Acai Travel, a startup using artificial intelligence to drive efficiency for agency and call center environments, has signed Hopper as its latest partner. The deal sees Acai, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Startup for 2024, use its technology to support Hopper's human agents. The startup, which recently landed seed funding of $4 million, already counts companies including Globespan Travel Management among its customers.

During an interview in the PhocusWire studio at The Phocuswright Conference 2024, Riky Vittoria, CEO of Acai, shared details of the deal alongside Jo Lai, vice president of customer experience at Hopper.

The pair discussed the potential efficiency gains associated with implementing the technology as well as how the partnership might develop going forward.

<a href="https://acaitravel.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Acai Travel</a>, a startup using artificial intelligence to drive efficiency for agency and call center environments, has signed <a href="https://hopper.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Hopper</a> as its latest partner. The deal sees Acai, a <a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/Hot-25-Travel-Startups-for-2024-Acai-Travel" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">PhocusWire Hot 25 Startup for 2024</a>, use its technology to support Hopper's human agents. The startup, which recently <a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/acai-travel-seed-funding" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">landed seed funding of $4 million</a>, already counts companies including Globespan Travel Management among its customers.
During an interview in the PhocusWire studio at <a href="https://phocuswrightconference.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">The Phocuswright Conference 2024</a>, Riky Vittoria, CEO of Acai, shared details of the deal alongside Jo Lai, vice president of customer experience at Hopper. The pair discussed the potential efficiency gains associated with implementing the technology as well as how the partnership might develop going forward.

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.

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.

In Phocus is 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.

In Phocus

Acai Travel, a startup using artificial intelligence to drive efficiency for agency and call center environments, has signed Hopper as its latest partner.

Acai Travel helps Hopper boost customer service with AI tools

Multimodal travel is quickly becoming central to how people plan and experience trips, according to Rome2Rio CEO Wendy Olson Killion. Speaking at The Phocuswright Conference, Killion emphasized that multimodal transportation—combining flights, trains, buses and more—is no longer a niche behavior but a core part of travel. This shift is reflected in Rome2Rio’s data, where 50% of searches now involve multiple modes of transport. She noted that short-distance travel, particularly within 90 miles, is seeing significant growth, signaling changing consumer preferences and a broader definition of how trips are structured.

Several factors are driving this trend. Regulatory changes, such as European Union restrictions on regional flights, are encouraging alternatives like rail. At the same time, cultural influence is playing a role, with celebrities and influencers reshaping perceptions of train and surface travel. Killion described this as the “surface rising,” highlighting the growing importance of non-air options. Beyond consumer behavior, she also discussed her first year leading Rome2Rio after transitioning from Expedia Group, and how the company is addressing challenges like overtourism. Together, these dynamics point to a future where multimodal travel is not just an option but the foundation of trip planning.

Multimodal travel is quickly becoming central to how people plan and experience trips, according to Rome2Rio CEO Wendy Olson Killion. Speaking at The Phocuswright Conference, Killion emphasized that multimodal transportation&mdash;combining flights, trains, buses and more&mdash;is no longer a niche behavior but a core part of travel. This shift is reflected in Rome2Rio&rsquo;s data, where 50% of searches now involve multiple modes of transport. She noted that short-distance travel, particularly within 90 miles, is seeing significant growth, signaling changing consumer preferences and a broader definition of how trips are structured.
Several factors are driving this trend. Regulatory changes, such as European Union restrictions on regional flights, are encouraging alternatives like rail. At the same time, cultural influence is playing a role, with celebrities and influencers reshaping perceptions of train and surface travel. Killion described this as the &ldquo;surface rising,&rdquo; highlighting the growing importance of non-air options. Beyond consumer behavior, she also discussed her first year leading Rome2Rio after transitioning from Expedia Group, and how the company is addressing challenges like overtourism. Together, these dynamics point to a future where multimodal travel is not just an option but the foundation of trip planning.

Rome2Rio CEO Wendy Olson Killion says multimodal travel is rapidly becoming the core of trip planning, driven by shifting consumer behavior, regulation and cultural influence.

CEO Spotlight: Wendy Olson Killion of Rome2Rio

Nishank Gopalkrishnan, six months into his role as CEO of Dreamlines, is focused on understanding both the cruise industry and how the company can stand out in a relatively under-digitized segment of travel. Drawing on experience across startups and major players like TUI and MakeMyTrip, he sees cruises as a fragmented market with significant room for innovation. Despite representing only a small share of global tourism, the cruise sector presents a major opportunity to modernize booking and packaging, which he and his team are actively working to reimagine.

A key pillar of this transformation is artificial intelligence, which Dreamlines is embedding into its rebuilt technology stack to drive more efficient and dynamic cruise packaging across both consumer and business channels. Gopalkrishnan also points to AI’s potential to enhance personalization, particularly within loyalty programs, while acknowledging broader industry challenges and his own early hurdles as CEO. Overall, his vision centers on leveraging technology to unlock a more seamless, personalized and scalable cruise experience.

Nishank Gopalkrishnan, six months into his role as CEO of Dreamlines, is focused on understanding both the cruise industry and how the company can stand out in a relatively under-digitized segment of travel. Drawing on experience across startups and major players like TUI and MakeMyTrip, he sees cruises as a fragmented market with significant room for innovation. Despite representing only a small share of global tourism, the cruise sector presents a major opportunity to modernize booking and packaging, which he and his team are actively working to reimagine.
A key pillar of this transformation is artificial intelligence, which Dreamlines is embedding into its rebuilt technology stack to drive more efficient and dynamic cruise packaging across both consumer and business channels. Gopalkrishnan also points to AI&rsquo;s potential to enhance personalization, particularly within loyalty programs, while acknowledging broader industry challenges and his own early hurdles as CEO. Overall, his vision centers on leveraging technology to unlock a more seamless, personalized and scalable cruise experience.

Dreamlines CEO Nishank Gopalkrishnan is betting on AI and digital innovation to modernize cruise booking and unlock growth in an underdeveloped segment of the travel industry.

CEO Spotlight: Nishank Gopalkrishnan of Dreamlines

Travel companies are entering a far more regulated era as governments in Europe and the U.K. expand consumer protections to reflect how travel is now bought and sold. Historically, regulations like the Package Travel Directive focused on bundled trips, but new rules extend coverage to services purchased within a 24-hour window, even if booked separately across a single platform. According to Rhys Griffiths of Fox Williams, this marks a significant shift, potentially requiring more companies to obtain licenses and implement insolvency protections. As a result, businesses that once operated outside strict regulatory frameworks may now face tighter operational constraints and oversight.

At the same time, broader regulatory pressures are intensifying. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive will require travel companies to disclose environmental, social and governance risks, including how climate change could impact demand patterns and business performance. Additional measures like the Digital Services Act are also increasing scrutiny, particularly around online content such as illegal listings. With penalties increasingly tied to company turnover, the financial stakes are high. Taken together, these changes are dramatically widening the regulatory net, catching many travel companies off guard as they struggle to keep pace with evolving compliance requirements.

Travel companies are entering a far more regulated era as governments in Europe and the U.K. expand consumer protections to reflect how travel is now bought and sold. Historically, regulations like the Package Travel Directive focused on bundled trips, but new rules extend coverage to services purchased within a 24-hour window, even if booked separately across a single platform. According to Rhys Griffiths of Fox Williams, this marks a significant shift, potentially requiring more companies to obtain licenses and implement insolvency protections. As a result, businesses that once operated outside strict regulatory frameworks may now face tighter operational constraints and oversight.
At the same time, broader regulatory pressures are intensifying. The EU&rsquo;s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive will require travel companies to disclose environmental, social and governance risks, including how climate change could impact demand patterns and business performance. Additional measures like the Digital Services Act are also increasing scrutiny, particularly around online content such as illegal listings. With penalties increasingly tied to company turnover, the financial stakes are high. Taken together, these changes are dramatically widening the regulatory net, catching many travel companies off guard as they struggle to keep pace with evolving compliance requirements.

Travel companies face sweeping new regulations across Europe and the U.K., expanding consumer protections, ESG reporting requirements and compliance risks that will significantly impact how they operate.

Acai Travel helps Hopper boost customer service with AI tools

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