Expedia Group is the global travel marketplace with one purpose: to help travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. Through trusted brands including Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®, and one of the largest B2B travel businesses, Expedia Group helps millions of travelers in more than 70 countries explore the world with confidence and ease.
In discussion with IATA, Juan Navarro, Senior Manager, Industry Standards & Partnerships at Expedia Group, highlights the benefits of AI, the complexity of operating globally, and how IATA’s Billing & Settlement Plan delivers a trusted, standardized financial framework to the travel industry.
Operating globally means managing complexity at scale. Payment preferences, regulations, customer expectations and airline distribution models differ by market and keep evolving. Our focus is on building processes, controls, and technology that work consistently across markets while respecting local requirements, so travelers and partners get a clear, reliable experience. At the same time, AI is a major opportunity for travel. Expedia Group is building AI into how we serve travelers and how our teams work, helping people discover, plan and manage trips more easily, and helping us move faster for our partners.
The Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) and GoGlobal Accreditation play complementary roles. The BSP has long provided a trusted, standardized framework for sales reporting, settlement, and reconciliation across our markets. GoGlobal Accreditation lets us work with IATA on a consolidated, multi-country basis, which supports consistent processes and helps us plan for growth. We value IATA's expertise and support. Looking ahead, we see an opportunity to build on this partnership by making it simpler for GoGlobal agents to enter and expand in new markets, while preserving the standards and trust the system relies on.
IATA accreditation is a recognized signal of trust. It reflects adherence to industry standards, financial, and professional requirements, and ongoing oversight. That shared framework supports accountability across the travel ecosystem and gives travelers added confidence when booking with an accredited seller. As travel retail evolves, with new payment methods, AI-enabled tools and changing regulation, common standards help the industry innovate while staying transparent and accountable. At Expedia Group, our security, privacy, compliance, and customer service practices work alongside IATA standards to deliver a trusted, resilient experience.
> Learn more about IATA travel agent accreditation
