blue and narrow — into view.The field trip was designed to illustrate the challenges disabled researchers often face — and how barriers can be overcome.“Just because you can’t do it like someone else doesn’t mean you can’t do it,” said Anita Marshall, a University of Florida geologist leading the outing. The group included scientists with sight, hearing and mobility disabilities. Marshall’s organization ran the field trip to the lake along the San Andreas Fault, outside of San Bernadino. Her group — the International Association for Geoscience Diversity — and others are working to improve access to field and lab work so that those with disabilities feel welcome and stay.

Taormina Lepore, a Western Michigan University paleontologist who went on the trip, said scientists tend to value a single, traditional way of getting things done.

At Lost Lake, everyone got a view — even if they couldn’t physically get there.“It’s really about empathy, as much as it is about science,” said Lepore, who also researches science education.

Making research labs more accessibleDisabled people make up about 3% of the science, technology, engineering and math workforce, according to 2021 data from the National Science Foundation.Scientists with disabilities say that’s in part because labs, classrooms and field sites aren’t designed to accommodate them. Students and faculty are still told that they can’t work in a lab or do research safely, said Mark Leddy, who formerly managed disability-related grants for the National Science Foundation.The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, sets minimum regulations for new buildings and labs, including ramps and wheelchair-accessible walkways.

But modifying older labs can be a complicated and lengthy process.Alyssa Paparella is working on her doctorate in biology at Baylor College of Medicine and founded an online community for disabled scientists. She said a science building at one of her former schools had no automatic buttons to open doors.“What is that saying about who you want actually working in the laboratories?” she said. “That’s the front door that they’re not even able to get in.”Leddy said researchers with disabilities are invaluable because of their life experiences. They have to constantly come up with creative ways to get past barriers in their lives — a problem-solving skill that’s indispensable in a lab.“If they don’t feel welcome, if they don’t get access, then how can they contribute that talent?” Leddy said.Venu Varanasi, a biomaterials engineer at the University of Texas at Arlington who has low vision, prints out signage using high-contrast color combinations and encourages his students to keep floors and counters clutter-free so he can navigate the lab more easily.He said those modifications also keep accidents to a minimum for non-disabled students.

“When you realize that you have a person with a disability, you have an opportunity, not a problem,” he said.At Purdue University in Indiana, engineering professor Brad Duerstock helped design an accessible biomedical lab years ago with support from the school and a National Institutes of Health grant, removing cabinets under sinks and fume hoods so that wheelchairs can easily pull up.The cost of making a lab more accessible varies depending on how extensive the changes are, Duerstock said. Some schools set aside money for improvements and science organizations can offer grants.

Accessibility in the outdoorsOn the California geology field trip, the group explored the lake carved into the landscape by the San Andreas Fault, where the grating of two tectonic plates can cause earthquakes.The group included rock enthusiasts at all different stages of their careers. A handful were students. Others were professors, eager to explore the outdoors in a group they could trust to look after them.Central Connecticut State University professor Jennifer Piatek, who uses a wheelchair, saw the lake through drone footage and used a pocket lens to examine rocks brought back by other participants.She said it was nice to be part of a community that anticipated her needs. For example, their bus pulled forward to park at a flatter location to make it easier for her to get off.You can learn a lot from images and maps, “but really you need to get to the space to be in it,” said Piatek, who studies planetary geology.Lepore, a neurodivergent person with low vision, scanned rocks using an artificial intelligence app that described their color and shape out loud.“Nature is not inherently accessible,” she said. “Nature just doesn’t have ramps and the kinds of things that we might wish it had. But there are so many workarounds and ways that we as geoscientists can make things truly open.”

Bushra Hussaini uses tips from the field trips to support interns and volunteers with disabilities at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, where she works. She said the supportive community of geologists is what keeps her coming back. “We learn from each other and we help each other,” she said. Before heading out, Marshall urged the participants to ask for a hand or a shoulder to lean on if needed. She and others from the organization have been leading field trips every year as an offshoot from the Geological Society of America’s annual meeting. As a doctoral student, Marshall would go on field trips with her peers only to wait back in the van, frustrated, because the organizers hadn’t thought about how to accommodate her disabilities. She wants things to be different for the next generation of scientists. “The whole point of these little day trips is to just plant that seed out there,” Marshall said, “that there’s another way forward.”___AP video journalist Eugene Garcia contributed to this report. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Scientists find a giant new species. Its a delicacy.

Science and Health

Armored isopods crawl on the seafloor, feasting on fallen carrion. And they can grow quite big.So big, in fact, scientists reference the largest types as “supergiants.” Biologists have identified a new such species, Bathynomus vaderi, named for its resemblance to Star Wars’ Darth Vader — though, rest assured, these deep sea animals aren’t evil Siths.They reach a foot long, making them appear as striking 14-legged critters. And in recent years, they’ve apparently become a delicacy in Vietnam, as they’re caught by ocean trawlers. “Some go as far as claiming it’s more delicious than lobster, the ‘king of seafood,'” notes a press release about the discovery from Pensoft Publishers, a science literature publisher. “Some outlets and restaurants even advertise the sale of these ‘sea bugs’ online on various social media platforms, including how best to cook them!” the release added.
SEE ALSO:

The deep sea footage scientists filmed in 2024 is jaw-dropping

The research has been published in the science journal ZooKeys. The four Bathynomus vaderi specimens described came from dealers in coastal Quy Nhơn in south-central Vietnam, and were fished from the South China Sea.

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The new identification underscores the great biodiversity of the ocean — much of which we know little about or have yet to find.”That a species as large as this could have stayed hidden for so long reminds us just how much work we still need to do to find out what lives in Southeast Asian waters,” the release noted.

One of the study’s authors, Nguyen Thanh So, holding another species of “supergiant” isopod in October 2024.
Credit: Peter Ng

Two Bathynomus vaderi indiviuals.
Credit: Rene Ong

Ocean research organizations are now vigilantly documenting and mapping the deep sea. Scientists want to shine a light — literally and figuratively — on what’s down there.The implications of knowing are incalculable, particularly as deep sea mineral prospectors prepare to run tank-like industrial equipment across parts of the seafloor. For example, research expeditions have found that ocean life carries great potential for novel medicines. “Systematic searches for new drugs have shown that marine invertebrates produce more antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory substances than any group of terrestrial organisms,” notes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Topics
Animals

Scientists find a giant new species. Its a delicacy.

Science and Health

Armored isopods crawl on the seafloor, feasting on fallen carrion. And they can grow quite big.So big, in fact, scientists reference the largest types as “supergiants.” Biologists have identified a new such species, Bathynomus vaderi, named for its resemblance to Star Wars’ Darth Vader — though, rest assured, these deep sea animals aren’t evil Siths.They reach a foot long, making them appear as striking 14-legged critters. And in recent years, they’ve apparently become a delicacy in Vietnam, as they’re caught by ocean trawlers. “Some go as far as claiming it’s more delicious than lobster, the ‘king of seafood,'” notes a press release about the discovery from Pensoft Publishers, a science literature publisher. “Some outlets and restaurants even advertise the sale of these ‘sea bugs’ online on various social media platforms, including how best to cook them!” the release added.
SEE ALSO:

The deep sea footage scientists filmed in 2024 is jaw-dropping

The research has been published in the science journal ZooKeys. The four Bathynomus vaderi specimens described came from dealers in coastal Quy Nhơn in south-central Vietnam, and were fished from the South China Sea.

Mashable Light Speed

Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?
Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Light Speed newsletter.

By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Thanks for signing up!

The new identification underscores the great biodiversity of the ocean — much of which we know little about or have yet to find.”That a species as large as this could have stayed hidden for so long reminds us just how much work we still need to do to find out what lives in Southeast Asian waters,” the release noted.

One of the study’s authors, Nguyen Thanh So, holding another species of “supergiant” isopod in October 2024.
Credit: Peter Ng

Two Bathynomus vaderi indiviuals.
Credit: Rene Ong

Ocean research organizations are now vigilantly documenting and mapping the deep sea. Scientists want to shine a light — literally and figuratively — on what’s down there.The implications of knowing are incalculable, particularly as deep sea mineral prospectors prepare to run tank-like industrial equipment across parts of the seafloor. For example, research expeditions have found that ocean life carries great potential for novel medicines. “Systematic searches for new drugs have shown that marine invertebrates produce more antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory substances than any group of terrestrial organisms,” notes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Topics
Animals

I Want to Talk OTT release date: Where to watch Abhishek Bachchan’s movie online?

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

I Want to Talk OTT release date: Where to watch Abhishek Bachchan’s movie online? | Today Newsvar _comscore = _comscore || [];_comscore.push({ c1:”2″, c2:”6035286″, options: {enableFirstPartyCookie: true, bypassUserConsentRequirementFor1PCookie:true }});( function() {var s = document.createElement(“script”), el = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.async = true; s.src = “https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/cs/6035286/beacon.js”; el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();SubscribeSign in

The Real-Life Tragedies That Changed The Stephen King Movie The Monkey

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Neon

Stephen King’s delightfully screwed-up stories have been getting the big screen treatment since 1976, but not a single adaptation over the past 49 years looks quite like “The Monkey.” That’s likely because none of those other movies had Oz Perkins, the creative horror mastermind behind movies like the trippy Nicolas Cage-starrer “Longlegs” and the terrifying slow-burn “The Blackcoat’s Daughter,” behind the camera. Perkins is clearly suited to the absurdity of the King short story, which was featured in his 1985 book “Skeleton Crew.” In the latest issue of Empire magazine, the filmmaker draws direct parallels between the story’s cursed toy and his own strange, tragic family life.

Perkins tells the outlet that “The Monkey” actually already had a “very serious script” when he joined the project, one provided by James Wan’s Atomic Monster production company. “I felt it was too serious, and I told them: ‘This doesn’t work for me,'” Perkins recalls. He decided to craft his own version of the story, highlighting the inherent comedy of a cymbal-clashing monkey that visits “Final Destination”-style kills upon whoever it meets. “The thing with this toy monkey is that the people around it all die in insane ways,” Perkins says. “So, I thought: ‘Well, I’m an expert on that. Both my parents died in insane, headline-making ways.'”

Oz Perkins has endured unlikely family tragedies, too

Neon

The filmmaker says he “spent a lot of [his] life recovering from tragedy, feeling quite bad,” and wondering why his parents died in ways that seemed “inherently unfair.” Perkins is, after all, the son of acclaimed “Psycho” actor Anthony Perkins and actress and photographer Berry Berenson. The elder Perkins passed away in 1992, having kept his HIV/AIDS diagnosis a secret until his death, according to his LA Times obituary. In that same memorial piece, Anthony Perkins is quoted as having feared that he killed his own father after wishing him dead just before he had a fatal heart attack. The actor best known as Norman Bates was only 5 years old at the time.

Osgood Perkins’ mother also met a shocking fate: she was a passenger on the first plane that hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. In her obituary for The Guardian, Berenson’s own works — photo work for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, plus roles in movies including “Cat People” and “Remember My Name” — are overshadowed by a long explanation of Perkins’ death. The column also makes mention of her grandmother, Elsa Schiaparelli, a surrealist Italian fashion designer who worked with Salvador Dalí (but, thankfully, was not killed in a strange way). All of this, no doubt, contributed to Perkins’ uncanny connection to King’s source material. “I’m older now and you realise this s*** happens to everyone. Everyone dies,” Perkins tells Empire. “Sometimes in their sleep, sometimes in truly insane ways, like I experienced. But everyone dies. And I thought maybe the best way to approach that insane notion is with a smile.”

“The Monkey” certainly seems poised to grin through the pain, and Perkins says that King himself has seen the new movie and “loves” it. A brand new red-band trailer also highlights the strange levity of the story’s premise. “The monkey that likes killing our family? It’s back,” Theo James’ Bill tells his brother Hal (also played by James) over the phone in the latest clips. He’s perfectly deadpan as he says: “It must be vanquished.” We also catch glimpses of some gnarly (but darkly funny) kills, from a Scooby-Doo-esque sea diver suit that harpoons someone at an antique shop to a scorpion crawling into a coffee cup. “It’s that thing of, ‘Our time is short, the world is hard, rotten things happen,” Perkins concludes. “But you have to go forward. You have to laugh. What else can you do?'”
“The Monkey” hits theaters on February 21, 2025.
[embedded content]

S. Sinai governor probes with Investors Association tourist attraction proposals in Sharm

Travel

Governor of South Sinai Khaled Mubarak said resolving the issues facing investors in all sectors, especially the tourism industry, is on top of his priorities, given the critical importance of promoting the tourism sector that offers thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities.The governor made the remarks during a meeting on Friday 17/1/2025 with members of the Investors Association in Sharm El Sheikh to listen to their views and proposals for overcoming the challenges they encounter in the governorate.During several meetings with representatives of the tourism industry over the past six months, we have identified most of the challenges, and several proposals were put forward to deal with them in a prompt manner to ensure a rapid growth of tourism investments, the governor said, according to a press release by the governorate’s media center.He added he had already contacted the ministries and authorities concerned to provide effective solutions to some of these challenges, and they are working on resolving them and ironing out any potential obstacles.It has been agreed during the meeting to form a joint committee, including members of the Investors Association, as well as the financial legal advisor to the governorate, to identify the main points that represent an action roadmap period ahead, within a maximum period of 15 days.Meanwhile, the investors thanked President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the great attention he pays to this strategic sector, commending also the State’s efforts to overcome any sectoral challenges or obstacles.The meeting was held as part of the governor’s efforts for achieving higher development rates in the governorate and luring more investments to increase tourist arrivals.

Online Travel industry outlook for 2025: Which stocks to buy

Travel

While 2024 ended stronger than expected, Barclays notes that increasing foreign exchange (FX) headwinds and lofty expectations are likely to dampen growth in 2025. The bank assessed several key names in a note this week: Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:BKNG) stands out as a bullish pick in Barclays’ report, despite its relatively high valuation. Barclays believes BKNG remains the “name to own” longer-term due to its “strong execution” and “expected growth (ex-FX),” supported by restructuring savings. “We don’t think there’s much rationale for further multiple re-rating, but there is room for positive estimate revisions,” Barclays notes. While FX headwinds may impact short-term growth, Barclays says BKNG’s international exposure and category mix, including double-digit growth in alternative accommodations and airfare, position it for continued success.Airbnb, on the other hand, faces a more cautious outlook, according to Barclays. The bank pointed to “EBITDA margin compression” in 2025. The bank said the company previously signaled this margin contraction, but analysts remain concerned that “consensus is still too optimistic” regarding its ability to maintain profitability amid higher investments in expanding its reach. Barclays set a price target of $110 for ABNB, noting that while its “share vs. traditional lodging” is firming, growth initiatives come at a cost. Expedia (NASDAQ:EXPE) presents a mixed setup, says Barclays. With the easiest revenue comparisons among peers, EXPE is said to benefit from its domestic exposure, which reduces the impact of FX challenges. However, the bank cautions that the company faces softer domestic travel trends and uncertainty due to “management changes” and potential margin pressure. Analysts raised their price target for EXPE from $153 to $166, acknowledging its solid growth but highlighting the risk of execution challenges.Lastly, TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) is expected to face a tough 2025, with expectations too high for the company to meet. Barclays trimmed its growth assumptions, citing “sharp y/y declines” in the core business, even as Viator and TheFork show promise. Barclays expects “a point of margin compression” and remains cautious on TRIP’s outlook for the year.

How could global warming impact the travel industry?

Travel

UBS highlighted the growing challenges for both suppliers, such as airlines and hotels, and consumers as rising temperatures and efforts to combat emissions reshape global tourism.Key impacts include higher travel costs as companies strive for net-zero emissions amid increasing regulatory pressure. UBS estimates Ryanair may need to raise ticket prices by over 10% by 2030 to offset environmental costs. Capital expenditures, such as investments in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facilities, could exceed $8 trillion globally by 2050, UBS said.Rising temperatures are also altering travel preferences. In Europe, warmer summers could reduce tourism in Southern countries like Spain, where a 1% temperature rise already impacts visitor volumes. UBS warned that Spanish tourism could shrink by 11% annually by century’s end. Conversely, cooler regions, such as the UK, might see a modest boost in tourism revenues.While opportunities exist for larger players and less-affected regions, climate change as a net negative for the travel industry, UBS said. The report underscored risks of industry consolidation, higher risk premiums, and increased operating costs for companies in climate-vulnerable areas.UBS suggested focusing on firms with strong balance sheets and resilience to climate impacts, while cautioning on businesses in regions heavily reliant on weather-sensitive tourism.