AI isn’t killing travel agents. It’s making them better
New agentic tools make travel professionals faster, smarter, and more valuable than standalone AI platforms
AI is transforming how consumers plan and book travel, but the technology is not eliminating professional travel agents. Instead, it is making them more efficient, informed and relevant.
Agentic tools help scan prices, monitor hotel and flight drops, automate research and match travelers to destinations or hotels based on preference data.
The industry is growing and evolving, with human judgment, taste, personalization and perks remaining central differentiators that AI alone cannot deliver.
Key takeaways
- AI-assisted travel planning is rising: Generative and agentic AI tools are increasingly used for destination ideas, itinerary planning and early trip research, enhancing consumer convenience.
- Professional agents gain efficiency: Tools like price monitoring and client preference analysis allow agents to rebook at better rates, upgrade clients, or provide more precise recommendations.
- Taste remains a human advantage: AI is strong at listing hotels or options, but it struggles with nuanced personal taste, curation and relevance — areas where human advisors excel.
- Personal perks are irreplaceable: Travel agents still deliver exclusive benefits such as upgrades, early check-ins and added amenities that AI-driven platforms cannot replicate.
- Preference mining increases personalization: Agencies are building proprietary AI systems to match client profiles with highly curated experiences, using vetted global hotel and amenity data.
- Client insights reduce friction: New tools analyze traveler behavior, calendars or photos (with consent) to streamline personalization without repetitive “getting to know you” conversations.
- Industry demand remains strong: The global travel agency market shows significant growth, demonstrating that customers still value expert planning, human judgment and tailored experiences alongside AI convenience.
Get the full story at Bloomberg (subscription required)
Enjoying this analysis? Hospitality.today delivers daily insights on hotel distribution, AI trends, and travel commerce — straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free at Hospitality.today →