As Google keeps expanding its AI-powered search capabilities, likely bolstering its dominance in the travel industry, Viator’s founder Rod Cuthbert became quite emotional during a recent WIT Japan session
May 16, 2024
“We were the ones who were out there with the risk capital doing the development, figuring out how to do this. Everybody else followed along, right? We spent absolute fortunes with Google. We spent billions and billions of dollars. And now they come along and they say, you know what? We don’t really need you. Man, that drives me crazy. And it also says to me, don’t invest in anything because Google will probably take that. Take it direct.”
He reiterated that with Google’s increasing control and the potential for a ‘super app’ powered by AI, the future of online travel intermediaries remains highly uncertain, posing existential challenges to their business models.
“We see in China, there’s a super app. So, imagine a super app that’s owned by Google that’s got AI inside it. You see all the things they’re doing. If you’re an intermediary in travel, your future is so uncertain.”
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