Modern CTO Why You’ll Never Plan Another Vacation with Vipul Hingne, CTO at Booking.com
Feb 9, 2026
Vipul Hingne, interim CTO at Booking.com and seasoned tech leader from Microsoft and PlayStation, discusses how AI is reshaping travel beyond planning. He describes Booking.com's 14-week AI trip planner built with OpenAI. Topics include connected trips, handling disruptions with AI, property Q&A and review summaries, and scaling GenAI across teams.
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Travel Is A Connected Experience
- Travel is a connected experience, not isolated bookings for flights or hotels.
- GenAI excels at turning conversational requests into cohesive itineraries quickly.
Automate Real Friction Points First
- Use AI to remove friction where customers face real problems, like notifying providers of delays.
- Focus on practical automations that communicate changes to taxis, car rentals, and hotels in real time.
Personalized Summaries From Reviews
- GenAI can personalize hotel recommendations by summarizing thousands of reviews to match traveler preferences.
- It can also answer specific questions not listed on property sites, improving booking confidence.