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.

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.

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

AI is reshaping travel discovery through generative engine optimization, and while tracking AI visibility remains early stage and murky like SEO once was, traditional SEO still matters, referral traffic from AI platforms is growing with higher conversion rates, and suppliers are gaining ground over OTAs due to their first party data and physical assets.

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

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.

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 &mdash; 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.

OAG CEO Filip Filipov tells PhocusWire's Linda Fox that less than a year in, the real surprise isn't AI's rapid adoption — it's that customer expectations are moving even faster than the technology can keep up, while AI itself remains unevenly adopted across an industry still conflating product, technology, and distribution under one buzzword.

CEO Spotlight: Filip Filipov of OAG

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.

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.

Two travel tech leaders face off in Barcelona over whether AI will strengthen the industry's biggest brands or dismantle the advantages that built them.

Travel's AI winners and losers: the debate continues

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.

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.

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

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