“Wir sind die Schweiz des Tourismus.”

It’s a bold comparison but in a recent interview with Travelnews, GIATA CEO Mathis Boldt uses it to describe something increasingly critical in travel: the need for neutrality, precision and trust at the very core of the industry’s data infrastructure.

Because while travel continues to evolve at speed, the foundation it relies on is still catching up.

The hidden challenge behind digital travel

Travel today is more digital, more connected and more dynamic than ever before. AI is reshaping how people search, compare and book. Platforms are expected to deliver seamless, personalized experiences in real time. But there’s a disconnect.

Behind the interfaces travelers see, many systems still depend on fragmented, duplicated or outdated data. The same hotel listed multiple times. Inconsistent room names. Content that varies across channels. These aren’t minor inefficiencies, they directly impact conversions, increase operational workload and erode traveler trust. As Mathis Boldt highlights in the interview, solving this challenge isn’t about adding more layers of technology. It’s about fixing the foundation.

Why neutrality is becoming a competitive advantage

In a complex ecosystem of suppliers, platforms and distribution partners, neutrality is no longer optional, it’s essential. Just as Switzerland is known for its independence and reliability, the travel industry increasingly depends on data providers that operate as neutral connectors. Not favoring one source over another, but ensuring that information flows consistently and accurately across the entire ecosystem.

This neutrality enables something powerful: a shared, trusted foundation that all players can build on.

Precision that drives real results

At the heart of this foundation lies data quality. Clean, structured and verified data does more than improve backend processes—it creates measurable business impact. It reduces booking errors, lowers manual workload and enables clearer comparisons for travelers. Ultimately, it leads to better decisions and higher conversions.

GIATA’s approach reflects this principle. With the world’s largest hotel mapping database and millions of properties mapped, the company ensures that each piece of information is accurate, consistent and ready to be used across systems. What was once data chaos becomes clarity.

AI is only as powerful as the data behind it

Artificial intelligence is often seen as the solution to many of travel’s challenges. But as the interview makes clear, AI is not a shortcut—it’s an amplifier. It can only perform as well as the data it is trained on and connected to.

Without structured, reliable data, personalization breaks down. Recommendations become less relevant. Automation introduces risk instead of efficiency. This is why the role of data infrastructure is becoming more strategic than ever. It’s not just supporting AI, it’s enabling it.

Building the future of travel, one data point at a time

Since 1996, GIATA has focused on turning fragmented information into structured, usable data—powering the global travel ecosystem across more than 80 markets. Today, that mission is more relevant than ever. As the industry moves deeper into the AI era, the need for precision, neutrality and trust will only grow. The companies that invest in clean, connected data today will be the ones shaping the travel experiences of tomorrow.

Because better data doesn’t just support travel. It defines what travel can become.

Read the full interview in German

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• EHTL Viagens Partners with GIATA
• Solution by challenge: Duplication booking errors
• News & Events
• Solution by challenge: Reliable travel data translations
• Solution by challenge: Hotel data management and distribution