The travel industry always seems to be on the front lines of technological disruption—and for good reason! With so many stakeholders involved in getting travelers from A to B, there’s potential for inefficiencies to emerge at myriad steps along the journey from booking to landing.
But in this new “age of AI,” the opportunity to streamline processes and transform the sector has never been stronger.
To unpack this moment for travel entrepreneurs, we welcome TravelAI Co-Founder and CEO John Lyotier onto the show. TravelAI is an applied AI company that connects high-intent travelers to the largest travel websites in the world and over 10 million properties through a network of interconnected brands. The company was an early spin-out of Canadian-based Left Technologies (which John also co-founded) and built upon years of experience in online marketplaces and e-commerce.
By partnering with the world’s largest travel retailers, TravelAI matches millions of travelers with their dream destinations each year, facilitating more than $1.5B in gross booking value and 6M nights booked since 2016
But as we alluded to earlier, this is hardly John’s first go-round as a Founder and entrepreneur. Today and in his past roles, John strives to lead by example, making even the most difficult business decisions based upon what is ‘right’ for all stakeholders, while advocating for responsible growth and championing Sustainable Commerce.
It’s a fantastic mission, and we pick John’s brain on his journey into the startup space, experience as a leading entrepreneur, and what’s on deck for the rest of 2024.
Data remains the “new oil” in the age of AI
By leveraging AI to help identify high-intent travelers, John Lyotier and his team at TravelAI are able to match these users with content that delivers true value.
While the old adage “data is the new oil” was born before artificial intelligence started showing up in every corner of our day-to-day lives, it’s never been truer, as data helps fuel the powerful innovation being spun out by John’s team.
John and the team at TravelAI are leveraging artificial intelligence to better understand consumer intent and create more meaningful connections between the travelers and businesses he works with.
Thanks to AI, John’s team can accelerate these learning processes and better cultivate meaningful, well-curated content streams.
Artificial intelligence allows teams to innovate and create things faster than ever before. It’s also given companies like TravelAI the agility and speed they need to scale and achieve growth while bringing more powerful solutions to market.
Stream the full interview with John on Boast’s YouTube Channel here.
To learn more about optimizing your R&D and maximizing your access to innovation capital, talk to an expert from Boast today.
