Tell us a bit about yourself and your background

Over the span of my career, I’ve worked in a number of different industries; finance, logistics, and research, to name just a few. However, my passion has always been hospitality. I love to travel, I love the hotel sector, and it’s the perfect fit for me. I’ve now been working in hospitality for close to 30 years, and it’s taken me to more than 30 countries.

Tell us about your experience in blockchain and cryptocurrencies

My introduction to cryptocurrencies came in 2010 when a friend of mine told me to buy Bitcoin, which at the time was priced at something like 5 cents. I ignored them, and I still think about that decision today. Blockchain was introduced to me about two years ago, and I found the potential of the technology fascinating. I started doing my own research, and this ultimately led to the founding of GOeureka (GO).

How did you come up with the idea for GOeureka?

It was a snowball effect. We started with the idea to incorporate blockchain into a hotel booking system and over time we kept thinking of new things we could do to add value and benefits to the product. It continued growing and growing until it got to where it is today.

What is your favourite part of the GOeureka solution? What has you most excited?

I’m excited about what GO is going to do for the hospitality industry! We have some extraordinary features; Re-Booking Functionality, Interoperable Reward Points, Cryptocurrency Payment Handling, etc. No other Online Travel Agent (OTA) has these, and we are going to take the OTA industry with a big bang. That excites me!

Going up against competitors such as Expedia and Priceline, what’s your strategy?

We’re going to set ourselves apart. With our zero per cent commission fees for hotels and our very unique features, we’re going to differentiate ourselves from other OTAs. They won’t be able to do what we do, and over time that’s going to give us recognition as a real player in the industry.

Have you made any interesting partnerships? Anything in the pipeline you can give us a hint at?

It’s hard to put a real number on this as we are constantly in talks to bring strategic partners into GOeureka. What I can say though is that we’ve been very impressed by companies approaching us to partner with us. The global travel industry generates billions of dollars in revenue, and we’re seeing a lot of potential.

Where do you see the future of the travel industry headed? How do you see it evolving?

I believe the days of high commission fees by OTAs are numbered. A more digital service sector for the hotel industry will prevail and the new market trendsetters, like GO, will help to shape it. It’ll be better value, better connected, and a better experience for all.

What one question do you wish we’d asked that we haven’t? And how would you answer it?

Where does GOeureka see itself 5 years from today?

We are confident GOeureka will be one of the largest OTAs in the hospitality industry, with a global presence. We see ourselves becoming a household name.