Andrés Spitzer took over as CEO of Civitatis on January 1, 2026, after leading product and technology at the tours and activities marketplace. In this conversation with PhocusWire’s Linda Fox, recorded in the PhocusWire Studio, he reflects on his first six months in the role. Conflict in the Middle East forced his team to change how it operates and shift demand to other markets. Spitzer names AI-driven discovery and trust as the biggest challenges facing the industry. Travelers have moved from searching Google to asking questions to asking agents to act for them. Activities lag far behind flights and hotels in technology maturity, and Spitzer explains what Civitatis must fix to be ready for agentic commerce. He also covers how millions of traveler reviews build trust, lessons he brought from Amazon and the company’s growth in Latin America, including its new partnership with Despegar.

<p>Andr&eacute;s Spitzer took over as CEO of Civitatis on January 1, 2026, after leading product and technology at the tours and activities marketplace. In this conversation with PhocusWire&rsquo;s Linda Fox, recorded in the PhocusWire Studio, he reflects on his first six months in the role. Conflict in the Middle East forced his team to change how it operates and shift demand to other markets. Spitzer names AI-driven discovery and trust as the biggest challenges facing the industry. Travelers have moved from searching Google to asking questions to asking agents to act for them. Activities lag far behind flights and hotels in technology maturity, and Spitzer explains what Civitatis must fix to be ready for agentic commerce. He also covers how millions of traveler reviews build trust, lessons he brought from Amazon and the company&rsquo;s growth in Latin America, including its new partnership with Despegar.</p>

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.

<p>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.</p>

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

Civitatis CEO Andrés Spitzer on his first six months in charge, AI discovery, trust, agentic commerce in activities and growth in Latin America.