According to Publituris, the study shows that the use of these new technological features is not as far as expected. The AI agents may already execute complex tasks, and integrate diverse information, in multiple systems and act autonomously, during various moments of the trip. For travel companies, the use of AI can be a turning point for their businesses.

The consumers' trust in AI is already noticed, with more than 90% of the travellers assuming that to trust in the precise information generated by the AI platforms. Nevertheless, only 2% of the people inquired would give AI the full responsibility of organising their trip. The study, according to Publituris, suggests that these agents are capable not only of giving advice, but also of solving problems that may appear during the trip.

On the other hand, 70% of the people affirm that they would use an AI assistant to plan a trip. Also, more than 60% of the people mentioned that they would prefer if companies gave them a travel AI assistant.

The agents may analyse preferences, history and the context where the traveller fits in, to give the best possible itinerary. It is also possible for them to coordinate multiple bookings through autonomous actions.

However, the greatest impact may be felt in the ‘backstage’ of the operations in the sector. In the case of hotels, the AI agents may reduce between 10 and 30% of the time spent on housekeeping tasks by combining data like guest schedules and the automatic analysis of the rooms’ conditions. Furthermore, the automatic allocation of rooms may save the working time of one or two hours for the front-office teams, as mentioned by Publituris.

Air sector

The study also concluded, according to Publituris, that the air sector may benefit from an increase of 15 and 25% in its revenue, by personalising customer retention programmes.

Despite the identified potential, 90% of businessmen stated that they have already used AI in their companies; however, the study demonstrates that the majority of the workers in the sector are still testing the platforms. 38% of the inquired people reveal that they are not using AI in their operations.

The consultant study, according to Publituris, concludes that AI agents may shape not only the way people travel, but also the companies’ operations, introducing new efficiency possibilities, personalisation and increasing revenue, valuing the company even more.