TXGB: The Hidden Data Layer Behind the Experience Economy
The integration of technology and data is transforming tourism, enabling seamless bookable experiences that enhance visitor engagement and spending. In this conversation with TXGB’s James Berzins, we explore the challenges and opportunities of standardising data, leveraging AI and harnessing social commerce to shape the future of the experience economy.
As the tourism industry continues to evolve, the integration of technology and data plays an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the visitor experience. In anticipation of the upcoming X. Design Week 2025 on 3-6 June, we sat down with James Berzins, Managing Director of TXGB, to dive deep into the hidden data layer behind the experience economy.
In this interview, we explore how the seamless integration of bookable experiences can significantly impact a visitor’s length of stay and spending habits. James also gave valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities presented by standardising data formats, connecting APIs and ensuring the security and privacy of personal information. With the rise of immersive storytelling and social commerce, we examine how these emerging trends are transforming the visitor purchasing funnel and what the future holds for tourism technology.
The conversation also delves into the themes of X. Design Week, including Generational Intelligence, Shaping AI Strategy, Digital Service Design and Spatial Computing & Immersive Storytelling. James shares his take on how these design principles are influencing the tourism sector, shaping destinations and creating more personalised and immersive journeys for visitors.
Leveraging the Power of Data and APIs
How do you see the integration of bookable experiences directly impacting visitor length of stay?
Tourism today is driven by experiences. People travel not just to see a place, but to do something meaningful while they’re there. And often, it’s the experiences that are authentic, different and memorable, which motivate the trip in the first place.
That’s why making experiences bookable and integrating them seamlessly into the wider trip, has such a significant impact. When visitors can easily find and book things to do, before they arrive and while they’re there, they’re more likely to extend their stay and spend more.
Technology makes this possible. But for it to work, products need to be available in the right place, at the right time. That’s where product distribution comes in and why TXGB focuses so heavily on improving connectivity.
More personalisation means more variety is needed and the more options we can surface through connected systems, the better those systems and algorithms behind them can serve both visitors and destinations.
What role do standardised data formats play in facilitating the seamless exchange of information between different platforms?
At its core, standardisation is about creating a common language, which is a shared format for data that allows different systems to talk to each other. In tourism, that means making it easier for experiences to be discovered, integrated and booked across a wide range of platforms. It sounds like an obvious win with more connectivity, better integration and ultimately increased length of stay and visitor spend.
But the reality is more complex.In the UK alone, there are over 250,000 tourism businesses. More than 90% of them are SMEs. That means millions of products, from glamping pods to guided hikes, all trying to reach millions of customers, each with their own preferences, habits and booking paths.
Now layer on the fact that there are hundreds of different systems and sales channels in play, all shaped by the unique needs of their users. Experiences, in particular, form the most diverse category in tourism, spanning over 150 sub-categories. Each one has its own quirks and its own competitive tech landscape. That diversity is part of what makes the sector so vibrant, but it also makes standardisation incredibly hard.
So while standardisation is a strategic goal, and in many ways an ideal, it’s not a silver bullet. The phrase “herding cats” feels appropriate. Even if we froze the market to align on one standard, which we can’t, the pace of innovation in tourism would soon render it incomplete.
At TXGB, we take a pragmatic view. We support emerging standards wherever they make sense. We actively connect systems and providers through our exchange to increase interoperability today. And we’re also keeping a close eye on how new technologies, like AI-powered developer tools, might help bridge gaps without needing perfect standardisation. In short: we pursue standardisation where it helps, but we don’t wait for it. The market’s too dynamic and the opportunity is too big.
Do you have any advice on the best approach for connecting APIs to create a unified data layer for bookable experiences?
Start with the end user. The key question is: how do you connect people with the right experiences at the right time? That one question should shape everything, from the systems you connect to the data you collect and the way you orchestrate bookings.
Once that’s clear, you can work backwards. What products do you need to surface? What’s the customer journey? What data points are essential and which systems hold them? That’s when APIs come into play, helping to stitch all this together.
There’s no shortage of APIs. The challenge isn’t technical availability, but cost, complexity and commercial logic. Every new connection requires months of development and coordination. So the real question becomes: what’s the size of the opportunity and how can you achieve it in a cost-effective way?
That’s where we often come in. When businesses and organisations realise the scale of effort needed to build and maintain these connections themselves, they start looking for smarter ways to integrate and for platforms, like TXGB, that reduce the capital investment while accelerating the path to market.
In the end, successful API connectivity isn’t just about good tech, but aligning your technical roadmap with real-world value and making smart decisions about where to build, where to partner and how to scale.
How can DMOs/LVEPs and tourism operators ensure data security and privacy when integrating multiple APIs for booking and experience management?
Security and privacy aren’t optional as they have to be embedded from the start. The first step is understanding the flow of data. That’s why I recommend creating a service blueprint, for both the customer journey and the supplier journey. Map out every interaction with your platform, identify where personal data is captured or shared and define exactly how it moves through your systems. This gives you a clear foundation for ensuring both compliance and protection.
When it comes to integration, use strong encryption for all data transmissions and make sure your practices align with regulations like GDPR. That means access controls must be tightly managed, personal data should only be shared when it’s genuinely needed and crucially only with explicit user consent.
The goal isn’t just to be compliant. It’s to build trust. Because when visitors and businesses know their data is handled responsibly, it builds confidence and that’s the foundation of a successful digital experience in tourism.
Transforming the Visitor Experience
With social commerce becoming increasingly popular, how do you see this shifting the visitor purchasing funnel?
Social media has added a powerful new layer to the visitor journey. It’s not just about brands inspiring travellers anymore, but people inspiring each other. Through platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, travellers are discovering authentic, new and different experiences, often in real time and from people they trust.
So far, this has had a big impact at the top of the funnel, sparking interest and shaping travel decisions early. But the next step is turning inspiration into action. That’s where social commerce comes in. At TXGB, we’re focused on that connection point, making sure there’s a clear path from seeing a product to booking it.
To unlock the full value of social commerce, you need access to live availability, seamless booking and the ability to handle payments and data securely in the background. That’s where our platform adds value, enabling influencers, content creators and media brands to become bookable channels themselves.
As more of these capabilities come online, we see the potential for a new kind of travel marketplace that’s consumer-to-consumer, where inspiration and conversion can happen in the same scroll.
What additional data layers will be required for full integration of agentic AI to enhance the visitor experience?
Agentic AI systems that can make autonomous decisions on behalf of travellers hold huge potential to transform the visitor experience. But to work effectively, it needs access to much more than just booking data.
First, it needs real-time inputs like location, weather, live events and dynamic pricing. These help the AI respond to what's happening in the moment, not just what was planned.
Second, behavioural data is crucial. What types of experiences do visitors typically book? How do they travel? What have they shown interest in? These signals help the AI learn, personalise and anticipate what a traveller might want next.
But to truly elevate the experience, we also need contextual data and insights into local culture, seasonal trends, sustainability indicators and even crowd levels. These layers add richness and relevance, allowing AI to make suggestions that feel not just useful, but meaningful.
The goal is an AI-powered ecosystem that can predict needs before they're voiced, offering the right experience, at the right time, in the right way. But underpinning it all is something simple, which is the connection to the real world. Real products, real visitors, real transactions. That’s where the value is created and shared across the whole chain.
How can we bridge the gap between marketing, product development and user experience design?
It starts with purpose and clear guiding principles. In England, the De Bois review challenged DMOs, now LVEPs, to adopt a truly consumer-first mindset. That sounds simple, but it requires real transformation. Too often, decisions are shaped by supplier priorities rather than visitor needs.
If you begin with the visitor experience what it should feel like and what it needs to deliver everything else follows. You can then identify the layers of technology, data and process needed to make that experience real. That clarity informs your product strategy, reveals marketing opportunities and highlights where new skills or capabilities are needed.
This is also where local insight becomes invaluable. LVEPs, with their deep understanding of place, are perfectly positioned to connect these dots helping to align strategy, design, and delivery to raise the water level for the entire destination.
Where are the opportunities for immersive storytelling to be integrated into the visitor purchasing funnel?
Immersive storytelling is a powerful way to grab attention and build emotional connection. When visitors feel something about a place or experience, they’re far more likely to book it.
The opportunity lies in integrating rich, multimedia content like virtual tours, AR layers or interactive videos, directly into the purchasing journey. This blends entertainment with information, helping visitors not just see what’s on offer, but feel what it would be like to be there. It turns inspiration into intention.
While this helps drive visitation, the impact doesn’t stop at the point of purchase. Immersive tools can enhance the entire visitor experience, from pre-arrival to on-the-ground engagement. Think of immersive apps as digital companions deepening understanding, surfacing hidden stories and guiding choices in real time.
This deeper connection boosts satisfaction, increases spend during the visit and lays the groundwork for return trips. The funnel doesn’t end with the booking and immersive storytelling helps it come full circle.
Empowering the Experience Economy Through Innovation and Connectivity
In our conversation with James, it’s clear that the future of tourism is deeply intertwined with technology, data and the evolving expectations of visitors. As discussed, the ability to seamlessly integrate bookable experiences throughout the visitor journey is a game-changer, allowing for longer stays and increased spending in destinations. It’s not just about the ability to book, but when and how experiences are offered and guided by real-time data that aligns with individual preferences.
Standardisation, while a positive direction for increasing connectivity, faces significant challenges in the ever-evolving landscape of the tourism industry. However, platforms like TXGB are pioneering efforts to overcome these hurdles by exploring emerging technologies, including AI-driven solutions, which could potentially reduce the need for standardisation altogether. By doing so, they’re enhancing the accessibility and personalisation of travel experiences.
The future also lies in bridging the gap between various stakeholders, from marketing and product development to user experience design, with a clear consumer-first approach. When these elements align, destinations can provide a truly tailored visitor experience that not only draws people in but keeps them coming back.
As social commerce grows and immersive storytelling becomes a key driver of visitor engagement, the tourism industry is heading towards a future where AI, rich data layers and seamless connectivity will redefine the visitor experience. By continuing to innovate and explore new technologies, tourism operators can create truly dynamic and personalised journeys for travellers worldwide.
About TXGB
TXGB is a B2B digital platform designed to connect the entire tourism ecosystem. TXGB enables tourism businesses to manage live availability and pricing, connecting them with a diverse network of distribution channels. This central exchange is pivotal for tourism product providers, helping them reach new customers and drive sales, all while ensuring seamless connectivity within the market.
TXGB’s involvement in X. Design Week is an important extension of its commitment to advancing the experience economy and digital transformation within tourism. As part of the event, TXGB joins a global network of industry leaders, destinations and innovators, all working to shape the future of tourism through purposeful innovation. Don't forget that delegates from TXGB get up to 75% off their ticket. More information for this can be found on the XDW website. X. Design Week provides a unique platform for exploring trends in experience design, offering insights that can transform how destinations leverage digital tools to enhance their attractions.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
As the tourism industry continues to evolve, the integration of technology and data plays an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the visitor experience. In anticipation of the upcoming X. Design Week 2025 on 3-6 June, we sat down with James Berzins, Managing Director of TXGB, to dive deep into the hidden data layer behind the experience economy.
In this interview, we explore how the seamless integration of bookable experiences can significantly impact a visitor’s length of stay and spending habits. James also gave valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities presented by standardising data formats, connecting APIs and ensuring the security and privacy of personal information. With the rise of immersive storytelling and social commerce, we examine how these emerging trends are transforming the visitor purchasing funnel and what the future holds for tourism technology.
The conversation also delves into the themes of X. Design Week, including Generational Intelligence, Shaping AI Strategy, Digital Service Design and Spatial Computing & Immersive Storytelling. James shares his take on how these design principles are influencing the tourism sector, shaping destinations and creating more personalised and immersive journeys for visitors.
Leveraging the Power of Data and APIs
How do you see the integration of bookable experiences directly impacting visitor length of stay?
Tourism today is driven by experiences. People travel not just to see a place, but to do something meaningful while they’re there. And often, it’s the experiences that are authentic, different and memorable, which motivate the trip in the first place.
That’s why making experiences bookable and integrating them seamlessly into the wider trip, has such a significant impact. When visitors can easily find and book things to do, before they arrive and while they’re there, they’re more likely to extend their stay and spend more.
Technology makes this possible. But for it to work, products need to be available in the right place, at the right time. That’s where product distribution comes in and why TXGB focuses so heavily on improving connectivity.
More personalisation means more variety is needed and the more options we can surface through connected systems, the better those systems and algorithms behind them can serve both visitors and destinations.
What role do standardised data formats play in facilitating the seamless exchange of information between different platforms?
At its core, standardisation is about creating a common language, which is a shared format for data that allows different systems to talk to each other. In tourism, that means making it easier for experiences to be discovered, integrated and booked across a wide range of platforms. It sounds like an obvious win with more connectivity, better integration and ultimately increased length of stay and visitor spend.
But the reality is more complex.In the UK alone, there are over 250,000 tourism businesses. More than 90% of them are SMEs. That means millions of products, from glamping pods to guided hikes, all trying to reach millions of customers, each with their own preferences, habits and booking paths.
Now layer on the fact that there are hundreds of different systems and sales channels in play, all shaped by the unique needs of their users. Experiences, in particular, form the most diverse category in tourism, spanning over 150 sub-categories. Each one has its own quirks and its own competitive tech landscape. That diversity is part of what makes the sector so vibrant, but it also makes standardisation incredibly hard.
So while standardisation is a strategic goal, and in many ways an ideal, it’s not a silver bullet. The phrase “herding cats” feels appropriate. Even if we froze the market to align on one standard, which we can’t, the pace of innovation in tourism would soon render it incomplete.
At TXGB, we take a pragmatic view. We support emerging standards wherever they make sense. We actively connect systems and providers through our exchange to increase interoperability today. And we’re also keeping a close eye on how new technologies, like AI-powered developer tools, might help bridge gaps without needing perfect standardisation. In short: we pursue standardisation where it helps, but we don’t wait for it. The market’s too dynamic and the opportunity is too big.
Do you have any advice on the best approach for connecting APIs to create a unified data layer for bookable experiences?
Start with the end user. The key question is: how do you connect people with the right experiences at the right time? That one question should shape everything, from the systems you connect to the data you collect and the way you orchestrate bookings.
Once that’s clear, you can work backwards. What products do you need to surface? What’s the customer journey? What data points are essential and which systems hold them? That’s when APIs come into play, helping to stitch all this together.
There’s no shortage of APIs. The challenge isn’t technical availability, but cost, complexity and commercial logic. Every new connection requires months of development and coordination. So the real question becomes: what’s the size of the opportunity and how can you achieve it in a cost-effective way?
That’s where we often come in. When businesses and organisations realise the scale of effort needed to build and maintain these connections themselves, they start looking for smarter ways to integrate and for platforms, like TXGB, that reduce the capital investment while accelerating the path to market.
In the end, successful API connectivity isn’t just about good tech, but aligning your technical roadmap with real-world value and making smart decisions about where to build, where to partner and how to scale.
How can DMOs/LVEPs and tourism operators ensure data security and privacy when integrating multiple APIs for booking and experience management?
Security and privacy aren’t optional as they have to be embedded from the start. The first step is understanding the flow of data. That’s why I recommend creating a service blueprint, for both the customer journey and the supplier journey. Map out every interaction with your platform, identify where personal data is captured or shared and define exactly how it moves through your systems. This gives you a clear foundation for ensuring both compliance and protection.
When it comes to integration, use strong encryption for all data transmissions and make sure your practices align with regulations like GDPR. That means access controls must be tightly managed, personal data should only be shared when it’s genuinely needed and crucially only with explicit user consent.
The goal isn’t just to be compliant. It’s to build trust. Because when visitors and businesses know their data is handled responsibly, it builds confidence and that’s the foundation of a successful digital experience in tourism.
Transforming the Visitor Experience
With social commerce becoming increasingly popular, how do you see this shifting the visitor purchasing funnel?
Social media has added a powerful new layer to the visitor journey. It’s not just about brands inspiring travellers anymore, but people inspiring each other. Through platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, travellers are discovering authentic, new and different experiences, often in real time and from people they trust.
So far, this has had a big impact at the top of the funnel, sparking interest and shaping travel decisions early. But the next step is turning inspiration into action. That’s where social commerce comes in. At TXGB, we’re focused on that connection point, making sure there’s a clear path from seeing a product to booking it.
To unlock the full value of social commerce, you need access to live availability, seamless booking and the ability to handle payments and data securely in the background. That’s where our platform adds value, enabling influencers, content creators and media brands to become bookable channels themselves.
As more of these capabilities come online, we see the potential for a new kind of travel marketplace that’s consumer-to-consumer, where inspiration and conversion can happen in the same scroll.
What additional data layers will be required for full integration of agentic AI to enhance the visitor experience?
Agentic AI systems that can make autonomous decisions on behalf of travellers hold huge potential to transform the visitor experience. But to work effectively, it needs access to much more than just booking data.
First, it needs real-time inputs like location, weather, live events and dynamic pricing. These help the AI respond to what's happening in the moment, not just what was planned.
Second, behavioural data is crucial. What types of experiences do visitors typically book? How do they travel? What have they shown interest in? These signals help the AI learn, personalise and anticipate what a traveller might want next.
But to truly elevate the experience, we also need contextual data and insights into local culture, seasonal trends, sustainability indicators and even crowd levels. These layers add richness and relevance, allowing AI to make suggestions that feel not just useful, but meaningful.
The goal is an AI-powered ecosystem that can predict needs before they're voiced, offering the right experience, at the right time, in the right way. But underpinning it all is something simple, which is the connection to the real world. Real products, real visitors, real transactions. That’s where the value is created and shared across the whole chain.
How can we bridge the gap between marketing, product development and user experience design?
It starts with purpose and clear guiding principles. In England, the De Bois review challenged DMOs, now LVEPs, to adopt a truly consumer-first mindset. That sounds simple, but it requires real transformation. Too often, decisions are shaped by supplier priorities rather than visitor needs.
If you begin with the visitor experience what it should feel like and what it needs to deliver everything else follows. You can then identify the layers of technology, data and process needed to make that experience real. That clarity informs your product strategy, reveals marketing opportunities and highlights where new skills or capabilities are needed.
This is also where local insight becomes invaluable. LVEPs, with their deep understanding of place, are perfectly positioned to connect these dots helping to align strategy, design, and delivery to raise the water level for the entire destination.
Where are the opportunities for immersive storytelling to be integrated into the visitor purchasing funnel?
Immersive storytelling is a powerful way to grab attention and build emotional connection. When visitors feel something about a place or experience, they’re far more likely to book it.
The opportunity lies in integrating rich, multimedia content like virtual tours, AR layers or interactive videos, directly into the purchasing journey. This blends entertainment with information, helping visitors not just see what’s on offer, but feel what it would be like to be there. It turns inspiration into intention.
While this helps drive visitation, the impact doesn’t stop at the point of purchase. Immersive tools can enhance the entire visitor experience, from pre-arrival to on-the-ground engagement. Think of immersive apps as digital companions deepening understanding, surfacing hidden stories and guiding choices in real time.
This deeper connection boosts satisfaction, increases spend during the visit and lays the groundwork for return trips. The funnel doesn’t end with the booking and immersive storytelling helps it come full circle.
Empowering the Experience Economy Through Innovation and Connectivity
In our conversation with James, it’s clear that the future of tourism is deeply intertwined with technology, data and the evolving expectations of visitors. As discussed, the ability to seamlessly integrate bookable experiences throughout the visitor journey is a game-changer, allowing for longer stays and increased spending in destinations. It’s not just about the ability to book, but when and how experiences are offered and guided by real-time data that aligns with individual preferences.
Standardisation, while a positive direction for increasing connectivity, faces significant challenges in the ever-evolving landscape of the tourism industry. However, platforms like TXGB are pioneering efforts to overcome these hurdles by exploring emerging technologies, including AI-driven solutions, which could potentially reduce the need for standardisation altogether. By doing so, they’re enhancing the accessibility and personalisation of travel experiences.
The future also lies in bridging the gap between various stakeholders, from marketing and product development to user experience design, with a clear consumer-first approach. When these elements align, destinations can provide a truly tailored visitor experience that not only draws people in but keeps them coming back.
As social commerce grows and immersive storytelling becomes a key driver of visitor engagement, the tourism industry is heading towards a future where AI, rich data layers and seamless connectivity will redefine the visitor experience. By continuing to innovate and explore new technologies, tourism operators can create truly dynamic and personalised journeys for travellers worldwide.
About TXGB
TXGB is a B2B digital platform designed to connect the entire tourism ecosystem. TXGB enables tourism businesses to manage live availability and pricing, connecting them with a diverse network of distribution channels. This central exchange is pivotal for tourism product providers, helping them reach new customers and drive sales, all while ensuring seamless connectivity within the market.
TXGB’s involvement in X. Design Week is an important extension of its commitment to advancing the experience economy and digital transformation within tourism. As part of the event, TXGB joins a global network of industry leaders, destinations and innovators, all working to shape the future of tourism through purposeful innovation. Don't forget that delegates from TXGB get up to 75% off their ticket. More information for this can be found on the XDW website. X. Design Week provides a unique platform for exploring trends in experience design, offering insights that can transform how destinations leverage digital tools to enhance their attractions.
Continue reading...
Get access to 100s of case studies, workshop templates, industry leading events and more.
.svg){kind=icon}
.webp)
