AI agents and the future of travel

How agentic AI is reshaping trip planning, operations, and customer experience

From travel dreaming to travel friction

Imagining a future trip is often an exciting experience. However, turning that vision into a concrete itinerary comparing options, managing bookings, handling disruptions can quickly become complex and time-consuming. In recent years, artificial intelligence has emerged as a potential solution to reduce this friction, with AI agents now positioned to fundamentally reshape how travel is planned, booked, and experienced. Recent industry analyses, including insights from McKinsey, highlight agentic AI as a key driver of the next transformation in the travel sector.

AI agents in travel

AI agents go beyond traditional chatbots or recommendation engines. They are designed to operate autonomously across multiple steps of a process, such as researching destinations, booking flights and hotels, adjusting itineraries in case of disruptions, and personalizing recommendations based on user preferences, budget, and past behavior. In the travel context, this means a shift from fragmented tools to end-to-end journey orchestration.

Across the travel industry, AI adoption is currently most advanced in internal operations. Organizations are using AI to automate repetitive tasks, support customer service, optimize pricing and marketing, and assist with software development and data analysis. While many companies are already experimenting with AI, measurable financial impact remains uneven reflecting the early maturity of agentic systems. Over time, however, AI agents are expected to deliver value both by improving operational efficiency and by enhancing customer experience, especially as systems mature and integrate more deeply with core business processes.

Humans and agents, together

Travel remains a highly emotional and personal activity. While AI agents can handle logistics, data synthesis, and operational execution, human roles continue to be essential for delivering empathy, trust, creativity, and high-touch service, particularly in complex or sensitive situations. Rather than replacing employees, agentic AI is more likely to shift skill requirements, freeing people from system management and enabling them to focus on meaningful customer interactions.

Where agentic AI matters most

Research and industry pilots suggest that AI agents are particularly well suited for:

• Marketing personalization and targeting

• Customer service through conversational interfaces (text and voice)

• Sales support and booking operations

• Disruption management (rebooking, refunds, itinerary changes)

• Internal workflows such as finance, HR, and analytics

In the longer term, the real transformation will come not from automating individual steps, but from reengineering entire travel journeys end to end.

Governance, risk, and brand relevance

As AI agents increasingly act on behalf of customers, new challenges emerge around transparency, accountability, payments, and data protection. Customers may not always know which provider is executing a transaction, who holds their funds, or how decisions are made. This raises important questions about governance, ethical AI use, pricing fairness, and regulatory adaptation. Robust risk management and clear accountability frameworks will be critical for sustainable adoption. In an agent-driven environment, brands may no longer be the primary interface for customers. Instead, AI agents could mediate access to products and services. Strong, differentiated brands with clear value propositions are more likely to remain relevant, while smaller or niche players may benefit from improved visibility if AI agents surface offerings that closely match specific traveler preferences.

Taking a look forward

Over the next three to five years, travelers can expect:

• Less frustration and more personalization during trip planning

• Greater automation of complex travel logistics

• More conversational, voice-enabled interactions

• Highly tailored recommendations based on real-time data and preferences

Ultimately, AI agents have the potential to shift travel from a transaction-heavy process to a seamless, experience-driven journey, provided that technology, governance, and human expertise evolve together.

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