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.

Veronica Diquattro, president of B2C and supply for Omio, is set to participate in a panel called “The Great Ground Shift” on June 11. The panel will focus on the ground transportation sector’s ongoing transformation.

Below, Diquattro opens up about what she’s working on, the challenges she faces, how Omio is experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) and more.

What are you working on currently that excites you?

In anticipation of the opportunities and demands presented by peak summer season, we are introducing a series of innovative product features to enhance the user experience and minimize potential travel disruption. The availability of these new services, in addition to our category-leading technology and inventory stack, will ensure a seamless, end-to-end booking process and elevated journeys for Omio customers.

What are the greatest challenges you currently face?

Omio’s greatest challenges are twofold: macroeconomic and environmental, creating significant “travel turbulence,” challenging business conditions and widespread consumer uncertainty.

Intense competition from monopolistic industry players requires a strategic and agile approach to ensure the business sustainably increases market share. Since the pandemic, Omio has adopted a risk mitigation mindset, with a restless focus on operational resilience to lessen the impact of unforeseen external factors such as blackouts, strikes and natural disasters on our users.

In what areas are you currently experimenting with AI?

Omio has been leveraging the power of AI for many years to augment the pre-, during- and post-booking experience. We are exploring how AI automation can optimize internal workflows and improve productivity across our three business divisions.

Travel is a deeply personal experience, and consumers demand complete customization to accommodate individual preferences and manage their journeys effectively. To achieve this, our teams harness AI as a tool to enhance creativity, foster product innovation and accelerate decision-making. By leveraging AI, we can empower team excellence, helping us to develop a better product at speed and continuously improve the user experience.

How do you see agentic AI changing the industry?

Agentic AI has the potential to significantly transform the travel sector, disrupting norms of how consumers discover, book and manage journeys.

Despite the technology’s promise, integrating agentic AI effectively presents many challenges, such as the need for robust data privacy measures, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of AI-driven recommendations and adapting existing business models. Agentic AI is still very much in its infancy and requires a level of maturation before realizing its potential.

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

The one thing I would change about the industry would be to resolve the inherent lack of transparency and expedience. The spirit of collaboration via partnerships with like-minded operators and suppliers is a guiding principle of our business, and without it, meaningful change for travelers will not be achievable. At Omio, we are open to extending our expertise in connected journeys to governments with a commitment to increasing investment in transport infrastructure and transformative technology.