Sometimes, the most profound transformations arise from the most unexpected crises. This is demonstrated by the career of Íñigo Valenzuela, founder and CEO of Smartvel, a Madrid-based company that has managed to turn the uncertainty of the tourism sector into an opportunity to reinvent the way we travel and consume information.
In a candid and thoughtful conversation, Íñigo shares how his more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry, in management positions within large multinationals, led him to identify a fundamental gap: companies in the sector talked about “adding value,” but rarely offered useful, contextual, and dynamic information to travelers. From that observation, Smartvel was born more than a decade ago, with a clear objective: to transform travel content into a real tool for inspiration and conversion.
Design and origin of Smartvel: a response to a gap in the sector
Smartvel did not arise from a spontaneous idea, but rather from an observation. Íñigo understood that digital travelers did not need more offers, but rather better information. While airlines and agencies focused on price, he decided to focus on the value of content: accurate, up-to-date, and personalized data that would accompany travelers from inspiration to arrival at their destination.
The company began by developing a semi-automatic content generation platform for destinations, combining editorial curation and technology. In its early years, Smartvel worked with airlines such as Iberia, LATAM, and Singapore Airlines, offering descriptions of destinations, events, and local experiences integrated into their websites and apps. Gradually, this solution became a global marketing tool adopted by 13 major airlines.
The impact of COVID-19: turning threat into opportunity
When the world came to a standstill in 2020, Smartvel’s business (like that of the entire industry) faltered. Airlines stopped flying and, with them, the flow of content that fed the platform came to a halt. However, the story did not end there.
In the midst of the storm, Iberia contacted Íñigo to solve a new problem: managing travel requirements that were changing daily in each country. Smartvel responded by creating an MVP in record time that was capable of tracking government websites every hour, comparing documents with technology similar to Microsoft Word’s “track changes” feature. The result was a system that updated information in four hours, compared to ten days for traditional providers.
That unexpected turn of events saved the company and led it to work with giants such as British Airways, United, Ryanair, Saudia, and Delta, achieving 30% coverage of international traffic. Smartvel had gone from being a content company to becoming a strategic partner providing critical information for travelers.
Post-pandemic reinvention: diversification and expansion
Far from resting on his laurels, Íñigo anticipated a second crisis: the end of COVID could put a company that depended on a single product at risk. In 2022, he launched a diversification plan that expanded the scope of the travel requirements solution to include issues such as visas, documentation, pets, and accessibility.
At the same time, Smartvel acquired two European companies, Arrival Guides (Sweden) and Avuxi (United Kingdom), thereby strengthening its destination content offering and consolidating a multilingual database that now covers more than 800 destinations. This expansion marked a new balance between the technological component and the brand’s editorial vocation.
Content strategies: inspiration that drives conversion
Smartvel’s proposal is structured around two main lines:
- Traveler Support, a service that offers personalized information on documentation and entry requirements, tailored to nationality, residence, and type of trip.
- Destination Content, a curated database that allows you to create segmented campaigns (beach, golf, skiing, or family tourism) with direct integration into the conversion funnel.
Both solutions pursue the same goal: to help travel companies sell more by inspiring better. Because, as Íñigo points out, travelers don’t always know where they want to go; they need to be shown destinations, not just have their questions answered.
The role of AI: from efficiency to intelligent personalization
The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has transformed Smartvel’s operations. Today, AI allows niche content to be generated, from local restaurants to specific routes, with unprecedented agility. However, Íñigo is clear: “The real value is not in the tool, but in knowing how to ask the right questions.”
In his opinion, the future of tourism content does not depend on machines responding, but on their ability to inspire. While AI manages repetitive tasks, human teams can focus on what really matters: understanding the emotions and desires of the traveler.
Airlines and the challenge of personalization
Airlines have large digital budgets, but they face a common problem: a lack of meaningful data about their customers. They often recommend generic destinations or even the traveler’s own city of origin. In contrast, Íñigo highlights positive examples such as Turkish Airlines, which uses short surveys to refine recommendations without overwhelming the user.
Smartvel helps bridge that gap by offering contextual and curated content designed to increase the relevance and CTR of campaigns. Its philosophy is clear: “Almost all cities are good for almost everything, but you have to know how to show them in the right way.”
Accessibility and sustainability: travel for everyone
One of the most personal projects for Íñigo and his team is the development of accessible travel solutions. Smartvel is creating systems that facilitate coordination between airlines, airports, and suppliers for travelers with visible and invisible disabilities.
The goal is simple but ambitious: to ensure that everyone can travel with dignity and confidence. Examples such as Baku Airport, which offers accreditation for personalized assistance, show that the industry is beginning to move in this direction.
Opportunities and looking to the future
The story of Smartvel is, in essence, one of adaptation and purpose. In an industry that often runs the risk of turning travel into a mere transaction, Smartvel champions a vision that is both more human and more technological: a digital ecosystem where inspiration, information, and accessibility combine to enhance the overall traveler experience.
The future of travel is not about selling more, but about providing better support. And Smartvel, with its unique blend of content, data, and empathy, has become a benchmark on that path.
