# Bed-Swap - Blockchain-based Hotel Capacity Management

> TUI Group developed a blockchain-based platform called Bed-Swap that manages real-time inventories of hotel beds and enables cross-border transfers without intermediaries. The solution uses smart contracts on a private blockchain to automatically distribute unused hotel capacity between different markets and optimize occupancy rates. The system is already live and used internally in Germany and the UK, with all contracts processed through the private blockchain.

**Sector:** Tertiary sector · **Industry:** Hospitality and catering · **Organisation:** TUI Group · **Maturity level:** Production

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/tui-group-hotelzimmer-direkt-tauschen

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Production
- **Evidence:** Evidence high
- **Editorial review:** Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026

## Description

TUI Group, Europe's largest travel company, is working with the German technology firm COCUS AG (Paderborn) on a blockchain solution for internal bed management. The system digitises the transfer of hotel room quotas between TUI subsidiaries on an immutable blockchain — all parties see the same verified occupancy status.

TUI owns over 400 hotels with more than 230,000 rooms worldwide. Room quotas are internally transferred between various TUI subsidiaries (TUI Germany, TUI UK, TUI Netherlands, etc.) — depending on booking status, surplus capacities of one subsidiary are handed over to another. This process was previously manual, paper-based, and prone to double bookings and billing disputes. The COCUS blockchain solution creates a shared, immutable register: every room transfer is immediately visible to all authorised TUI units. Smart contracts can automatically check conditions (is the room available, do the terms match?) and trigger transfers. The BedSwap concept was also examined as a model for sustainable tourism distribution in the EU research project Smart Tourism. Bernard Marr documented TUI as one of the most advanced travel companies in blockchain adoption.

## Benefits

- Hotel groups can optimise their overall occupancy while simultaneously reducing operational costs through automation.
- Automated capacity distribution reduces vacancy and maximises hotel room occupancy without manual effort.
- Eliminating intermediaries lowers transaction costs and accelerates capacity transfers between different markets.
- Transparent and secure management of all contracts via blockchain increases trust between business partners.
- Employees are relieved from time-consuming manual booking processes and can focus on more value-adding activities.

## Challenges

- Hotel chains must fundamentally revise their existing booking systems and processes to enable blockchain integration.
- Integrating existing legacy systems into the new blockchain infrastructure requires significant technical adjustments and investments.
- Acceptance and understanding of the new technology among employees and partners can be a hurdle for successful implementation.
- Employees need to familiarise themselves with new technology-driven workflows and may require additional training.

## Technology foundation

The system is based on a private blockchain with smart contracts that automatically manage hotel capacities between different markets. This technology is particularly suitable as it enables secure and transparent management of contracts between different business units without the need for central intermediaries.

## Sources

- [TUI Group relies on blockchain and COCUS](https://www.cocus.com/en/tui-group-relies-on-blockchain-and-cocus/)
- [The Awesome Ways TUI Uses Blockchain To Revolutionize The Travel Industry](https://bernardmarr.com/the-awesome-ways-tui-uses-blockchain-to-revolutionize-the-travel-industry/)
- [BedSwap Project](https://smart-tourism-project.eu/results/smart-sustainable-tourism-practices/bedswap-project)