The event saw the launch of the GEA Group - Travel Agency, which announced investments in Brazil. Also present were official representatives of the GEA Group in Brazil, the Inter-American Network, Danielle Roman, CEO, and her brother Ricardo Román Junior, CCO.
Marcelo Capdevila, co-founder of TravelGEA and partner of SAJOMA Negocios Ganaderos, as well as creator of AsegureLinely.com , gave an exclusive interview to Travel2Latam.
Marcelo Capdevila, a veteran with almost forty years of experience in the tourism industry, offers us a unique perspective on his career and the future of the sector. From his beginnings at Assist Card to his crucial role in the GEA Group, Capdevila has been a witness and protagonist of important changes in tourism.
Capdevila began his career at Assist Card in Argentina, where he became general manager. Later he worked in another travel assistance company and in a prominent travel agency in Argentina. His vast experience allowed him to import a successful model from Europe to Latin America: the GEA Group.
The GEA Group, the largest independent travel agency management group in Latin America, was born in Spain more than thirty years ago and was established in Portugal twenty years ago. In Latin America, the GEA Group was launched first in Argentina, then in Peru and is now expanding to Brazil, which represents its greatest challenge due to its size and regional diversity.
According to Capdevila, retail travel agencies face the same problems around the world: accounting management, technology, social media and more. The GEA Group provides technological solutions and profitability agreements that agencies could not achieve on their own. GEA Group's global and local agreements significantly benefit local agencies.
Capdevila highlights the hyperconnectivity of the modern world and the importance of global alliances in the tourism industry. The GEA Group, with a presence in more than five countries, develops agreements that favor local agencies. In addition, it has agreements with more than twenty local suppliers, including important tour operators.
The future of tourism, according to Capdevila, is very promising. More than 1,400 hotel beds are opened and more than 7 cruises are launched with 3,000 passengers every day. Despite the current problems in aircraft production, travel demand continues to grow. Capdevila highlights that tourism is the great industry of the future, even surpassing sectors such as mining and energy.
Finally, Capdevila addresses the role of artificial intelligence in tourism. He believes that, like the Internet, AI is a fundamental complement. Far from being a threat, AI used well can improve efficiency and customer service. The GEA Group is developing its own artificial intelligence to help travel agents.
Report and photo: Mary de Aquino.