CONX 2025 | A conversation with Alex Gisbert
At CONX 2025, the future of travel took center stage—and few voices stood out more than that of Alex Gisbert, CEO of Hotel Distribute. As a sponsor of this year’s event and the moderator of the highly anticipated roundtable “New Strategies in B2B Travel,” Alex brought sharp insights and bold ideas to the table.
About HotelDistribute:HotelDistribute is redefining the landscape of DMCs within travel distribution by streamlining connectivity and empowering DMCs to take control of their distribution strategies. Our vision is to create an open, efficient, and transparent platform where DMCs can seamlessly connect, manage, transact, and collect funds with incremental distribution channels.
By leveraging cutting-edge technology and fostering collaborative relationships with trusted tour operators and travel sellers, we aim to simplify the complexities of reaching local hotel rates, drive more conversion and bring power back to DMCs around the planet.
The travel industry is often seen as fragmented with many moving parts. From your perspective, how important is it for all industry stakeholders to be ‘connected’ in today’s market – and how does your company foster these connections? Can you share a success story that illustrates these connections in action?The travel industry is inherently complex, with layers of intermediaries, varying distribution channels, and diverse market demands. At HotelDistribute, we believe that seamless connectivity isn’t just important—it’s essential. Our platform is designed to bridge the gaps between hotels, DMCs, travel agents, tour operators, and technology partners, creating a frictionless network where data and availability are shared in real-time for the benefot of all.
In our increasingly digital world, traditional human connections sometimes take a backseat. How does your organization ensure that personal, human interactions continue to thrive, both internally and with your customers? What specific initiatives or technologies are you employing to make digital interactions as meaningful as face-to-face engagements?While technology is at the core of what we do, we understand that genuine human connections are irreplaceable. Internally, we prioritize a collaborative culture with regular team syncs, open communication channels, and mentorship programs that foster real relationships.
Externally, our customer success team is dedicated to personalized engagement, ensuring that every client is supported with tailored solutions and proactive communication in whichever medium our partners wish to work with: whats app, email phone. Telegram, video call etc..
Additionally, we are putting community pages, videos and newsletters to our DMCs and Travel Sellers to keep them abreast of all enhancements to HotelDistribute dynamically.
Every industry faces its own challenges, and travel is no exception. What do you believe are the most pressing challenges in the travel industry today, and how is your company planning to tackle them? How do you see these strategies evolving with the continuous changes in consumer behavior and technology?
The most pressing challenges in the travel industry today include fragmentation in distribution, rate disparity, and technological interoperability.
Our strategy is built around simplifying distribution by offering a single-point connectivity solution that unifies multiple channels, eliminates rate discrepancies, fosters trusts and enhances visibility for hoteliers. If we do that well we can continue to scale of the benefir of all our partners.
Events like ConX and AfterX emphasize the value of building relationships – not only between companies, but also with customers and partners. Could you discuss how you view these connections and why they are essential for mutual growth? How do you measure the impact of these relationships on your overall business success?
Relationships are the backbone of our business. Events like ConX and AfterX serve as critical touchpoints for building trust, sharing insights, and aligning on common goals. For us, these events are not just about networking—they’re about solidifying partnerships that drive mutual growth and understanding.
B2B travel distribution is a rapidly shifting landscape. What is your perspective on the current trends in B2B travel distribution, and what do you foresee in the near future? Are there any emerging technologies or partnerships that you are particularly excited about in this realm?
The B2B travel distribution landscape is moving towards greater automation, enabling personalisation, real-time data synchronization, and enhanced connectivity across markets.
We are particularly excited about advancements in API integrations and payment innovations for secure, transparent transactions. Additionally, we have a major road map on putting realtime technology in the hands of DMCs for automated market management capabilities.
We are also closely watching the rise of dynamic packaging capabilities using AI that allow DMCs and tour operators agents to bundle hotel, transfer, and experience bookings seamlessly for single as well multi day trips.
How do you believe events like ConX help to unify the fragmented travel industry and drive innovation and growth? What advice would you give to other industry players seeking to strengthen their networks and relationships in today’s dynamic environment?
Travelgate is a key partner and we are proud to be sponsors of ConX this year. ConX serves as a critical convergence point where industry players can meet to exchange ideas, align on technological needs, explore collaborative solutions as well as an opportunity to deepen relationships and accelerate innovation. My advice to other industry players attending ConX is simple: prioritize partnerships that foster open connectivity and transparency and above all… trust.