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A regular dissection of the news, issues and trends in travel and technology, featuring interviews with industry executives and entrepreneurs and hosted by PhocusWire editors.

  1. há 1 dia

    Navigating AI developments as a startup with Zerolook

    Zerolook, a Switzerland-based startup that predicts flight prices, has raised US$1.9 million in pre-seed funding led by Playfair, with participation from Vento Ventures, TrueSight Ventures, Alpha Ventures and several angel investors. Its machine learning model predicts flight prices and itineraries, aiming to cut the volume of searches hitting airline systems. Recent OAG figures show up to 20,000 searches generate one ticket sale, a number that could climb to 200,000 as agentic artificial intelligence (AI) increases search volume. Zerolook's model presents users with a predicted itinerary, price and confidence score. In the PhocusWire Studio, CEO Simone Lini discussed plans to compute prices differently than the fare-filing process used for six decades, along with the startup climate and AI's impact on distribution. All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 19 de ago.

    Loveholidays' ambitions in the growing packaged travel market

    Loveholidays has quietly built one of the fastest-growing positions in European package travel, expanding from a UK-only startup in 2012 into eight markets and roughly 15% of the UK packaged travel market.  In this conversation, head of strategy Isabella Cheng unpacks the bigger shift behind that growth: dynamic packaging has gone from a niche 2% of the UK market in 2009 to about a quarter of it today, and Loveholidays has built its entire model around being the technology layer that aggregates flights and hotels on the fly rather than selling pre-built package holidays. Cheng also gets specific about where AI actually earns its place at the company, walking through how their chatbot Sandy handles the majority of customer chats at agent-level satisfaction and saves an estimated £4 million a year, and how AI-assisted coding has let engineering nearly double its deployment pace without adding headcount. She wraps with a candid take on the IPO question that's been trailing the company for years. All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. 12 de ago.

    CEO Spotlight: Filip Filipov of OAG

    Less than a year into leading OAG, CEO Filip Filipov sat down with PhocusWire's Linda Fox and the thing that's actually surprised him isn't AI, it's customers. Preferences are outrunning what technology can deliver, on both consumer and B2B sides. The industry, he says, is chasing customers' dreams of what a product could be rather than what's currently buildable. AI adoption matched his expectations directionally but beat them on speed — marketing, finance, and commercial teams picked it up as fast as engineering did. But he pushes back on treating adoption as even across the industry. A startup with the right people moves fast. A decades-old institution carrying legacy process and PII constraints is often capped at Copilot in Word. He's also skeptical of "AI" as a catch-all, lumping product, technology, and distribution together as if they're one thing. The conversation also covers the CEO role's personal weight and where he sees real innovation in travel. All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. 5 de ago.

    The new rules of travel discovery in the age of AI with Propellic and Stiplo

    Generative AI is transforming how travelers discover and book trips, according to a PhocusWire interview with John Matson, chief revenue officer of Propellic, and Carlo del Mistro, founder of Stiplo. Del Mistro said hotel owners often contact his company after finding their property missing from ChatGPT results. He likened today's AI visibility landscape to early SEO, when ranking drivers were poorly understood and constantly shifting. Matson said tracking is still early stage, though statistically relevant measurement is now possible to show movement on specific prompts. Generative engine optimization (GEO) is growing in importance alongside traditional SEO, which both speakers said still plays a major role, depending on the LLM used. AI referral traffic remains small but is growing exponentially, with higher conversion since those visitors arrive already qualified. On suppliers versus OTAs, Matson said he is bullish on suppliers, who can build products from physical assets and retain first party data. All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. 29 de jul.

    Travel's AI winners and losers: the debate continues

    Artificial intelligence is reshaping how travelers discover and book trips, but a critical question remains unresolved: will AI reinforce the industry's biggest players or tear down their advantages? In this episode, two of travel tech's most vocal commentators bring their ongoing public debate into the studio. Mario Gavira, chief marketing officer of Travelier, argues that AI is more likely to strengthen dominant OTAs and hotel groups than displace them. He points to their tech infrastructure, loyal customer bases and unique inventory as durable moats. In his view, AI simply becomes another marketing and booking channel, one the biggest brands are well positioned to exploit. Christian Watts, founder and CEO of Magpie, pushes back hard. He believes AI agents will fundamentally change the shopping experience, replacing endless search results with a handful of tailored options chosen on a traveler's behalf. That shift, he argues, could erode the advantages today's leaders depend on. The conversation moves through some of the industry's most contested questions: whether loyalty programs still matter when an agent can compare offers instantly, what role Google plays as AI reshapes discovery and whether AI platforms become the next gatekeepers travel brands have to negotiate with. Recorded live at Phocuswright Europe 2026 in Barcelona and hosted by PhocusWire's Linda Fox, this episode captures a debate that's been building across a series of opinion pieces for the past 18 months, now playing out face to face. All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. 6 de mai.

    CEO Spotlight: Gonzalo Estebarena of Despegar

    Just weeks into his new role as CEO of Despegar, Gonzalo Estebarena is outlining an ambitious vision for the Latin America-based OTA as it enters its next phase under Prosus ownership. Having previously served as Despegar’s CTO and chief commercial officer, Estebarena said the company has maintained its “startup soul” while gaining the scale and resources of a global technology company following Prosus’ $1.7 billion acquisition in 2025. A major focus is artificial intelligence, with Despegar committing $100 million annually over the next three years to AI development while aiming to triple the size of the business. Estebarena said access to Prosus has accelerated conversations with technology partners and provided Despegar with a “front-row seat” to AI experimentation and innovation. Expansion in Brazil is a key priority, particularly as Despegar works to become part of a broader Prosus ecosystem spanning travel, food delivery, entertainment and other consumer services. Estebarena described this strategy as targeting “life-decision moments” for consumers. He also discussed Prosus’ development of a “large commerce model,” designed to predict customer actions rather than words, enabling more personalized offers and communications that drive transactions. The interview also explores Uber’s move into hotels, Despegar’s internal AI projects and the leadership challenges Estebarena faces as CEO. All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. 30 de abr.

    Rethinking tours and activities distribution with CityUnscripted and Context Travel

    In this episode, the CEOs of CityUnscripted and Context Travel unpack how distribution in tours and activities is evolving as major platforms like Tripadvisor and Airbnb expand their presence. Nick Whitfield of CityUnscripted argues that while the landscape may appear increasingly commoditized, the reality is more nuanced. Overwhelming choice and sameness across listings create friction for consumers, opening the door for differentiated experiences to stand out. He points to shifting search behavior, driven in part by AI, as a catalyst that could benefit more distinctive, experience-led operators rather than purely scaled marketplaces. June Chin-Ramsey of Context Travel reinforces that differentiation will hinge on human connection. As definitions of luxury evolve, she sees a growing premium on meaning and personal attention rather than traditional markers like high-end amenities. Expert-led tours, she argues, deliver something technology cannot replicate. AI and augmented tools may enhance discovery and planning, but they will not replace the depth and authenticity of a knowledgeable guide. Together, the guests highlight a fragmented but opportunity-rich sector where success will depend on clarity of product, thoughtful use of technology and a renewed focus on human-led experiences. All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. 22 de abr.

    CEO Spotlight: Jeremy Sampson of The Travel Foundation

    The conversation around sustainability in tourism may feel more advanced than ever, but real change isn’t keeping pace. Jeremy Sampson, CEO of The Travel Foundation, argues that growing consensus on tourism’s environmental and social impact has created a misleading sense of progress. While awareness has increased, the system itself hasn’t evolved quickly enough to match the accelerating pressures of climate change and global instability. What the industry once expected to face years from now is already unfolding, compressing future risks into today’s reality. As these challenges intensify, Sampson believes regulation will become a key driver of change, shifting more control to destinations whether the industry is ready or not. He points to initiatives like the Canary Islands’ RegNext program as examples of collaboration between governments and industry to support more sustainable growth. At the same time, reframing sustainability through the lens of economic resilience is helping bring more stakeholders to the table. Still, gaps remain between what consumers say and what they do, raising questions about how success in tourism sustainability should ultimately be defined. All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Sobre

A regular dissection of the news, issues and trends in travel and technology, featuring interviews with industry executives and entrepreneurs and hosted by PhocusWire editors.

Informações

  • Criado por
    PhocusWire
  • Anos de atividade
    2024 - 2026
  • Episódios
    95
  • Classificação
    Livre
  • Copyright
    © 2026 PhocusWire
  • Site do podcast
    In Phocus

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