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NewsMaterial3 min readDisconfirmAI Editorial

lastminute.com CEO Alessandro Petazzi: AI Is Not an Inevitable Disruptor of Online Travel, but a New Channel for Demand

lastminute.com CEO Alessandro Petazzi argues that AI platforms primarily generate demand and showcase relevant products, while online travel companies remain responsible for fulfillment and regulatory compliance; the company has integrated flights, hotels, and packages into ChatGPT and Claude, and reports that some teams have 70% to 80% of their code developed using Claude Code.

2026-11-09 17:00 GMT+8

Will online travel companies be replaced by AI agents? The answer from Alessandro Petazzi, CEO of lastminute.com, is no. In an interview with diginomica, he addressed a common narrative: whenever travel companies show signs of short-term weakness, the market tends to attribute it to AI. He believes this reasoning conflates a difficult market environment with AI-driven disruption. The real key is not whether AI can chat or make recommendations, but who bears responsibility after the transaction is completed.

Petazzi’s core judgment is that AI platforms will change how holidays are discovered and sold, but they will not change who is responsible for delivering them. Taking Meta’s newly launched Muse personal AI agent as an example, he emphasized that Meta did not announce its intention to replace all online travel companies, but rather needs partners like lastminute.com. The reason lies in their differing business models: AI platforms aim to create demand and surface the right offers to the right audience, whereas online travel companies focus on fulfilling that demand and managing the holiday itself.

This division of labor is underpinned by regulatory and operational responsibilities. Petazzi pointed out that package holidays in Europe come with specific protection requirements; consumers enjoy certain rights once they book, and assuming these responsibilities requires a tour operating license. In other words, when users actually place an order, the platform cannot merely stop at recommendations and price comparisons. If issues arise—such as flight cancellations, destination conflicts, or stranded travelers—the travel company is responsible for rebooking, accommodation, and follow-up care. He attributes such competitive moats to business models and regulatory obligations rather than technical capabilities.

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Therefore, lastminute.com does not view AI as an inevitable substitute, but rather as a new customer acquisition channel. Petazzi believes that Google and social media have long played roles in generating travel inspiration and demand, and AI platforms are now joining this space, increasing the number of entry points. If more consumers begin planning trips through AI conversations in the future, the company wants to appear early in these channels rather than passively adapting after demand has already shifted.

The company has already taken concrete steps. Petazzi stated that lastminute.com’s flights, hotels, and packages are now bookable through ChatGPT and Claude. Internal development processes are also changing: in some teams, up to 70% to 80% of code is generated by Claude Code. Additionally, the company has built an internal platform allowing non-technical employees to create and publish AI tools, resulting in over 400 internal tools so far, used to accelerate information access, data analysis, and automation of daily tasks.

These changes are interpreted as improvements in operational efficiency and product experience. Petazzi cited the example of the company developing a dynamic packaging platform within months using AI, whereas it might have taken years previously. This platform can combine flight, hotel, and package prices in real time, helping users find the best travel times within limited budgets. This capability will soon enter conversational interfaces via integrations with ChatGPT and Claude, aiming to improve user experience and increase conversion rates.

However, Petazzi also acknowledged that the actual revenue contribution from current AI integrations remains small. His argument is more about strategic positioning: if demand indeed shifts to AI platforms, lastminute.com is already there; if demand still primarily comes from search and social media, the company will not treat AI as an inevitable threat. This judgment pulls the impact of AI on the online travel industry away from abstract valuation concerns and back to specific responsibility boundaries: who generates demand, who completes the transaction, and who bears the cost of errors.

Sources

  • diginomica.comdiginomica↗
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