In Phocus

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 cruises as a fragmented market with significant room for innovation. Despite representing only a small share of global tourism, the cruise sector presents a major opportunity to modernize booking and packaging, which he and his team are actively working to reimagine. A key pillar of this transformation is artificial intelligence, which Dreamlines is embedding into its rebuilt technology stack to drive more efficient and dynamic cruise packaging across both consumer and business channels. Gopalkrishnan also points to AI’s potential to enhance personalization, particularly within loyalty programs, while acknowledging broader industry challenges and his own early hurdles as CEO. Overall, his vision centers on leveraging technology to unlock a more seamless, personalized and scalable cruise experience.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 purchased within a 24-hour window, even if booked separately across a single platform. According to Rhys Griffiths of Fox Williams, this marks a significant shift, potentially requiring more companies to obtain licenses and implement insolvency protections. As a result, businesses that once operated outside strict regulatory frameworks may now face tighter operational constraints and oversight. At the same time, broader regulatory pressures are intensifying. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive will require travel companies to disclose environmental, social and governance risks, including how climate change could impact demand patterns and business performance. Additional measures like the Digital Services Act are also increasing scrutiny, particularly around online content such as illegal listings. With penalties increasingly tied to company turnover, the financial stakes are high. Taken together, these changes are dramatically widening the regulatory net, catching many travel companies off guard as they struggle to keep pace with evolving compliance requirements.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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) at PKFARE, discuss how improved servicing and post-ticketing functionality are beginning to drive real operational efficiencies. While adoption still varies across airlines and agencies, both note that the foundation is now in place, with airlines in Europe and the U.S. leading the way through stronger content strategies and distribution approaches, while travel sellers continue to navigate technology and post-booking challenges. The conversation also explores what comes next, including the growing role of intermediaries in bridging gaps across the ecosystem and making NDC content more accessible. Looking ahead, Jameson and Faubel highlight the importance of data and customer-centric retailing, emphasizing the need for robust data architecture to better understand traveler behavior. Combined with advances in AI, these capabilities are set to power more dynamic, personalized and responsive travel experiences as airline distribution continues to evolve.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 traditional data centers can reduce expenses and increase operational efficiency, the real advantage lies in the ability to experiment, scale and innovate quickly. Evers discusses how tools like Amazon Bedrock allow companies to test and deploy different AI models depending on the use case, helping organizations determine when generative AI makes sense and when traditional machine learning may be the better option. This flexibility enables travel companies to build smarter applications while controlling costs. The conversation also explores how cloud technology is democratizing innovation across the travel ecosystem. From global airlines to early-stage startups, organizations can access the same powerful infrastructure and tools to develop new solutions. Evers shares insights on emerging AI use cases, the role of cloud in shaping future travel technology and how companies can use these capabilities to enhance traveler experiences.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 the company is shifting from long-term strategic planning to rapid, three- to six-month execution cycles to keep pace with technological change. Drawing on her background in accounting, SaaS and private equity, Mackintosh explains her “three-legged stool” approach to leadership, balancing the needs of hoteliers, employees and investors. She discusses Aven’s immediate investment priorities, including modernizing its platform for AI, strengthening its booking engine, and expanding payments and retailing capabilities to become the commerce hub for hotel partners. Mackintosh also addresses the fragmentation of the hospitality tech ecosystem, the risks and opportunities of agentic AI, the future of SaaS, and who stands to win or lose in the evolving battle between direct and intermediary distribution. Tune in for a candid conversation with PhocusWire’s Linda Fox on strategy, AI and the future of hotel technology.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel selling is evolving fast and new players are redefining how trips are discovered and booked. This episode features Jake Peters, co-founder and chief product and technology officer at Fora, and Maarten van Pijpen, chief growth officer at Unravel, in conversation with PhocusWire senior reporter Morgan Hines. The discussion explores how AI, social media and changing consumer behavior are reshaping distribution. Fora represents a modern travel agency model, using technology and AI to empower a new generation of travel advisors. But while tech enhances efficiency and personalization, Peters emphasizes that humans remain essential. AI assists advisors, it does not replace them. Like a fitness app versus a personal coach, technology can guide, but human expertise and accountability elevate the experience. Unravel takes a different approach. Often described as “TikTok meets Expedia,” the company delivers travel inspiration through a shoppable video feed, connecting discovery directly to booking. With younger travelers consuming hours of video daily and turning to platforms like TikTok for vacation ideas, Unravel aims to seamlessly link inspiration with transaction in a self-service environment. Together, the executives share how AI supports their business models, how social platforms are becoming key distribution channels and what they’re building toward in 2026. The takeaway: the future of travel selling is not just about AI. It’s about how companies blend technology, personalization and the right level of human touch.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gen AI is gaining real traction in corporate travel and this time, it’s more than experimentation. In this episode of In Phocus, Marilyn Markham, VP of AI and automation strategy at American Express Global Business Travel, and Mat Orrego, CEO and co-founder of Cornerstone Information Systems, explore how AI is reshaping the sector. While early chatbots left many travelers frustrated and eager to “scream for a human,” today’s AI-powered assistants are changing expectations. The conversation examines whether corporate travel can combine modern generative AI with deep travel expertise to finally deliver the intelligent, intuitive chat experiences the industry once envisioned. The discussion also dives into AI’s evolving role in the ecosystem, growing user comfort with AI agents, the shift from experimentation to real-world application, and the critical importance of data in powering what comes next. As AI steps out from the wings and into daily operations, corporate travel may be entering a new era of intelligent assistance.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skyscanner CEO Bryan Batista is nearly a year into the job, and he’s already uncovered a few surprises about what it really takes to lead one of travel’s biggest metasearch platforms. Recorded live from the PhocusWire studio at The Phocuswright Conference, Batista joins PhocusWire’s Linda Fox to talk about Skyscanner’s traveler-first mindset, why the company sometimes turns down revenue opportunities, and where it still sees major room for growth in global markets. Batista also dives into the opportunities and challenges of AI in travel, from the industry’s struggle with personalization to the complexity of building a connected trip. And as questions swirl about whether large language models could disrupt metasearch, Batista explains why Skyscanner believes it can be a key player in the emerging AI travel ecosystem.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the CEO of one of the world’s largest travel companies spends her weekends experimenting with ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity? You get a front-row view into how Expedia Group is thinking about the next era of travel. In this episode, Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin sits down with Mitra Sorrells, SVP of content at Phocuswright/PhocusWire, to unpack how a long-standing test-and-learn mindset is shaping the company’s AI strategy and accelerating decision-making across the business. Gorin calls AI Expedia Group’s “third chapter”, following the internet and mobile. And she’s clear: this is not theoretical. It’s happening fast and it’s already changing how travelers search, discover and book. You’ll hear: Why experimentation is now a leadership muscle, not a side project How Expedia is thinking about visibility in AI platforms as search evolves What “agentic AI” could unlock for the traveler experience How the Google Universal Commerce Protocol fits into Expedia’s future plans Why tours and activities matter more than ever, and what Tiqets brings to the table The role of brand in an AI-driven world, plus updates on B2B growth and Vrbo This conversation goes beyond buzzwords and product launches. It’s a candid look at how a global travel platform prepares for rapid change while staying focused on what actually improves the traveler experience.All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The definition of luxury travel fluctuates across demographics, and how technology plays into that is also changing with evolving needs and tools like artificial intelligence (AI). “Luxury audiences ... they vary greatly depending on level of maturity of that wealth, where they're hailing from across the planet, whether or not they're a solo traveler or traveling in a group, [if they are] multi-generational and where they sit in the luxury ladder,” Kristie Goshow, chief commercial officer at Loews Hotels & Co, said during an interview in the PhocusWire studio at The Phocuswright Conference. Luxury travelers are often looking for technology to remove friction on their trips, Goshow said. Hospitality providers are expected to improve experience, and tech has to enable that. Phocuswright’s 2025 U.S. Consumer Travel Report found that “indulgent explorers,” defined by their per-person, per-day leisure travel spend, excluding airfare, are more tech savvy. The study revealed 78% seek out and enjoy being an early adopter of new technology, compared with 38% of the general population. Skylark CEO Mike Greene agreed. While definitions can vary, for Greene, luxury hinges on dynamic personalization. “It's about being proactive, having service be super proactive about—and attentive to—what people need before they even know what they need,” Greene said. “And technology can play a huge role in that.”All episodes: https://www.phocuswire.com/in-phocusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.