Although Latin America has lagged behind the United States and Europe in recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the largest online travel agency in the region has worked hard not to let the crisis go to waste.
According to Damian Scokin, CEO of Despegar, the Latin America-based OTA will emerge from the pandemic stronger - but with a team that is “more committed and leaner than when we entered” the pandemic.
Speaking in the PhocusWire Studio at last week’s Phocuswright Conference in Florida, Scokin explains that in some ways, Despegar is now operating like a startup.
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But that isn’t dulling its ambitions for “growth, growth and more growth” going into 2022.
Recent acquisitions such as Best Day, which Despegar purchased for $136 million in January, have helped strengthen its position in Mexico, Scokin says.
Speaking with PhocusWire news editor Jill Menze, Scokin also explains how Despegar has altered its marketing spend amid the COVID-19 crisis, how it landed an investment round in August of this year and the broader trends he sees in online travel distribution.
Watch the full interview below.
Executive Inteview: Despegar on using the pandemic to its advantage