Mafengwo and Latin American Online Travel Platform Despegar Explore New Paths for Global Tourism Empowered by AI

BEIJING, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 22, a high-level delegation from Despegar, a leading online travel platform in Latin America, visited the global headquarters of Mafengwo. The two parties discussed topics such as the digital transformation of the tourism industry, the application of AI technology, and innovative marketing for destinations.

The delegation consisted of C-level executives from Despegar's core business areas, including strategy, digital innovation, and customer experience. Despegar's CEO, Gonzalo Estébarena, shared that the platform, which was founded 27 years ago, is one of the most well-known tourism brands in Latin America. Despegar provides a digital booking platform covering flights, hotels, and various travel experiences, serving customers in 21 countries. The company is currently accelerating its expansion beyond Latin America.

Mafengwo's Vice President, He Shaohua, introduced the platform's development strategy and core advantages to the delegation. He focused on how Mafengwo, leveraging its vast network of creators and AI-driven innovations, provides a full-spectrum marketing solution—from brand promotion to immersive experiences—for international destinations.

From its AI+tourism strategic partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board, to the "Peaceful and Heartfelt" event in Ontario, Canada, and the ESG sustainable travel project co-created with Nordic countries, Mafengwo has successfully helped over 50 overseas destinations break through in the Chinese market.

Han Zutong, Deputy General Manager of Mafengwo's International Marketing Department, highlighted that Mafengwo's AI Travel Assistant has launched in sixteen national-level destinations, offering features such as itinerary planning, real-time translation, menu translation, and AI restaurant reservations. It can seamlessly link travel products during the trip, enabling users to access what they see in real time. He emphasized that Mafengwo is using AI to drive innovation in cultural and tourism experiences, delivering more diverse and personalized travel solutions to the global tourism market.

In the open discussion, both parties delved into the development trends, user characteristics, technological innovations, and future cooperation opportunities for the tourism markets in Asia and the Americas. They both agreed that in the era of digital intelligence, the deep integration of technology and content will be a key lever for future growth.

The global tourism industry is rapidly moving toward high-quality integrated development, and dialogue and cooperation between international tourism platforms have become increasingly important engines of industry progress. This meeting not only enhanced mutual understanding between the two platforms but also provided an important opportunity for the collaborative development of cross-border tourism between China and Latin America.

China's inbound tourism development is now accelerating, with easier transit visa exemptions and cross-border payment conveniences providing unprecedented historical opportunities for cross-border platform cooperation. As leaders in their respective markets, Mafengwo and Despegar's dialogue across the Pacific exemplifies the burgeoning trend of China-Latin America tourism exchanges and is expected to create smarter, more convenient, and personalized travel experiences for global travelers.

SOURCE Mafengwo