Travefy CEO David Chait on Why Travel Tech is Finally Getting Its Due

After more than a decade building tools for travel advisors, Travefy CEO David Chait is finally starting to see the tech industry recognize what so many in travel already knew: that the advisor community is the backbone of travel despite being a segment long been underserved by technology.

“There’s definitely been a broader recognition among a more traditional investment community that this is a vibrant and growing market,” Chait told Travel Market Report in an interview during this week’s Travel Advisor Convention in Salt Lake City. “For years, the industry was underserved from a technology standpoint — partly because of outdated assumptions about growth potential. But that’s changed.”

Now, Chait says, Travefy, like other tech companies that have been investing in this space, is starting to receive interest from investors looking to get into an important, growing market. “Our door is getting knocked on daily, and it’s a different mindset than even a few years ago,” he said.

Travefy has taken no outside funding since 2016, and Chait says there are no plans to, despite the interest. Others are seeking, and receiving, funding. Last week, another travel technology company serving advisors, Tern, announced it had taken in $13 million in Series A funding, while Fora, maybe the most tech-forward agency group, announced it had received $60 million in Series B and C investment rounds at the end of April.

Chait founded Travefy in 2012 as a tool to help bigger groups (think bachelor or bachelorette parties) coordinate bookings. He pivoted to a B2B focus in 2016 and getting wind of the potential of this kind of tool for a business that its built on larger, more complicated bookings.

Since then, Travefy has grown into one of the more trusted platforms for advisors. It’s an all-in-one CRM, offering itinerary builders, client communication tools, white-label website builders, and integrations with dozens of suppliers.

Even with all that, Chait said that the backbone of Travefy’s success is the platform’s its ease of use, and making it worth it for its users.

“I don’t think advisors are technophobic,” he says. “They’re solo entrepreneurs. Their biggest barrier is time. If a tool doesn’t clearly deliver ROI, it’s not worth the hours it takes to learn.”

That understanding has shaped Travefy’s continued evolution. Chait said the company is preparing to launch deeper invoicing tools, full commission tracking, new contact management features, and integrated email systems — all while keeping the advisor-client relationship at the center, just making it easier to manage.

“So much of the magic comes from the ‘wow’ on the traveler side,” Chait says. “It helps advisors close more deals and drive repeat business. But the backend efficiency — integrations, automations — that’s what makes the ‘wow’ scalable.”

One key area of focus is AI. Travefy is experimenting with smart tools that can, for instance, ingest PDFs or emails from DMCs and turn them into formatted quotes inside the platform. Other AI applications are less visible — like routing advisor communications behind the scenes — but just as impactful.

“We want AI to elevate what advisors uniquely do best and automate the rest,” Chait says.

Another major initiative is Travefy’s support for new-to-industry advisors. The company recently launched a new partner-driven program with hosts like Nexion and suppliers like ALG Vacations and Travel Impressions. Advisors who joined the industry within the past year get access to Travefy’s software and support at a discount, along with training designed to help them set up their business and make their first sales.

“If we can help them succeed early, we can change their trajectory,” Chait says.

Despite industry shifts — including the rise of the host model and IC-driven businesses — Chait says Travefy remains firmly in the technology lane. “We’re not trying to be a host agency. We partner with them. Our job is to build the software infrastructure that supports advisors wherever they are.”

Looking ahead, Chait says that Travefy will continue to grow based on what its users, and the larger community, needs. “We’re going to keep evolving based on what our users need. The roadmap is driven by them.”