Operto Named a Finalist in the 2026 Skift IDEA Awards for Best Use of AI
We’re proud to share that Operto was named a finalist in the 2026 Skift IDEA Awards in the Best Use of AI category for our work with Operto ONE.
Our entry, “The AI That Fights Predatory OTAs,” was recognized alongside some of the travel industry’s most innovative uses of artificial intelligence.
Recognition for AI that solves a real hospitality problem
The Skift IDEA Awards recognize innovation across the global travel industry, spanning design, technology, guest experience and business performance. The Best Use of AI category specifically recognizes projects using artificial intelligence to improve business performance.
For us, being named a finalist reinforces how we think about AI in hospitality. The opportunity isn’t to add AI everywhere simply because we can. It’s to apply it where it can solve real problems and create measurable value for hotel operators. At Operto, we’re committed to creating products that’ll serve our customers. This means taking the time to talk with them, understand their problems, and create solutions that they’ll use.
The recognition reflects a problem we’ve been focused on solving with Operto ONE: helping hotels protect more of the demand they’ve already earned.
Using AI to protect direct bookings
When a traveler searches for a hotel by name, they’ve already shown clear intent. But third-party booking sites can compete for that traffic by bidding on a hotel’s branded search terms, potentially directing guests away from the hotel’s official website.
That can turn a guest who intended to book direct into a commissionable OTA booking.
Operto ONE uses AI to help hotels identify where this is happening and take action. It monitors branded search visibility, identifies third-party sites competing for hotel traffic, and automatically launches and optimizes campaigns designed to keep the hotel’s official website visible.
The goal is simple: help hotels win more direct bookings, reduce unnecessary OTA commission costs, and take greater control of their distribution.
By combining operational automation with intelligent booking protection, the platform is helping operators improve direct booking performance while creating more seamless guest experiences from the very first interaction.
We’re proud to see that work recognized by Skift and excited to keep building technology that helps hotels protect their brand, strengthen their direct booking strategy and keep more of the revenue they earn.
