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.

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&rsquo;s CTO and chief commercial officer, Estebarena said the company has maintained its &ldquo;startup soul&rdquo; while gaining the scale and resources of a global technology company following Prosus&rsquo; $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 &ldquo;front-row seat&rdquo; 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 &ldquo;life-decision moments&rdquo; for consumers.
He also discussed Prosus&rsquo; development of a &ldquo;large commerce model,&rdquo; designed to predict customer actions rather than words, enabling more personalized offers and communications that drive transactions. The interview also explores Uber&rsquo;s move into hotels, Despegar&rsquo;s internal AI projects and the leadership challenges Estebarena faces as CEO.

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

Newly appointed Despegar CEO Gonzalo Estebarena says the OTA plans to triple in size through aggressive AI investment, deeper integration into the Prosus ecosystem and major expansion in Brazil as it evolves from a regional travel company into a broader commerce platform.