Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the travel industry, but its greatest impact often comes from solving everyday operational challenges. Roam’s latest product release, the AI Booking Builder, is designed to do exactly that—reducing manual administration, speeding up booking creation, and helping travel businesses move from quote to payment in just a few clicks. We spoke with Oliver Brian, Co-Founder and CTO of Roam to learn more about the thinking behind the new feature, the problem it solves, and how AI is helping create simpler, more efficient workflows for the travel industry.
Can you give us an overview of Roam’s latest product release and what it means for the businesses we support?
The AI Booking Builder is focused on reducing admin and speeding up the process of getting travellers from quote to payment. It allows our clients to create payment-ready bookings directly from a quote or invoice within seconds. Instead of manually capturing booking information into the platform, consultants can now upload or forward the document to Roam and have the booking created automatically. It removes a lot of repetitive work and helps teams move much faster, especially during busy sales periods.
What problem were you trying to solve when developing it?
Many travel businesses still spend a surprising amount of time retyping information from quotes, invoices, PDFs, or emails into booking and payment systems. We wanted to remove that duplication. The build test was simple: if the information already exists in a document, consultants shouldn’t have to capture it again manually. This feature helps reduce admin, minimise human error, and get payment links out to travellers much faster.
For someone unfamiliar with the feature, how does this AI work in practice?
It’s intentionally very straightforward. A consultant either uploads a quote or invoice to the platform or emails it to a dedicated Roam email address. Roam’s AI reads the document and creates the draft booking automatically. The consultant then receives an automatic “Booking Created” email with a link to review the details, make any adjustments if needed, and update the currency if required. From there, they can immediately share a payment link with the traveller.
What makes this new system different from more traditional booking or payment workflows in the travel industry?
Traditionally, there are a lot of disconnected steps. A consultant prepares a quote in PDF format, once accepted by the traveller, the finance team creates an invoice and then manually duplicates the same information somewhere else to request payment. We’re trying to remove those gaps between quoting, booking and payments. The AI Booking Builder means businesses can move from a document flow to a digital, payment-ready booking far more seamlessly, without needing to jump between multiple systems and teams.
How does the AI Booking Builder help travel businesses work more efficiently?
Small operational improvements add up very quickly in travel. If you save a few minutes per booking, across hundreds or thousands of bookings, that becomes a major efficiency gain. It also reduces mistakes from manual capturing, speeds up payment collection, and gives consultants more time to focus on servicing travellers rather than doing repetitive admin work. For many businesses, especially lean teams, that operational efficiency is incredibly valuable.
Roam has always focused on building solutions for the realities of the African travel industry. How does this release reflect that approach?
African travel businesses operate in a competitive market where teams need to differentiate not only through their products but also through their systems. This release reflects that reality. We wanted the feature to be easy to adopt without requiring businesses to completely change how they already work. That’s why the workflow starts with something as simple as sending an email. It fits naturally into existing operational processes while still introducing automation and smarter systems behind the scenes.
Looking ahead, how do you see AI and smarter systems shaping the future of travel payments and booking operations?
I think AI will increasingly sit in the background, handling repetitive operational tasks. The real value is in removing friction. Things like capturing booking information, reconciling payments, generating documentation and handling operational workflows can become far more automated. The businesses that benefit most will be the ones that use AI to simplify operations, not complicate them.
