Dan Peltier

The past year was one when consumers in the U.S. began communicating with major brands via messaging apps more intuitively, travel being no exception. But the time and money it takes to test and invest in this complicated technology is significant and 2017 will likely involve more testing and learning for brands before they fully understand what most travelers want when they open a messaging app and rattle off a question.

Airbnb will use and is investing in a relatively small dining reservations platform to test out how Airbnb will mesh with complementary services. Along with Airbnb Trips, dining reservations could be only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Boating holidays have always been popular for the rich and famous, but with the rise of platforms to connect boat owners with consumers who want a quick weekend getaway, boat rentals have become even more serious business and are more accessible to travelers.

Chinese travelers see Europe -- and the UK in particular -- as a big sale sign and are taking advantage of that after an uncertain year in Europe while many will also choose to travel domestically this year and in countries closer to home such as Thailand and Japan.

These are the newest travel startups from AngelList vying for travelers’ interest and investors’ attention.

With more airlift from the U.S. to Mexico, and the country's increased focus on luxury travel, combined with a stronger U.S. economy, it makes sense that U.S. travel growth to Mexico became robust in 2016.

Some airlines have done so much to pad their schedules and use other tactics to ensure they make it to gates on-time that it's difficult to know which carriers are actually the most punctual and time efficient. Passengers notice and this strategy likely helped a few airlines make these rankings.

Hopefully meeting and event tech startups get more VC love in 2017 because it's one of the industries that requires the most innovation to keep up with growing worldwide demand.

These are the newest travel startups from AngelList vying for travelers’ interest and investors’ attention.

Another year of travel startup trials and tribulations is about to come to a close. Here's a look at a few companies that survived that are heading into the new year with some momentum.