The Future of Travel Technology: Discussion with Iana Petrova

Ten years ago, hotel automation mostly aimed at controlling excess bookings. TravelTech, on the other hand, has advanced to include API platforms, sophisticated digital ecosystems, and an AI concierge. Years of expertise in TravelTech and membership in the global software development group Smartsng.dev, Iana Petrova, a product manager, was spoken with to investigate the industry’s future.

Iana and her crew at Bnovo followed an unusual path, finding it via technology, in 2014 as the Russian hospitality sector looked for expansion possibilities. Automation was considered a luxury for hotel companies then, and many independent hoteliers found the word integration intimidating. Since that time, major transformations have taken place. Being a member of the executive team at Bnovo, Iana helped the business grow from a little startup into a well-known TravelVTech developer. Under her direction, Bnovo launched an open API platform for TravelTech developers all around and became the first Google Travel-certified Russian affiliate. 

These innovations helped the sector to survive the epidemic, develop fresh sales channels, and enable automation for little eco-hotels in remote regions. Iana views the industry from a broader, strategic vantage point as she now lives in Silicon Valley. She clarifies her forecasts in this interview: which technologies will really change tourism, how automation may remain human-centric, and why empathy rather than code drives innovation.

When Iana first started, what was the business like, and how was technology described?

When she first entered the industry, hotel automation mostly consisted of literally faxing bookings. A visitor would phone a travel agent, a manager would phone many hotels, print a confirmation, and then fax it to the property. Many hotels did not have a website; rather, most were listed in a third-party directory. Small company owners believed technology was not meant for them; it was deemed too expensive, too difficult, and too dangerous.

Petrova was a member of the team that contributed to Bnovo’s rise as a TravelTech leader in the region. What were the essential steps that facilitated this significant advancement?

In brief, three crucial elements: creating our own product, applying standardization, and having the will to explore uncharted territory. The first crucial choice was to stop relying on outside programs. At first, they served solely as the distributor of a foreign PMS, but soon came to realize that their lack of influence over the product’s design restricted them. So, they came up with a plan: they established a committed team and started quietly developing their own program. Bnovo finally took over that project, therefore showing their transformation into a real tech business.

Second, they embraced transparency. They created an API platform called OTA Gateway that lets outside developers create their own tools using their infrastructure. Rather than restricting users to their system, they created an ecosystem, a deliberate choice. Thirdly, they weren’t scared to follow unusual endeavors. They were the first in Russia to link with Google Travel. 

What are the most frequent errors that companies commit when they implement automation in the hospitality sector?

Often, they start with the technology rather than tackling the real issue. Often, a hotel buys a module, bot, or CRM to spot high-value customers or because everybody is using it, without a thorough knowledge of how it would really improve employee productivity or guest experience.

The second mistake is excessive complexity. Many systems are overloaded with too many capabilities yet fall short in handling the fundamentals, namely, syncing reservations, sending unambiguous confirmations to customers, or connecting to a payment processor. The third error is ignorance of background. Effective for a business hotel in an urban area might not fit a rural eco-lodge. Smart automation has to be flexible, down to whether the owner has dependable internet connectivity.