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Two-thirds of travel operators to increase investment in AI in the next 12 months


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Two-thirds of travel operators to increase investment in AI in the next 12 months

Customer experience and loyalty top the list of AI objectives

April 2026

New data from TravelTech Show reveals 64% of travel operators plan to increase AI investment in the next 12 months in the hope it will improve customer experience, increase loyalty and booking conversions, and cut costs.

More than a fifth (21%) of the 103 respondents surveyed intend to double their AI spend. A further 31% will increase AI budgets by up to 20%. And they want this investment to positively impact their businesses by:

  • 32% – Improving customer experience and enhancing customer loyalty
  • 18% – Increasing booking conversion rates
  • 16% – Reducing costs
TravelTech Show is Europe’s only travel technology marketplace, built for business. It takes place 24-25 June 2026 at Excel London. Registration is open now and free to attend for travel technology specialists involved in or responsible for the technology within their travel business and consultants who help travel businesses select technology solutions.

The data also highlighted a growing commitment to wider technology spend as nearly half (48%) plan to increase budgets over the next 12 months and one in ten confirmed an annual budget of at least £1 million.

  • 10% plan to double their budget
  • 15% plan to increase budgets by 50%
  • 23% plan to spend an additional 20%

When asked which three technologies travel operators are planning to invest in over the next year, AI retained the top spot for a third consecutive year, albeit with a slight decline.

2026

2025

2024

AI

43%

52%

56%

Booking and reservation systems 

25%

22%

32%

CRM

23%

22%

–

Mobile and apps

–

–

20%

Is AI the missing customer knowledge link?

Despite the commitment to invest, the data also highlighted key knowledge gaps around the impact AI is having across travel companies.

  • 31% don’t know how customers are using GenAI to engage with their business
  • 21% don’t know where most of their customers, bookings and website traffic comes from via online search

Commenting on the results TravelTech Show sales manager Thauan (Ty) Albuquerque said, “Given the commitment we’re seeing to invest, the integration and acceptance of AI in the travel sector is set to advance at an accelerated pace in the months to come. But it’s important to note AI is only one part of a much broader technology ecosystem. Travel companies can’t afford to take their eye off the ball when it comes to investing in the entire tech stack, including bookings and reservations systems, CRM, payment solutions and data management, if they want to unlock the full value of innovation.

“It’s no surprise operators can feel confused by the sheer volume of AI tools emerging as well as how and where they can impact their business. The conference agenda for this year’s TravelTech Show will provide answers to many of these quandaries and a clear direction for operators to embark on the AI pathway. Whether they are just getting started or keen to get a better return on their investment by integrating it further into their tech stack.”

103 travel company representatives took part in the survey in April 2026.

TravelTech Show takes place from 24 – 25 June 2026 at Excel, London.



Guest Contributor

2026-05-05 02:09:00