By ROBIN LAWTHER/ AI is already changing travel. It is helping people search faster, compare options more efficiently and build itineraries with far less effort than ever before. For travel advisors, that brings real opportunity. AI can remove friction, speed up admin and help surface better choices for travellers in less time.
Most travellers expect artificial intelligence to play a limited and carefully controlled role in travel planning, with human judgment, personal experience and independent verification continuing to dominate decision-making, according to the Global Rescue 2026 Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey.
The modern business trip looks very different from the ones most companies designed their travel policies around. Airports have become workspaces, hotel lobbies double as meeting rooms, and international travel no longer offers a pause from the working day. Today, work travels with business travellers.
Radisson Hotel Group has launched an AI-powered real-time hotel price matching technology that aims to redefine how travellers book direct online. The new feature automatically detects lower publicly available rates for Radisson Hotel Group properties on third-party booking platforms and instantly matches them on RadissonHotels.com – removing the need for guests to submit claims, screenshots, or wait for manual approval.
Travelport has announced the introduction of Air Canada Flight Pass capability within TripServices API and Smartpoint enabling Travelport-connected agencies to shop and book eligible Air Canada NDC offers using Flight Pass credits directly within the Travelport+ platform.
Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) is redefining its role beyond a booking platform, introducing new capabilities that help travel advisors and agencies streamline back-office operations, reduce manual work and scale their businesses more effectively.
Booking flights and accommodation online means vacationers share a lot of sensitive information with travel businesses – names, addresses, passports, and more besides. However, this data may be at high risk of hacker interception – especially if travel firms don’t take steps to protect it adequately enough.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E cruises down a London road choked with traffic, using its onboard AI system to avoid jaywalkers and cyclists, and navigate roadwork as it drives to its destination.
As the federal government lays out the groundwork for the country’s journey into AI, the effects of the emergent technology are already being felt in the country’s workplaces.
Once hailed as the future and saviour of communication for society, the ills of social media have become readily apparent to many Canadians, even as they continue to like, share, and scroll. New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds that Canadians are still overwhelmingly enmeshed in the social media environment, but that many aren’t sure about the impact it’s having on them, personally, and on broader society.
Artificial Intelligence is shifting power in travel distribution away from visibility and toward trust, redefining how travellers discover, evaluate and book experiences. Rather than eliminating intermediaries, AI is reshaping where value – and control – sits across the travel ecosystem.
Porter Airlines has partnered with HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions) to introduce a new product that gives passengers more flexibility with day-of-departure flight disruptions. Available as an optional add-on, the Delay and Cancellation Assistance product offers passengers real-time solutions if their flight is disrupted by more than two hours or cancelled within 24 hours of departure.
Who will control travel 20 years from now: artificial intelligence, governments, or the travellers themselves? What will determine value in an AI-driven industry? And will travel remain accessible to all, or become a privilege?
As AI becomes an everyday part of travel planning, one thing is increasingly clear: while the technology may be global, how travellers use it is anything but uniform. New data from TripGenie, Trip.com’s AI travel assistant, reveals that three years of real-world usage have surfaced new patterns in how travellers plan, decide and navigate their journeys.
For digital nomads, logging on to work from a cafe, co-working space, hotel lobby or airport lounge is a way of life. Remote working has been made possible by reliable high speed internet and turbocharged by the pandemic. For some remote workers, for various reasons that includes working from somewhere other than their home.
Despite the rapid rise of generative AI tools in travel planning, 60% of travellers still prefer human-curated recommendations and verified information, according to a survey of more than 7,000 users conducted by Civitatis, a leading global marketplace for guided tours and excursions in Spanish and Portuguese.
U.S. state lawmakers are rapidly advancing a new wave of legislation aimed at restricting algorithmic and AI‑driven pricing – including what many are calling “price surveillance” bills – which threaten dynamic pricing for flights and hotels.
Perhaps signifying a new trending in touring, one of the best-preserved ancient Roman homes on the Palatine Hill is now open to the public for the first time, albeit via a livestreamed tour of its hard-to-reach underground frescoes and mosaics.
Artificial intelligence is a net positive for travel, according to a show-of-hands after a lively debate that rounded off the Technology Summit at this year’s WTM London. The role of AI in travel was debated by two teams who considered the straightforward proposition of whether the now ubiquitous tech is “the enemy of travel?”
The International Air Transport Association’s 2025 Global Passenger Survey (GPS) highlights two key trends that are redefining the passenger travel experience: More travellers are managing every stage of their journey using smartphones; and use of biometrics and digital identity is expanding to enable more seamless airport processing – and travellers like it.
Sabre has launched SabreMosaic Concierge IQ for airlines, an all-in-one generative AI chat solution that helps travellers plan, book, and manage trips in one seamless conversation. Moreover, according to the travel technology giant, it does so with the “same empathy and judgement as a skilled human agent” while accomplishing what otherwise would be hours-long work in seconds.
Digital travel tools such as smartphone-based passports, smart glasses and live translation apps are gaining traction among global travellers, especially younger respondents. But widespread adoption still faces resistance due to privacy concerns and technological limitations, according to the Global Rescue 2025 Traveller Safety and Sentiment Survey.
With travellers increasingly turning to tools like ChatGPT as a quick way to plan their trips, an insurance expert is warning that users might not realize the potential travel disruptions they could face caused by misinformation the technology may provide, such as missed flights or incorrect visa information.
Passengers are living digital-first lives. They manage their finances, health, and mobility from their phones. But when it’s time to fly, they’re often still asked to queue, print, and repeat. And that has to change, according to leading aviation industry IT provider SITA, which says passengers are simply demanding that the aviation industry catch up to them.
American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT and SAP Concur have announced a strategic alliance to launch a new integrated travel and expense platform designed to reshape how technology and services come together in managed travel.
Canadian travellers appear to be embracing the role of artificial intelligence in the travel planning process, according to a new survey by Booking.com. The Global AI Sentiment Report reveals that nearly eight in 10 Canadians (78%) want to use AI in their future travel plans; however, only 4% fully trust it.
Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) has launched several new platform enhancements designed to help travel advisors work more efficiently and better serve their clients. Shaped directly by feedback from travel advisors around the world, TAAP says the updates provide powerful tools that simplify trip management, expand payment flexibility, and offer new ways to increase revenue.
Digital identity protection may be taking a more prominent spot on the packing checklist with nearly half of global consumers (44%) lacking confidence in the travel industry’s ability to protect them from AI-powered fraud including identity theft and account takeover fraud, according to a recent study.
If you haven’t heard, smartphone snatching is a thing. A friend of TIT recently had hers snatched out of her hand while walking down a busy sidewalk in a major European city, describing two young people hopping a curb on a scooter in broad daylight and absconding with the device in a lightning quick drive-by strike.
By Suzanne Sangiovese/ AI is no longer just an emerging trend in travel – it’s a driving force behind smarter, more seamless experiences. It’s proving valuable in destination research and itinerary optimization, as well as transforming how businesses and travellers engage with services. From tailored trip planning to streamlined customer support, intelligent solutions are redefining how the industry operates and meets diverse travel needs.