Maximum Control, Minimum Complexity
Interview with Luca Carlucci, CEO of BizAway
Organizing business travel has long been associated with inefficient processes and frustrations – through complicated booking systems or limited choices. BizAway has set out to revolutionize this market and offers a fully integrated platform for business travel management with first-class service. Companies of all sizes receive a simple, fast, and sustainable solution for their travel activities.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Carlucci, how did BizAway come about and what motivated you to start it?
Luca Carlucci: BizAway was founded on January 19, 2015, exactly ten years ago. My own experience as a business traveler prompted me to find a solution for the many challenges in this area. The processes in traditional travel agencies were cumbersome, lengthy, and often inefficient. I wondered: Why should a simple booking take five or more minutes when modern technology could enable it in seconds? Our idea was to develop a platform that provides maximum autonomy, transparency, and efficiency for companies.
Wirtschaftsforum: What milestones have you achieved in recent years?
Luca Carlucci: Today, we have 380 employees and have grown significantly internationally. We have eight offices – three in Italy (Spilimbergo, Milan, Padua), two in Spain (Barcelona, Vigo), two in Albania (Tirana, Shkodra), and one in Dubai. Our company is completely digital, yet we place great emphasis on personal support by our teams.
Wirtschaftsforum: What distinguishes BizAway from traditional travel agencies or other platforms?
Luca Carlucci: Our hybrid model is unique: we offer a powerful digital platform for independent booking, combined with comprehensive service by our expert team, which is available 24/7 in eight languages. Additionally, we are technologically leading, such as our full-scope compliance with ISO 27001. Another distinguishing feature is our focus on sustainability: since 2018, we have enabled companies to track the CO2 emissions of their travels in real time.
Wirtschaftsforum: Which markets are particularly important for BizAway?
Luca Carlucci: About 35% of our revenue is generated in Italy, with the rest coming from international markets. We are particularly strong in Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Portugal, and Austria. Moreover, we are currently expanding into the United Kingdom and the Gulf region. The DACH region is currently one of the fastest-growing markets for BizAway, driven by the recovery of the business travel market and the increasing digital transformation efforts of companies in the region.
Wirtschaftsforum: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your company?
Luca Carlucci: Of course, it was a major challenge for us, as travel restrictions were implemented globally. Nevertheless, we saw the crisis as an opportunity: while other companies laid off employees or reduced their work hours, we continued to invest and grew our team from 28 to 60 people. This forward thinking allowed us to rebound even faster post-pandemic.
Wirtschaftsforum: What role does artificial intelligence play in your industry?
Luca Carlucci: Artificial intelligence is an important tool, especially for optimizing internal processes, automating workflows, and increasing efficiency in customer service. We use AI to give our employees more 'superpowers' – that is, enabling them to work faster, more precisely, and more effectively.
AI particularly helps us with data analysis and personalized customer care. However, we do not see AI as a replacement for human expertise, but as a valuable enhancement that enables our teams to focus on more complex and strategic tasks.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you address the shortage of skilled workers?
Luca Carlucci: For us, it is crucial to create an attractive work environment. We place great emphasis on an open corporate culture, offer internal and external training opportunities, and specifically promote talent. A motivating environment, flat hierarchies, and a good working climate are key to retaining talented employees in the company for the long term. In addition, we rely on flexible working models and individual development perspectives to best support and develop our teams.
Wirtschaftsforum: What vision do you have for the future of BizAway?
Luca Carlucci: Our goal is to become a global leader in business travel management. We want to continue growing, constantly improve our platform, and help companies worldwide make business travel more efficient, sustainable, and user-friendly. We are increasingly focusing on innovations in automation and artificial intelligence to offer our customers an even more individual and flexible use of our services. In addition, we plan to further expand our international presence and break into new markets to reach even more companies with our tailor-made solutions.