With generative artificial intelligence becoming more and more popular among travelers for the planning and management of their trips, many travel agents worry that they will be left behind and lose customers.
A global study of RateHawk, a B2B platform for bookings of hotels, flights, transfers and other travel services, revealed that almost half of travel agents fear the competition from artificial intelligence, which they consider likely to ultimately replace their role.
On the occasion of World Tourism Day, the study of RateHawk examines the attitudes of travel agents towards the tools of artificial intelligence and shares the company’s perspective on how the sector can embrace innovation, while at the same time preserving the value of human contact.
This is the last part of the research “How Tourism Professionals Upgrade” of RateHawk. The previous sections presented an in-depth analysis of the factors that motivate or discourage the sector, as well as of the technologies with the greatest demand among travel agents. The findings are based on research on more than 1,300 participants throughout Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
The opinions regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on the role of travel professionals are divided worldwide: while the majority (56%) believe that artificial intelligence will not replace them, 44% consider that such a thing is a real possibility in the future. In Asia and the Gulf, this percentage reaches 60% and 55% respectively.
On the contrary, in Europe (58%) and Latin America (55%) most do not share this opinion. Professionals in North America appear more skeptical, with only 20% believing that artificial intelligence may take over their jobs. Remarkable is that, according to the data of RateHawk, the respondents in the USA and Canada show the greatest interest in the adoption of new personalization tools through artificial intelligence (45%).
“This year, World Tourism Day is dedicated to the sustainable transformation of our sector, a fact that makes it the perfect moment to discuss the future of travel agents as an integral part of the ecosystem,” states Astrid Kastberg, Chief Executive Officer of RateHawk. “The travel sector, which was valued at 10.9 trillion dollars in 2024 by the WTTC, is going through significant changes. According to research of Kantar, 40% of travelers worldwide have already used tools of artificial intelligence for the planning of trips while 62% state that they are open to use them in the future. Although this may seem worrying for the tourism professionals, the rise of generative artificial intelligence creates greater demands for personalized experiences. In fact, studies show that more than half of young travelers want a travel agent or a trusted advisor to help them plan their big trips. For the agents, this means that professional expertise and human contact become even more valuable as the demand for personalized services increases.”
Interesting is that the opinions about artificial intelligence differ according to the experience in the sector. The younger professionals (with less than 3 years’ experience) see artificial intelligence as a possible substitute, with 51% believing that it may replace them. The more experienced (with more than 15 years in the sector) are more reassuring, with only 40% sharing this opinion.
“We see the future of travel as a combination of human expertise and innovative technology. That is why RateHawk commits to help the travel agents all over the world embrace technology as a valuable partner and not as a threat. Through artificial intelligence, we develop tools that support the agents in the background – from the smart matching of prices and the management of content to the search of hotels, the automated support, the chatbots and the voice assistants that ensure the security of bookings. These solutions give the possibility to the agents to provide more efficient, reliable and competitive services to their clients,” continues Kastberg.
“It is encouraging that one out of three professionals is willing to use more tools of artificial intelligence in his work. We believe that as long as the agents continue to adapt and to innovate, their skills and their knowledge will remain irreplaceable,” concludes Kastberg.
In the previous sections of the study, RateHawk revealed that 92% of travel professionals state satisfied with their career. However, they face daily challenges, such as intense competition, increasing demands of clients and time-consuming manual search for the best offers. To overcome these obstacles and to make their daily work more effective, 29% of travel professionals are positive towards the greater use of technology. Beyond artificial intelligence, the respondents prefer automation, advanced data analysis and mobile booking tools.
About RateHawk
RateHawk is an innovative B2B platform for travel bookings, which was developed by Emerging Travel Group. It offers hotels, flights, train tickets, transfers, car rentals and many more – all in a single, user-friendly system. With support 24/7 and strong booking tools, RateHawk helps tourism professionals create integrated and competitive itineraries in an efficient way.
The partners of RateHawk have access to more than 2.9 million accommodations from more than 220,000 hotels with direct contract and 330 global suppliers, as well as to flights from more than 400 airlines and transfers in more than 150 countries.
