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 maintaine…

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…

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 awarenes…

Hotel stack readiness for AI with SiteMinder and Scenic Hotel Group

Hotels are actively exploring AI as a strategic investment, with a strong focus on improving guest engagement and operational efficiency. James Bishop of SiteMinder emphasizes that the real opportunity lies in automation, not workforce reduction, but enabling staff to work more productively. Chris …

CEO Spotlight: Wendy Olson Killion of Rome2Rio

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 bu…

CEO Spotlight: Nishank Gopalkrishnan of Dreamlines

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 cr…

Travel platforms face cost and compliance impact of changing regulations

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 purc…

Ancillaries, AI and agentic: Where is airline distribution heading with Mystifly and PKFARE

The airline distribution landscape is entering a new phase as New Distribution Capability (NDC) adoption accelerates and the industry moves toward modern offer and order models. In this episode, Jeremy Jameson, VP of the Americas at Mystifly, and Jesus Monzo Faubel, senior director of flights (west…

Travel in the cloud with Tedd Evers of AWS

Migrating to the cloud is transforming how travel companies operate, innovate and serve travelers. In this episode, Tedd Evers, Global Partner Leader of Travel and Hospitality at Amazon Web Services (AWS), explains why cloud adoption is about more than cost savings. While moving away from tradition…

CEO Spotlight: Teresa Mackintosh of Aven Hospitality

Aven Hospitality may be a new name, but CEO Teresa Mackintosh is already deep into the company’s next chapter. Following its 2025 acquisition by TPG and separation from former owner Sabre, Mackintosh has spent the past six months preparing Aven to stand on its own. In this episode, she shares how …