Travel industry professionals are increasingly interested in technology adoption, with 29 per cent stating better access to technology for daily tasks as the most significant change to their jobs, according to RateHawk's research.
Despite 92 per cent of travel professionals saying they’re happy in their jobs, new research from RateHawk reveals that many of them still face major operational challenges. The biggest hurdles are intense competition, rising client expectations, and the time-consuming process of manually searching for the best deals.
Earning higher commissions is also a top priority. Technology is considered a comprehensive solution by every third, although desired innovations vary largely depending on the regional, generational, and company scale differences.
These insights come from the second part of RateHawk’s report, What Supercharges Travel Professionals.
RateHawk, a B2B online platform for booking hotels, flights, and transfers, surveyed over 1,300 travel professionals across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and the GCC.
The report highlights the sector’s key demotivating factors and specific tech needs for various segments of the global travel professionals community.
TOP CHALLENGES: COMPETITION AND MANUAL ROUTINE TASKS
A quarter of travel professionals worldwide cited intense competition as their top challenge, with increasing pressure in fast-growing markets like the GCC (49 per cent) and Asia (30 per cent).
Rising client expectations are another challenge, with 24 per cent of travel professionals struggling to keep up.
In open responses, many specialists shared frustrations about travellers expecting pre-pandemic prices, making budgets unrealistic.
Maintaining the desired level of income is the third most challenging aspect for travel professionals, with 15 per cent of respondents worldwide identifying it as a key concern.
Additionally, 33 per cent say that achieving higher commission levels is the most desired change.
“The travel industry is known for its low margins, and, with constantly rising travel costs, every opportunity to earn additional commission is crucial. Technology platforms can give this flexibility to support partners’ sustainable development. For instance, our users can set up their own commission levels, as well as loyalty points and other rewards,” says Astid Kastberg, Managing Director at RateHawk.
Nearly half of respondents identified searching for competitive travel offers as their most time-consuming task — a figure that is especially high in the GCC region (52 per cent) and Asia (49 per cent), but also significant in Europe (40 per cent), Latin America (44 per cent), and North America (39 per cent).
Other top global time-sinks include managing booking changes (17 per cent) and repetitive administrative work (16 per cent).
“Finding the right option in such a complex and fragmented market is a real challenge, which is why we’re constantly expanding our supply and introducing advanced filters to make things easier for agents. Each day, we process up to 10 billion hotel rates, using AI for smart search and rate matching, personalised recommendations, automated translation of millions of hotel descriptions, and even pre-booking checks with AI bots to prevent potential issues. These technologies help agents deliver more reliable and competitive options to their clients,” comments Kastberg.
TECH AND AI ADOPTION ARE SEEN AS ESSENTIAL FOR CHANGE
Despite its reputation as one of the most conservative sectors, the travel industry professionals are showing greater interest in technology adoption.
Nearly a third of respondents (29 per cent) say that better access to technology for daily tasks would be the most meaningful change to their jobs.
Regional data highlights opportunity gaps in Latin America and Asia, where demand for new solutions is the highest (44 per cent and 31 per cent respectively).
At the same time, many agents still find it hard to keep up — 19 per cent told they struggle with adopting the latest tools.
This challenge is especially clear in Asia, where almost a quarter of agents cite it as their main concern, and it’s also a significant issue in Latin America and North America.
“Travel professionals believe that, with smart tools, they will more effectively cope with administrative work and various time-consuming tasks. In a rapidly changing market, innovations help them stay competitive and deliver greater results to their clients, that’s why it’s so important to support them in technology adoption,” shares Kastberg.
Among the most desired technologies, half of the respondents prefer various automation tools like new online booking solutions, CRM and mid-/back-offices.
The highest demand for these solutions is registered in North America (61 per cent), Europe (50 per cent), Asia (47 per cent), and Latin America (46 per cent).
Notably, about one-third of travel professionals highlight interest in improved mobile booking capabilities (33 per cent), with the highest demand in the GCC (53 per cent) and Asia (44 per cent).
“The survey responses strongly correlate with our own data: RateHawk’s mobile app, originally developed in response to rapid digital transformation during the pandemic, fits perfectly today’s market reality. We continue to see steady growth in monthly active users, which keeps increasing year over year – in 2025, it has doubled compared to 2024. As new generations enter the travel industry, demand for mobile tools is quickly becoming the new norm. With 40 per cent of early-career agents seeking mobile solutions — compared to 28 per cent of industry veterans — it's clear that digital convenience is a priority for tomorrow’s workforce”, comments Kastberg.
In response to the shifting customer preferences and trend of personalisation, travel professionals also show great interest in advanced analytics and AI tools (34 per cent for both solutions).
Interest in AI-powered solutions is the highest in the following markets: North America (45 per cent), Asia (41 per cent), Latin America (41 per cent), and the GCC (35 per cent).
Demand for various tech solutions also varies by company scale: just 33 per cent of professionals in teams of 2–5 consider AI personalisation as a desired tech implementation, compared to 55 per cent in companies with 101–500 employees. Small businesses opt for routine automation (48 per cent) and mobile tools (32 per cent).
“It’s encouraging that travel professionals view innovation as a positive force, not a threat,” Kastberg concludes. “As technology transforms our sector, tomorrow’s agents will need a mix of customer service, data skills, and tech expertise. This is an exciting time for the industry, and with the right digital solutions, travel professionals can unlock even more opportunities in the years ahead.” -TradeArabia News Service