We interviewed Leandro Satústegui, Business Development Manager at ByteTravel.
ByteTravel has established itself as one of the fastest-growing tourism companies in Europe. What do you think has been the key to achieving this position in such a short time?
I believe the key has been maintaining a very clear vision from the beginning: developing technology that solves real problems for travelers and the companies that work with them. We haven't sought growth at any cost, but rather to build a profitable, scalable, and data-driven model.
Our company is a traveltech firm specializing in the development of auxiliary services for travelers. Since our inception, we have continuously analyzed market needs and developed solutions capable of automating processes that were traditionally complex. Our products include Visagov, an AI-powered digital platform for the simple, fast, and efficient online management of visas for over 70 destinations, simplifying the eVisa process for more than 70 countries with a 99.7% approval rate; Salasvip.com, an online platform for booking VIP lounges in over 1,000 airports (more than 1,800 lounges in 147 countries), meaning we offer the largest portfolio on the market, providing direct booking and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance; Roamic, an eSIM provider offering the best connectivity and rates in over 190 countries; and Globely, with travel insurance tailored to each client.
This way of working has allowed us to grow using our own resources, list on the Spanish stock exchange, and receive recognition such as being one of the three Spanish companies finalists for the Awards given by the Business Conference for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the international development category, being finalists in the European & Midcap Awards 2025 organized by the stock exchanges of all European countries, and achieving 12th position in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Programme, which includes the 50 most scalable technology companies in the Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem. Most importantly, ByteTravel has been included in the FT1000 Europe's Fastest Growing Companies 2026 ranking organized by the prestigious Financial Times. What is most important for us is that this growth confirms that our clients find value in our solutions and continue to trust us to expand their service offerings.
ByteTravel always defines itself as a technology company rather than a tourism company. What does that mean for its customers?
This makes a significant difference. We don't just market services; we develop the technology that allows them to be managed simply, quickly, and securely.
We continuously invest in artificial intelligence, document automation, API integration, and SaaS platforms that minimize manual work. This allows agencies, tour operators, and cruise lines to offer complex services without needing to hire specialized staff.
This technological focus is driving our growth. In 2025, we achieved net revenue of €19.43 million, compared to €11.19 million in 2024, representing a 74% increase. Furthermore, in the first quarter of 2026, we recorded €7.31 million in revenue, 49.9% higher than in the same period of the previous year. Looking at the monthly figures, we have gone from an average of €930,000 per month in 2024 to €1.62 million in 2025 and €2.43 million per month at the start of 2026. These figures demonstrate that our technological model is not only efficient but also highly scalable and capable of sustaining continuous growth.
Our goal is for the technology to disappear for the end user, who will only perceive a simple experience, while our employees gain greater operational efficiency and better economic results.
Many agencies are looking to increase their profitability without increasing their administrative burden. How does ByteTravel help them achieve this?
That is precisely one of our main objectives. Ancillary services are no longer an add-on, but a fundamental part of the journey and represent a significant business opportunity for the distribution channel.
Thanks to our technology, an agency can offer visas, eSIMs, VIP lounges, or travel insurance from one platform, without assuming the administrative complexity that these services normally entail.
This business model and our growth potential have recently received a significant boost with ByteTravel's move to BME's Growth segment, effective July 3rd. This step reflects the company's maturity and reinforces our ability to continue investing in technology, innovation, and international expansion, always with the goal of delivering greater value to our clients.
In addition to generating extra revenue per booking, the agent saves time, reduces errors, and improves customer satisfaction. Ultimately, technology allows for the transformation of resource-intensive processes into new profit opportunities.
In 2026, they are particularly reinforcing their commitment to the B2B channel. Why do they believe this will be one of the company's growth drivers?
Because we firmly believe that the future lies in collaborating with industry professionals and putting technology at the service of their business processes.
Our strategy is to develop flexible solutions—SaaS platforms, API integrations, and white-label—that allow our partners to easily incorporate high-value-added services without increasing their operational complexity. The easier it is for our partners to sell and manage these services, the greater the value they can offer their customers.
The strength of this model has also been recognized internationally. As I mentioned earlier, this year the Financial Times included ByteTravel among the fastest-growing European companies, ranking us as the sixth largest travel company in Europe and number one in Spain. This recognition validates a growth model based on technology, innovation, and collaboration with our partners.
Our growth will always be linked to the growth of our partners. If they sell more and offer a better experience to their customers, we grow too.
Besides travel agencies, what other sectors can benefit from the solutions developed by ByteTravel?
Our technology is designed for any company that manages travelers and wants to improve the customer experience while generating new business opportunities.
One of the areas where we see the greatest potential for development is the cruise industry. In fact, we are already collaborating and holding discussions with several cruise lines and other specialized operators in the sector to develop projects that will provide greater value to passengers before and during their trip.
We believe that cruise lines, shipping agents, destination management companies, and other stakeholders in the value chain can benefit from an integrated offering of complementary services such as visa management, eSIM connectivity, travel insurance, access to VIP lounges, and soon, new solutions that our various teams are already working on.
Our goal is to help these companies expand their value proposition, improve the customer experience, and generate new revenue streams without increasing the complexity of their operations. The demand for complementary services continues to grow, and we believe the cruise industry offers enormous potential for further innovation in this area
The cruise industry continues to grow, and each voyage involves numerous services before, during, and after embarkation. How can ByteTravel contribute to this ecosystem?
The cruise industry encompasses many of the needs for which we have developed our solutions.
The same itinerary can include stopovers in different countries with different document requirements, passengers who need internet connection at each destination from the first moment, specific travel insurance, or services such as VIP lounges
Our platforms allow you to manage all these services through a single point of contact and with easily integrated technology. This greatly simplifies operations for both shipping companies and tour operators and improves the passenger experience from the moment they book their trip.
Furthermore, we believe there is significant potential to extend these types of solutions beyond passengers. Crew members also require ongoing management of visas, travel arrangements, connectivity, insurance, and other services related to the daily operations of vessels. Even certain needs of the captain and officers could benefit from a platform capable of centralizing these processes in an agile and efficient manner.
What opportunities does ByteTravel offer to companies such as shipping agents or operators working in the cruise industry?
Shipping agents and other operators involved in the cruise value chain play an increasingly strategic role. Their activity extends far beyond port operations and, in many cases, they act as a link between the cruise line, the crew, local suppliers, and sometimes even the passengers themselves.
We believe there's a significant opportunity to incorporate complementary services that simplify processes and provide real added value, as Byte Travel does. There are many areas where we can help optimize operations, improve the experience for all stakeholders, and offer an additional revenue stream.
Our philosophy is always to simplify management, eliminate administrative complexity, and allow our partners to expand their service offerings and generate new business opportunities without having to assume greater operational burdens.
ByteTravel has evolved from Visagov into an ecosystem of ancillary services. What new solutions will we see next?
We continue to expand our ecosystem because the needs of travelers also evolve.
We are developing new services related to claims, airport fast track, tax refunds, and fintech solutions such as multi-currency cards.
Our philosophy is very simple: if there is a service that facilitates the traveler's experience and we can develop it with a clear technological advantage, we will study incorporating it into our platform.
We want our partners to find in ByteTravel a single provider capable of covering most of the auxiliary services that the market demands.
How does ByteTravel envision itself in five years' time?
Our goal is to continue growing beyond our current borders, to keep expanding our catalog of solutions and to further strengthen our relationships with the B2B channel.
That journey has already begun. We are strengthening our international presence and actively working to introduce our brand and solutions in markets such as Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Asia, while expanding our service portfolio and continuing to develop new strategic alliances.
But beyond the numbers, our goal is to become the leading technology partner for travel agencies, tour operators, transport companies, shipping companies and all those who want to offer more value to their customers in a simple, efficient and cost-effective way.
We would like to establish ourselves as one of the leading international companies in technology applied to auxiliary services for travelers.
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