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Navigating the Future: What did Amadeus’ new research discover about Generative AI in the travel space?

December 3, 2024
Last updated: January 22, 2025
4 min read
What did Amadeus’ new research discover about Generative AI in the travel space?
Rodrigo Acuna Agost
Head of AI Research, Amadeus IT Group,
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The release of Navigating the Future , Amadeus’ new report on the impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) on the travel sector, comes at an opportune moment.

While the conversation around the transformative technology continues to evolve in new and exciting ways, it feels as though we’re at an inflection point. The initial burst of optimism which followed the launch of ChatGPT into the public consciousness in late 2022, while still present, has now been joined by discussion around its best possible use cases.

For some, it is time for Generative AI to live up to the hype and be seen to deliver.

What better way to explore this changing dynamic than by asking those involved in the deployment of Generative AI in the travel space? Our new report questioned 300+ such experts and here I would like to look at what they told us.

What did we expect?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the level of expectation around Generative AI, the technology was cited as a ‘top priority’ for the coming year by nearly half of our survey respondents – ahead of cloud architecture, biometrics and any other technology. Investment is still flowing and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

At the same time, Generative AI has arrived for many.

Globally, over half of travel technology leaders said the technology already has a ‘significant presence’ in the travel industry in their country, while a further third expects this presence to emerge over the next year. A tiny fraction of experts, just two per cent, think it will take three-or-more years for Generative AI to have a significant presence on the travel sector where they are.

Finally, many of the use cases identified by our survey - digital assistants, recommendation engines, content generation, customer service and condensing post-travel feedback – are established areas of investment for the travel space.

Where do Amadeus’ ambitions fit?

At Amadeus, we are aligned with these objectives, seeing the potential for Generative AI across the entire trip. For example, the planning phase will be enhanced as the technology creates inspirational, traveler-centric search and shopping experiences, something we are actively working on with our partners atAir Corsica .

These new tools will have the ability to search for, summarize and present information in newly accessible ways, driving up demand and lowering customer acquisition costs.

On-trip, travelers will see their needs met in more intuitive and personalized ways. Vivid content will be adapted to what the traveler is looking for, while conversational Generative AI chatbots will be used to ask the right questions to understand the traveler preferences. A great example is the chatbot Amadeus recently unveiled alongsideAccenture and Microsoft .

Finally, post-trip, Generative AI will help evaluate customer sentiment and allow travel businesses to respond to online reviews, boost their online reputation, stay in contact with customers in a more meaningful way, drive repeat business and maintain traveler relationships over sustained periods.

Over time, we believe, Generative AI will see AI move from a behind the scenes driver of efficiency to the foreground, interacting directly with travelers. This process is already underway.

What are the potential challenges?

While it can seem there is nothing but optimism when it comes to the roll-out of Generative AI in the travel space, Navigating the Future did yield insight into potential challenges over the next year or more.

These were led by concerns around data security, mentioned by a third of those questioned, followed by a lack of Generative AI expertise, data quality and inadequate technological infrastructure. Also cited were concerns around return on investment and ongoing difficulties in connecting with partners or vendors.


Where does Amadeus stand on Generative AI?

Amadeus is committed to the deployment of Generative AI across the travel ecosystem; we are on hand to help our partners maximize its benefits in ways that work for them.

Today, we are investing in new tools to help us harness the power of this new technology, with teams across the business working to exploit its capabilities. We have research teams of Generative AI specialists and data scientists implementing and experimenting with different use cases, product development groups are applying new technology, while Amadeus is part of the debate happening across our industry. This balance of research and implementation lets us explore the possible, while also showcasing innovative products that are market ready.

But this must be done safely.

At Amadeus, we’ve recognized six ethical principles that guide AI development and use: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, transparency, accountability, and sustainability.

By taking a responsible approach, by harnessing the combined power of the travel ecosystem, and by thinking beyond today, we can power progress across the entire travel industry. We are excited to see what tomorrow brings for this transformative technology.

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