Generative AI will considerably enhance the pace of innovation at Sabre: Sam Machado

India is one of the fastest growing civil aviation markets in the world. India’s tourism landscape is set to expand further, with the inbound and outbound travel projected to grow by over 15% annually. With this significant growth comes significant opportunity, continued technology adoption, and continued innovation with a focus on harnessing the power of AI to meet ever-evolving traveller needs. Sabre is betting big on tech growth and providing its tech solutions.

Sabre corporation will be holding its events in India, Sabre Space Delhi, which is set to take place on 26 June 2024 and Sabre Space Mumbai to take place on 28 June, 2024. Sam Machado, Managing Director for India and South Asia, Sabre Corporation discusses with Travel Daily Media what’s in store for travel advisors and travel facilitators at these events.

Travel Daily Media (TDM): What innovative travel-tech products are you going to introduce to travel agents and travel facilitators in your upcoming Sabre Space roadshow campaign in India?

Sam Machado (SM): We can’t wait for our Sabre Space events in Delhi and Mumbai at the end of June, which will provide an in-person platform for travel agents to explore the latest technology trends and gain important insights into how they can thrive in today’s digital-first travel landscape. Sabre is bringing travel agencies, hoteliers and airlines together, as this will allow both travel buyers and sellers to come together to create a marketplace that works best for all parties, including travellers.

Some of the things we’ll be talking to our agency partners about include latest NDC developments and how agents can ensure they are able to create and service personalised offers using both NDC and EDIFACT content for their travellers. We’ll also be discussing how to increase their revenue through Content Services for Lodging, including how agencies can increase hotel attachment rates. Importantly, there will also be plenty of opportunities to talk about our automation tools and AI microservices, and how these can be used to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and enhance traveller satisfaction. In order to address the issue of content fragmentation, Sabre is building a multi-source platform that integrates and normalises content from various sources. We will be sharing more details about our multi-source platform as well.

TDM: Can you tell us about your airlines, travel trade and hotel partnerships in India? What is Sabre’s market reach in India and what are you doing to grow the same?

SM: We have assembled the best team in travel to support our esteemed customers, ensuring our agency partners have access to top airline content in India. Sabre is a leader in the Hospitality CRS business in India. Combined with the launch of our multi-source platform, this provides our agency customers with access to the highest quality content.

The focus for me is on our agency customers and how we can grow our businesses together. India remains one of the fastest growing economies, and fastest growing travel markets in the world, and it’s one of the key global markets for Sabre. We are committed to the region, with a customer-centric approach, and a primary focus for my team and I on supporting both online and brick-and-mortar agency customers to propel their business and capture growth opportunities together.

The goal for us is clear – we want to help our agencies to drive growth by equipping them with the right technology and resources for their business. We’re focused on enabling agencies to optimise revenue with choice and intelligence, to work smarter and grow faster with enhanced efficiency and ease, and to seize and create opportunities to gain competitive advantage through innovation and partnership. 

TDM: What kind of mutually beneficial partnerships do you have with your travel trade partners in India?

SM: We have so many amazing partnerships across the travel ecosystem in India, including with our brick and mortar and OTA agencies who are helping to drive adoption of Sabre’s advanced solutions. We’re working with our agency partners constantly to generate ideas on how best to use our advanced AI technologies, and we often work in collaboration with both our airline and agency partners to raise awareness of new routes and opportunities for travellers.

Our partnership with Google, our move to the Google Cloud, and the work we are doing with generative AI is speeding up our throughput and innovation process, and our Bangalore capability centre plays a big part in this. We take our position at the heart of the travel ecosystem very seriously and work to ensure that our agency, airline, and hotel partners across India have the tools they need to tap into this innovation to grow their business at a pace that suits them and their customers.

TDM: What trends do you foresee shaping the tourism landscape in India in the coming years? What remain the challenges of growing the travel tech space in India? 

SM: India is one of the fastest growing civil aviation markets in the world. India’s tourism landscape is set to expand further, with the inbound and outbound travel projected to grow by over 15% annually. Indian carriers have ordered over 1,100 new aircraft to meet this demand, and the travel tech market is booming driven by increased digital adoption. With this significant growth comes significant opportunity, but we know it also brings challenge, and we’re committed to solving the most complex challenges for our travel partners through advanced technology.

Expect to see continued growth, continued technology adoption, and continued innovation with a focus on harnessing the power of AI to meet ever-evolving traveller needs. Generative AI will considerably enhance the pace of innovation at Sabre, and will change the way travellers are inspired to book. We’ll see the focus on modern retailing gain momentum but we know that everyone will adapt and adopt in their own time. That’s why our technology is specifically designed so that our partners can evolve at a pace that suits their business. Ultimately, we believe that the future is about enabling our agency customers to create, sell, and service truly intelligent, traveller-centric experiences. I look forward to sharing with you more of our technology advances designed to help our partners, and their travellers, get there they want to be, in the coming months and years.

TDM: What is the best part of working at Sabre? Any advice for youngsters’ keen on joining the Sabre tech space?

SM: Sure, technology is what we do, yet we’re more than that. We enable and empower our people to grow, embrace challenges and drive performance. We are committed to winning together.

The best part of working at Sabre is our vibrant culture of innovation and collaboration. We offer robust mentorship programs, which are focused on inclusion and diversity, and provide excellent employee benefits. Our global internship program, including at our Bangalore centre, nurtures young talent, offering endless opportunities for growth and innovation. It’s an exciting time to join Sabre and make a significant impact in the travel tech industry. So, I’d advise any young people looking to get into the business to go for it. The opportunities for growth and innovation in the travel industry, and in particular in India, are endless and it’s a very exciting time to join Sabre. Keep an eye on our website for internship opportunities.