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The great travel reboot: Generative AI’s role in ending the planning chaos
The great travel reboot: Generative AI’s role in ending the planning chaos

July 23, 2025

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The great travel reboot: Generative AI’s role in ending the planning chaos
Written by Sankar Subramaniam, Global Travel Industry Research Lead, Accenture

A few weeks ago, I tried to plan a short getaway. I opened my laptop and suddenly found myself swimming in tabs: one for flights, another for hotels, a third for experiences, and a few more for blogs and reviews. After two hours, I gave up. It felt too complicated, too scattered.

It turns out this is a common problem. According to Accenture report "The travel industry’s new trip: Reinventing the traveler experience with generative AI", 68 percent of people use up to ten different websites to plan a single trip. No wonder most travelers describe the process as time-consuming and stressful.

Travel should be inspiring. Instead, it’s exhausting: Most of us enjoy the idea of travel. Social media constantly fuels our wanderlust. In fact, 71 percent of people say travel inspiration comes from digital content like blogs, social posts, and influencer videos. But once that spark of inspiration hits, the tools to turn it into reality often fall short.

66 percent of travelers are unhappy with their current options for planning a trip. More than half say apps and websites are hard to use, and many simply give up before they book. Travel today involves too many steps, too much decision-making, and not enough support.

What travelers want: one platform, fewer steps: Accenture asked travelers what they really want from the experience. Their answers were clear and practical. They want:

  • One-click booking
  • Smart, personal recommendations
  • Natural-language search, just like texting a friend
  • Simple cancellation options
  • Live support if something goes wrong
  • Real-time updates and travel tips
  • Itinerary planning that feels effortless

In short, travelers want a digital travel assistant that knows them well and supports them from the moment inspiration strikes to the moment they return home.

How Generative AI can solve the problem: This is where generative AI becomes a powerful tool. It can help simplify and personalize every stage of the travel journey.

  1. Inspiration: Many people struggle to decide where to go. There is too much content, too many choices. Generative AI can take your preferences and suggest tailored options. It can chat with you, learn what you like, and inspire you with ideas that fit your budget, timing, and interests.
  2. Planning: Planning often requires spreadsheets, apps, and hours of comparing. AI can do the heavy lifting. It can recommend the best times to travel, bundle services, and help friends or family collaborate on a shared trip. 97 percent of travelers say they would prefer a single superapp to manage all parts of their journey.
  3. Booking: Booking is where most people get stuck. Flights, hotels, rental cars, insurance - all feels disconnected. 64 percent of travelers want bundled booking options, but most platforms don't offer that. Generative AI can pull it all together in one flow, applying loyalty points, syncing with calendars, and offering the best routes.
  4. During the trip: Once you’re traveling, things often change. Delays happen. Plans shift. AI can support you with real-time updates, translation tools, dining suggestions, or alerts about weather and safety. It can also help track expenses and share updates with loved ones.
  5. After the trip: Post-trip, AI can compile memories, organize photos, summarize spending, and suggest your next destination based on what you enjoyed. This turns the travel cycle into a full loop.

This isn’t the future. It’s already happening: Some travel companies are already using generative AI to build these experiences: Saudia Airlines has introduced a digital assistant that helps travelers plan entire trips, from flights to restaurants. Soon, it will support voice and multiple payment options. Such examples show that change is coming fast.

Travelers are ready for it: People are open to these changes. The report shows:

  • 89 percent are interested in subscription-based travel platforms that offer curated plans and deals.
  • More than half would use a voice-based AI assistant to help with travel decisions.

The demand is clear. The technology is here. Now it's up to travel companies to build the systems that bring it all together.

But travel brands still face challenges: Accenture surveyed 313 senior travel executives. Most of them agree that generative AI can reduce costs, improve customer service, and drive growth. But only 17 percent have scaled AI across their businesses.

Why the gap? There are a few big reasons:

  • Poor data quality or fragmented systems
  • Lack of AI governance or strategy
  • Skills gaps across the workforce
  • Unclear business cases for pilots

To get ahead, travel companies need to move quickly and build the right foundation.

There are four key steps to get it right

  1. Look across the entire journey: Don’t apply AI only in one area. Use it across the full value chain—from marketing and inspiration to post-trip loyalty programs.
  2. Fix the data: Great AI needs great data. This means investing in cloud platforms, secure data sharing, and real-time insights.
  3. Build trust: AI must be responsible. Travelers want transparency, privacy, and fairness in how their data is used.
  4. Empower employees: Train staff to work with AI. Create new roles like digital concierge designers or experience curators. The human touch still matters.

With this in mind, let’s envision what the ideal trip could look like: let’s imagine a traveler planning a wellness getaway.

  • Six months out, an AI app suggests a yoga retreat in Portugal. It knows your calendar, your interests, and your budget.
  • A few weeks later, you tell it you want something quieter. It reworks the plan, includes boutique hotels, and checks availability.
  • You book the trip in one click, using loyalty points and choosing travel insurance that matches your needs.
  • While traveling, the app tracks your flight, rebooks your transfer due to a delay, and gives you food recommendations nearby.
  • After your return, it sends you an album of photos, shows what you spent, and suggests a hiking trip in spring.

This is what travel could feel like. Natural. Simple. Personalized.

It’s time for travel to feel effortless: Travel is booming again. The world is moving, and travelers are ready for something better. The tools exist. The consumer need is urgent. The opportunity is massive.

For too long, travel planning has felt like work. It doesn’t have to. Generative AI offers a new way forward—a chance to make travel feel magical again. This isn’t about replacing people. It’s about enhancing experiences. It’s about giving travelers what they really want: confidence, clarity, and joy.

We’ve all struggled with clunky apps and endless tabs. The next phase of travel will feel different. It will feel human. And it will start with one smart conversation at a time.

To learn more about how generative AI can redefine customer experiences and unlock new value for organizations, read the  report: The travel industry’s new trip: Reinventing the traveler experience with generative AI

 

 


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