Online Travel Agency

PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of online travel agencies, featuring news, analysis, interviews, research and more on the brands and their strategies, executives and positions in the market.

Interview / Startups

Startup Stage: Voyagier targets luxury travel with AI-powered trip planning and booking

By Cathy Walsh | May 11, 2026

The early-stage startup brings together AI-powered trip planning, luxury travel advisors and booking infrastructure. Read More

Opinion / Technology

Agentic commerce in travel: Who wins, who loses and what to do about it

By Mario Gavira | May 11, 2026

Mario Gavira argues that travel companies face sharply different levels of exposure to agentic AI disruption, with loyalty, unique inventory and human expertise emerging as key defenses. Read More

News / Finance

Expedia Group hits record Q1 profitability amid AI overhaul

By Morgan Hines | May 7, 2026

CEO Ariane Gorin shared concrete examples of how AI has driven performance across the business. Read More

Interview / Online

CEO Spotlight: Gonzalo Estebarena of Despegar

By Linda Fox | May 6, 2026

Despegar's CEO Gonzalo Estebarena discusses the Prosus acquisition, internal and external AI developments and growth plans. Read More

News / Technology

How travel companies are approaching agentic AI

By Mark Frary | May 5, 2026

Travel companies are exploring how AI agents can support internal workflows and operational tasks, while setting limits on autonomy for customer-facing tools. Read More

News / Online

Phocuswright Europe 2026: Navigating the new era

By PhocusWire | May 4, 2026

The Barcelona conference will examine how artificial intelligence, distribution shifts and changing traveler expectations are reshaping travel strategy. Read More

News / Distribution

DirectBooker announces hotel partners, ChatGPT app

By Linda Fox | April 30, 2026

DirectBooker, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Startup for 2026, has also launched an app in ChatGPT and a connector in Claude. Read More

From Our Partners / Technology

Hospitality's tech crossroads: Staying human in an increasingly digital industry

By PhocusWire | April 30, 2026

Find out how hotels and travel agencies can adopt technology without losing the human relationships at the core of hospitality. Read More

News / Technology

Ixigo launches three ChatGPT apps

By Cathy Walsh | April 30, 2026

The India-based online travel company has added ChatGPT apps across ixigo, AbhiBus and ConfirmTkt, allowing users to search and compare travel options in a conversational interface. Read More

News / Distribution

Hilton to bring app to more AI platforms

By Linda Fox | April 29, 2026

Hilton unveiled an Anthropic-powered AI trip planner in March. Read More

News / Finance

Booking Holdings’ play to keep travelers in ecosystem with AI

By Morgan Hines | April 28, 2026

The company shared strong Q1 results, AI updates and its outlook on the conflict in the Middle East. Read More

News / Online

AirAsia MOVE CEO on Gen Z travelers, trust and super apps

By Yeoh Siew Hoon - WiT | April 28, 2026

AirAsia Move CEO Nadia Omer discusses Gen Z travelers, AI and trust and OTAs in the future. Read More

News / Distribution

The short-term rental platforms rolling out alternative business models

By Matthew Parsons | April 28, 2026

Short-term rental platforms are reviving subscription models as hosts seek lower distribution costs and more control over bookings. Read More

News / Online

Travel loyalty has a customer measurement problem—payments data is the fix

By Prashant Shah - Galileo Financial Technologies | April 27, 2026

Prashant Shah, VP of product management at Galileo Financial Technologies, argues travel loyalty programs must use payments data beyond credit cards to identify and retain high-value customers. Read More