As we count down to Phocuswright Europe, taking place in Barcelona from June 10 through June 12, PhocusWire is shining the spotlight on a selection of conference speakers in a series of Q&As.

Bodo Thielmann, chief investment director at HomeToGo, will take part in an executive panel called “Rooms, Rules & Rivalries” on Thursday, June 12. The panel will focus on Europe’s short-term rental market as it faces rising demand, changing regulations and competition.

Below, Thielmann opens up about what he’s working on, professional insights, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and more.

What are you working on currently that excites you?

As recently announced, HomeToGo has signed a binding agreement to acquire Interhome. This marks a significant milestone—not only as HomeToGo’s largest deal to date but as a transformative shift for our business.

Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in the first half of 2025 with subsequent consolidation by HomeToGo SE. With Interhome onboard, we would be positioned to further serve the needs of homeowners and travelers by expanding our portfolio of software and tech-enabled service solutions across the host-to-guest value chain—shaping HomeToGo into Europe’s leading vacation rental powerhouse.

If you could change one thing about your business and/or the industry overnight, what would it be?

One of the biggest challenges in our industry is the lack of transparency and limited investor understanding. At HomeToGo, a key part of my mission is to engage with investors and other stakeholders to illuminate the long-term growth potential of the vacation rental space—an industry that remains highly fragmented and under-digitized, with significant room for innovation and expansion.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known 20 years ago?

With 20 years of professional experience—including a decade in the vacation rental industry—I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of timing and momentum in driving successful deals and strategic investments. While some of these insights come only with experience, they’re critical for navigating a fast-moving, dynamic industry.

One key takeaway: Agility is essential. At HomeToGo, we excel in staying adaptable—continuously learning, evolving and responding to the latest developments in our business and the broader travel landscape. This is exemplified with things like the creation and launch of HomeToGo_PRO, as well as the latest AI advancements on the HomeToGo Marketplace, where we are leading the vacation rental industry.

When we look back in five years time, what will be the biggest impact of AI?

AI is more than a buzzword—it represents a transformative shift across many industries. However, I do believe that areas such as M&A [mergers and acquisitions] and investor relations will remain mainly human-driven for the foreseeable future, given the nuance, trust and strategic judgment involved. That said, HomeToGo does already leverage AI where possible on the commercial and legal due diligence side of M&A deals.

In the travel industry generally, AI is already playing a critical role in streamlining the search, booking and post-booking experience. Looking ahead, I believe we’ll see the rise of end-to-end AI travel companions that fundamentally redefine how people search and book their trips. In fact, this is already something that HomeToGo has announced it is working towards.

What’s one thing about travel you would tell newcomers to the industry?

The travel industry is diverse: There [are] OTAs [online travel agencies], flights, tours, business, leisure…the list goes on. It’s essential not to treat it as a single, uniform market. Instead, take an investor’s perspective: Identify and differentiate the specific segments of the travel ecosystem that align with your strategy and offer the most potential.

Travel remains a resilient category—often one of the last areas where consumers cut back—and that’s especially true for vacation rentals, which have always fared best within the travel space, even in moments like the great financial crisis or the COVID pandemic. So with a thoughtful, targeted approach, there is significant opportunity for growth and long-term success in this space.