HBX Group report points to AI adoption gap in travel distribution

Travel companies are embracing AI tools, but scaling them into daily operations remains the industry’s biggest challenge

HBX Group has published new research showing that Artificial Intelligence adoption is gaining momentum across the B2B travel distribution sector, although many companies are still struggling to move beyond experimentation into full operational use. The report, based on survey data from travel agencies, tour operators and wholesalers connected to HBX Group’s global distribution network, found that most respondents already use AI in some form and increasingly view it as strategically important. At the same time, the research highlights a widening gap between deploying AI for isolated tasks and integrating it into day-to-day commercial operations. For hoteliers, the findings offer an early signal of how travel distribution partners, intermediaries and booking workflows are evolving around AI-driven efficiency and automation.

Key takeaways

• AI usage is becoming mainstream in travel distribution: 65% of surveyed companies said they are already using AI technologies, signaling that AI adoption is moving rapidly into the operational core of travel commerce.
• Distribution partners see AI as strategically important: More than half of respondents described AI as critical or very important to their future business success, indicating growing long-term investment priorities across the sector.
• Current AI applications remain relatively basic: Most companies are still using AI primarily for content generation, customer support and administrative tasks rather than advanced end-to-end operational automation.
• Workflow integration is now the key challenge: HBX Group’s research suggests the industry has largely moved past the “access to AI” phase. The bigger challenge is embedding AI into existing workflows in ways that generate measurable operational value.
• Training and trust are slowing adoption: Respondents identified usability concerns, lack of employee training and uncertainty around AI outputs as major barriers preventing broader implementation.
• Hotels may soon feel indirect operational pressure: As wholesalers, OTAs and distribution intermediaries automate more processes, hotels may increasingly need cleaner data structures, faster response capabilities and AI-compatible operational systems to remain commercially competitive.
• Efficiency is becoming the central AI use case: The report highlights rising interest in AI applications that reduce manual processes, simplify workflows and improve operational efficiency across travel distribution ecosystems.
• The competitive gap may shift from technology access to execution: Since AI tools are becoming widely available, differentiation may increasingly depend on how effectively companies integrate them into commercial operations, sales processes and customer experiences.

Source: HBX Group

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