The intelligence era TECH TRENDS
How technology is quietly rewriting the rules of travel
budget, and a flight that avoids the dreaded 6am departure. Today, digital technologies impact every touchpoint of travel, from where we choose to go and how we get there, to where we stay, how we pay and what we experience. Across the industry, four shifts are driving this change: AI-powered personalisation, frictionless journeys, electronic payments and digital identity. Together, they are resetting expectations – for travellers and for the businesses that serve them.
BY VICTORIA BALFOUR I n 2026, the typical travel booking experience begins with a typed prompt or spoken instruction: “Somewhere warm. Not too crowded. Good food. Direct flight if possible.” There is no travel agent on the other end of the phone, nor even a search bar on a computer screen in the traditional sense. Just an AI-enhanced chatbot that listens – and responds. Within seconds, it suggests a destination that fits the mood, a hotel within
194 | ITB GLOBAL TRAVEL COLLECTION
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker