‘Cyprus is a natural base for global tech’

In a wide-ranging interview with the Sunday Mail, Alexander Sapov, the co-founder and chief executive officer of GetTransfer.com, shared his perspective on why Cyprus remains a natural base for global digital marketplaces.

The serial visionary entrepreneur discussed how the island’s legal framework and cross-border technology environment have supported the growth of his platform, which now connects passengers and transport providers across more than 180 countries.

Sapov addressed the pressing local debate regarding unregulated ride-hailing apps, arguing that technology should modernise the industry rather than bypass rules designed to protect passengers.

Moreover, he explained the transparent marketplace model, where licensed providers submit offers to travellers, contrasting this with traditional aggregators that rely on automated algorithms and surge pricing.

The discussion further explored the role of artificial intelligence in maintaining quality control and the evolving needs of “blended” business and leisure travellers.

Sapov also highlighted the importance of fleet modernisation and digital efficiency in reducing the carbon footprint of ground travel.

GetTransfer.com is a global player headquartered in Cyprus; why did you choose Cyprus as your base of operations, and how has the local IT ecosystem contributed to your growth?

Cyprus was a natural base for us. For a global digital marketplace, you need a strong legal framework, access to international talent, and a business founder-friendly environment that understands how cross-border technology companies operate.

For GetTransfer.com, which connects passengers and transport providers in 180+ countries, Cyprus is also a very efficient location. It sits at a real crossroads between Europe, the Middle East and other growth markets, and that international character is reflected in the local tech community.

Over time, Cyprus became much more than a headquarters. Our core team is here, strategic decisions are made here and many of our partnerships have grown from this base. So the contribution of the Cypriot IT ecosystem has been very concrete: it has provided the legal, professional and international environment we need to scale responsibly. 

From your perspective, what are the remaining hurdles Cyprus needs to overcome to truly solidify its reputation as the ‘silicon island’ of Europe?

Cyprus has already made real progress. It has attracted international technology companies, built a credible professional services base and developed momentum as a tech jurisdiction.

The next step is depth. A stronger local pipeline of engineers, product managers and data specialists would reduce dependence on imported talent and make the ecosystem more resilient. A deeper early-stage investment environment would also help, especially stronger links to European and global venture networks.

The other issue is speed. Technology companies move quickly, so public administration, digital services, and regulation also need to move quickly. If Cyprus continues improving in talent, capital and regulatory agility, it has every chance to strengthen its position as one of Europe’s most attractive technology hubs.

You advocate for the ‘transparent marketplace’ model; could you explain, in simple terms for our readers, how this differs from traditional aggregators or the unlicensed ride-hailing apps we often see?

The idea is actually quite simple. GetTransfer.com operates as a transparent marketplace rather than a traditional ride-hailing aggregator or the kind of unregulated ride-hailing apps that have become a real concern in a number of markets, including Cyprus.

In a typical aggregator model, the platform assigns a driver automatically and the price is dictated by an algorithm. The passenger usually sees only an estimated fare and has no control over who will actually perform the ride. Surge pricing and sudden price changes are also common because everything is determined by the system.

A marketplace works differently. A passenger submits a request for a transfer, and licensed transport providers send their offers. Each offer includes the price, the vehicle, photos and driver ratings, so the passenger can compare options and choose the one that suits them best. The price is known before payment, and the passenger decides which driver to book. This is different from a fixed-price system where the platform sets the margin, or a ride-hailing model where the traveller has no choice but to accept whatever the algorithm offers.

Another issue with unregulated ride-hailing apps – something Cyprus has been actively discussing – is that they often operate outside the existing transport framework. Drivers may not have the proper licenses or insurance, and that creates risks both for passengers and for the professional transport sector.

Our position is very simple: technology should modernise the industry, not bypass the rules that exist to protect passengers and ensure fair competition. A transparent marketplace model allows innovation while still working with licensed transport providers and respecting the regulatory environment of each country.

Cyprus has struggled with unregulated transport services; how does GetTransfer.com ensure that every driver on the platform is fully licensed and operating within the legal framework?

This is exactly why the marketplace legal framework matters. We work with professional transport providers and verification is an integral part of that model.

When a driver joins the platform, we verify licences, registration documents and other information required for that driver to legally provide passenger transportation in the relevant jurisdiction. In other words, the platform is designed to operate within the existing rules of each market, not around them.

Transparency adds a second layer of control. Before booking, passengers can see the offered price of the ride, vehicle photos and the driver’s rating. This creates accountability and helps maintain professional standards. In markets like Cyprus, where unregulated transport has been widely discussed, this approach becomes especially important.

Why should a local independent driver choose to work through a regulated platform like yours rather than operating via informal, unregulated channels?

For drivers, the choice is about finding strong demand and also about building a business on rules that can last.

A global marketplace like GetTransfer.com gives independent drivers access to international demand that is difficult to reach on their own. Because the marketplace connects travellers from 180+ countries with transport providers, a driver is not limited to street demand or a small local customer base.

At the same time, the driver keeps control over the commercial side. In our tender-based model, providers submit their own offers. They are not forced into a price set by the platform.

Transparency also helps professional drivers. Passengers can choose based on quality and reliability rather than risk. That is better for passengers, and better for drivers than operating in a grey zone. 

You’ve mentioned ‘smart pricing that protects quality’; how do you balance the customer’s desire for a low price with the driver’s need for a fair, sustainable wage?

Smart pricing is about letting the market set the price in a transparent way. In many ride-hailing apps, the platform moves fares up or down automatically, and the driver has very little say. That can push the market toward surge pricing on one side and a race to the bottom on the other.

Our approach is different. Drivers review each ride request and submit their own offers, so the price reflects their own real conditions. The platform does not force a fare.

Passengers then choose what matters most to them – lowest price, better vehicle, or stronger reviews. That balance matters, because if pricing becomes irrational, service quality usually follows.

How is AI currently being used at GetTransfer.com to improve the safety and reliability of journeys for passengers in 180+ countries?

At GetTransfer.com, AI mainly works in the background. When you operate a travel mobility marketplace across more than 180 countries and work with thousands of transport providers, automation becomes essential for maintaining consistent standards.

The role AI plays on our platform aligns closely with what travellers actually want from AI. Skift Research shows that 93 per cent of travellers who use AI tools trust them for accurate and reliable information – but 87 per cent still want to retain full or shared control over decisions. This maps precisely onto how we design AI’s role: it operates in the background, improves reliability, flags problems. AI is an infrastructure, not a replacement for a human support team.

For example, one of the areas AI helps with is matching passenger requests with drivers. By analysing booking patterns and trip history, the system helps surface the offers most likely to lead to a successful booking. Another important area, which AI helps us with is quality control: It analyses vehicle photos, detects irrelevant content and flags inconsistencies between what is shown and what is listed.

It also supports moderation and operations, from screening reviews to analysing platform chats and processing other data. We also use it when working with geographic points, for example recognising that a pickup location is inside a port or another area where different rules may apply.

The important point is that AI is not there to replace human judgment. It helps us apply quality control and operational discipline consistently across a very large marketplace.

Looking beyond simple airport transfers, how do you see the ‘multi-service’ mobility model evolving in the next five years?

Mobility is moving beyond the idea of a single ride from point A to point B. Travelers increasingly want different services for different moments of the same trip – an airport transfer, a car with a driver for several hours, or an intercity journey.

Over the next five years, I expect platforms to develop further in that direction. Instead of switching between separate apps, travellers will increasingly organise multiple ground transport needs inside one AI-powered system. For international travel in particular, that is the natural next step: mobility becomes part of the journey planning process, not an afterthought booked one ride at a time.

The data from the World Economic Forum and Kearney’s Insight Report supports this quite clearly. Blended travel – trips that combine business and leisure – is projected to expand at around 9 per cent compound annual growth rate through 2032 as remote work policies enable greater location flexibility. More than 50 per cent of business travellers already say they want more blended trips, and in 2024 the majority took at least two of them. These are not occasional travellers booking a single airport transfer. They need flexible, multi-leg mobility solutions that work across different contexts within the same journey.

We also see strong tailwinds from rapidly growing segments. Sports tourism is projected to reach over $1.7 trillion by 2032, growing at 16 per cent annually. MICE – meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions – is expanding at 9 per cent per year. Ecotourism at 14 per cent. Each of these segments has distinct transport requirements: group transfers to arenas, coordinated logistics for conference delegates, access to remote nature destinations.

Therefore, a platform that can serve all of these within one system, with transparent pricing and verified providers, is precisely what these travellers need.

In an industry often marred by hidden fees and unreliable service, what specific mechanisms has GetTransfer.com implemented to build long-term trust with its users?

In mobility services trust usually breaks down for two reasons: passengers do not know the final price, and they do not know who will actually arrive to perform the trip.

Our platform addresses both of these issues directly. GetTransfer.com works as a global travel mobility marketplace where passengers receive offers from transport providers before booking. Each offer shows the price, vehicle details, real photos of the car and the driver’s rating. This allows passengers to compare options and decide which provider they want to travel with.

The price is also agreed in advance. Because drivers submit their own offers through the platform, passengers see the final cost before making a payment rather than discovering additional charges later.

The second layer is accountability. Drivers build a service history through ratings and reviews, and that reputation remains visible to future passengers. Over time this naturally highlights reliable providers and filters out poor service.

In practice, these mechanisms create a much clearer environment for both sides – passengers know what they are booking, and professional transport providers can compete based on the quality of their service.

Decarbonising private transport is a major global goal; what role do digital platforms play in reducing the carbon footprint of ground travel?

Digital platforms can contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of ground transport mainly by improving how existing transport resources are used. In many cities a significant part of emissions comes from inefficiencies – vehicles driving without passengers, poorly planned routes, or underused transport capacity.

Marketplaces help address this by connecting passengers directly with available transport providers. When drivers can see requests in advance and plan their trips more efficiently, it reduces unnecessary empty mileage and improves vehicle utilisation.

Digital platforms also give passengers more visibility when choosing transport. For example, travellers can select different vehicle classes or opt for more efficient cars depending on their needs. Over time this type of transparency encourages transport providers to modernise their fleets and adopt more fuel-efficient or electric vehicles.

Technology alone will not solve the decarbonisation challenge, but platforms can make the transport ecosystem more efficient. By improving matching, planning and utilisation of vehicles, digital mobility services can help reduce unnecessary emissions while maintaining flexibility for travellers. Transparency creates pressure – when passengers can see and compare vehicles on our platform, providers have a genuine commercial incentive to offer cleaner options. That market signal matters more than many people realise.

In China and India – markets that will drive global travel growth through 2030 – over 80 per cent of travellers express willingness to pay a premium for sustainable options. The commercial case for greening a fleet is not theoretical. The demand is measurable and it is growing.

In the ‘media era’, accountability is everything; how does your platform handle safety and real-time support compared to traditional taxi services?

In practice, safety starts with clarity around the service itself. When someone books a transfer, they want to know who is coming, what car will arrive, and how the pickup will actually work.

Communication also happens directly through the platform. If a passenger’s flight is delayed, if the driver is already at the airport, or if there are questions about the pickup location, those details can be discussed in the chat attached to the booking. If something requires attention, our support team can see the situation and step in.

Another factor is reputation. Drivers build a visible track record through ratings and reviews from previous passengers. Over time this gives users a clear sense of how reliable a provider is before they decide to book.

As a ‘serial visionary’, what is the one major change in global ground travel that you believe will surprise people by 2030?

Many people expect the big surprise in ground travel to come from new vehicles – autonomous cars, flying taxis, things like that. But the more interesting change may be how mobility is organised.

Today most people still book rides one by one. By 2030, travellers will increasingly expect transport to work as part of the entire trip rather than as isolated transfers. Instead of opening several apps during a journey, people will organise mobility in advance – a car from the airport, a driver for a few hours in the city, maybe an intercity trip – all within one AI-system.

Part of what will drive this is a profound shift in who is travelling. By 2030, India and China are projected to collectively account for more than 25 per cent of international outbound travel, with Indian travellers tripling and Chinese travellers doubling their current share. These are digital-native consumers who expect seamless, integrated experiences and will not tolerate the fragmented, multi-app booking reality that many travellers still accept today. Simultaneously, Millennials and Generation Z will comprise the majority of all travellers globally – generations that have grown up expecting technology to anticipate their needs, not simply respond to them.

There is a further dimension to this that sharpens the picture. Asian travellers are not just travelling more – they are adopting AI-assisted planning at a fundamentally different rate. According to Skift Research, 77 per cent of Chinese and Indian travellers plan to use AI for trip planning within the next 12 months, compared to 29 per cent of Americans and 32 per cent of British travellers.

When this audience becomes the dominant force in global travel by 2030, the baseline expectation for how technology integrates into a journey – including ground transport – will shift decisively. Platforms that cannot meet that standard will not simply underperform; they will be invisible to the travellers who matter most.

And then there is the question of where people are going. The concentration of tourism in a small number of destinations is becoming unsustainable – by 2034 cities like London and Dubai are projected to see visitor-to-resident ratios increase by 30 to 40 percent beyond already high current levels. This will accelerate interest in less visited destinations, creating entirely new transport corridors that do not yet have established infrastructure. Platforms that can operate flexibly across these emerging routes – rather than relying on fixed infrastructure – will have a significant advantage.

In other words, ground transport will gradually become part of the travel infrastructure itself, not just a ride you call when you need it.