Africa-based travel technology company Tripesa has launched Roamio, an artificial intelligence–powered travel marketplace designed to fundamentally rethink how trips are planned and distributed across the continent. Rather than functioning as a traditional online travel agency, Roamio positions itself as an “anti-OTA” platform that prioritizes traveler intent over inventory, aiming to connect travelers directly with vetted local experts who can deliver personalized experiences.
Roamio is Tripesa’s first standalone product and operates as a separate entity following the company’s pivot to an in-house venture studio model. Founded in 2021, Tripesa initially focused on building websites and digital infrastructure for tourism businesses. Over time, the company recognized that while digital tools helped structure operations, they did little to solve a more fundamental issue: access to demand. Roamio emerged as a response to that challenge, with the goal of turning inspiration and planning into qualified leads for local operators.
At the core of Roamio is conversational AI that helps travelers explore destinations, refine itineraries, and clarify what kind of trip they want to take. Instead of browsing pre-packaged tours, users interact with the platform to shape personalized travel plans. Those interactions are then converted into structured, high-intent travel requests that are routed to relevant local providers such as tour operators, guides, and transport services. The emphasis is on quality of intent rather than volume of listings.
For service providers, Roamio offers a markedly different distribution model. Operators can create profiles that highlight their expertise without uploading inventory or managing complex pricing systems. The platform does not rely on commission-heavy structures that often erode margins for small businesses. By eliminating multiple intermediaries, Tripesa aims to keep more revenue in the hands of local operators while offering travelers more authentic and flexible experiences.
The company’s leadership argues that traditional travel distribution has long favored operators with the largest marketing budgets and digital reach, often pushing travelers toward standardized experiences. Roamio’s approach seeks to rebalance that dynamic by making distribution more equitable and aligning supply with how travelers actually plan trips today. It also opens the door for ancillary services and more complex, multi-day journeys that are difficult to package in conventional OTA formats.
While Roamio is currently focused on Africa, its underlying model reflects broader shifts in travel technology toward personalization, AI-driven planning, and direct connections between travelers and on-the-ground experts. By reframing discovery and booking around intent rather than inventory, Tripesa is positioning Roamio as a potential alternative to legacy platforms, particularly in destinations where small and medium-size operators form the backbone of the tourism economy.