Decius Valmorbida, President of Travel at Amadeus, is championing the need for increased cooperation across the sector and the development of shared digital infrastructure. He is urging travel brands to move past isolated ecosystems and focus on granting travelers more control—an approach he intends to discuss further at the Skift Global Forum in New York from September 22–24, 2026.
With nearly 40 years of influence over travel booking and distribution, Amadeus now seeks to enter its fifth decade by leading the shift towards open, collaborative platforms. As the company nears its 40th anniversary, Valmorbida proposes a move away from closed “walled gardens” to interconnected solutions that enhance brand competition while prioritizing seamless experiences for travelers.
Advocating for Collaborative, Open Ecosystems
Valmorbida credits Amadeus’ success to a focus on decisions that endure beyond short-lived technology trends, explaining that significance lies not in headline-grabbing moves, but in those with lasting value. “We always consider longevity,” he says, pondering which current innovations will matter most in years to come. This strategy, he notes, enabled Amadeus to invest steadily through unpredictable times, such as market upheavals and the pandemic.
He envisions a future where the foundation of the travel industry rests on shared standards for digital identity, interoperability, and data—simplifying the increasingly fragmented travel journey. Rather than fortifying proprietary barriers, Valmorbida sees value in empowering customers. “The more businesses develop isolated ecosystems, the less value and freedom travelers receive,” he remarks.
Valmorbida asserts that advanced technologies, from digital ID to biometrics and AI, should break down barriers—and ultimately make travel more personal and straightforward, not produce isolated digital experiences for their own sake.
Modern Trust and Industry Cooperation in Traveler Relationships
He observes a shift in how travelers engage with brands—moving away from one-off interactions and toward expectations of smooth, consistent experiences from beginning to end. “Travelers now seek a full journey that works seamlessly at every stage,” Valmorbida explains. In this environment, he believes trust is essential: “Trust comes from reliably delivering on promises, particularly at the critical moments for travelers.”
As travel retailing evolves, leveraging data for more personalization, he emphasizes that the real test will be if organizations can fulfill their promises and leverage technology to nurture that trust.
Despite the industry’s frequent rhetoric about traveler choice, Valmorbida identifies a neglect of cooperation as a major gap. He maintains that competition should persist on the fronts of brands, customer service, and products—but that industry players also need to unite around universal protocols and core digital tools. “If there’s collaboration on basics like interoperability, identity, and data standards, companies can ease pain points in the traveler journey while retaining meaningful competition elsewhere.”
Strategic Questions Facing the Travel Industry
This emphasis on collaboration brings strategic issues to the forefront for discussion at the Skift Global Forum:
- Can a strategy centered on long-term investments keep pace with rivals that rapidly embrace AI and the latest technologies?
- Will adopting a truly open ecosystem deliver more benefits to travelers, or will it primarily favor the biggest data companies?
- Is consistently meeting brand promises enough to truly differentiate a business when competitors all state the same goals?
- How might modern retailing impact the customer journey, and who stands to gain most from the new value it produces?
- At what points can the industry implement shared digital foundations—like data standards—without stifling the competition that drives innovation?
At the Skift Global Forum, scheduled in New York City from September 22–24, 2026, Valmorbida will join executives from Uber, Airbnb, and Hilton to address these questions. The event aims to uncover whether industry competitors are ready to join forces behind the scenes—and what such collaboration could mean for travel’s future.