As the world marks World Tourism Day today, September 27, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a major force reshaping the global travel industry. UN Tourism’s 2026 focus centres on how digitalisation and AI are redesigning tourism, from the way travellers discover destinations to how companies manage bookings, distribution and customer experiences.
To mark the occasion, Belvera Partners, a public relations
firm specialising in B2B travel technology companies, brought together leaders
from across the travel technology ecosystem to discuss the opportunities,
challenges and responsibilities created by the rapid development of AI.
The panel featured Catt McLeod, Vice President of Elegant
Hotels of the World, part of the HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts family; Ivonne
Arriola, Managing Director of Connect by PriceTravel Holding; and Daniel Pino,
Co-Founder and CEO of Aloja.
The discussion focused on how emerging technologies are
changing travel and what businesses need to do as consumer behaviour evolves.
AI accelerates changes across tourism
The speakers highlighted the growing role of technology
throughout the travel value chain, with AI accelerating changes that have been
developing for years.
For hospitality businesses, one major shift has been the
growing ability of travellers to access information and make bookings directly.
“Historically, only professional travel bookers were able to
book hotels, travel and tourism experiences” – said Catt McLeod, VP of Elegant
Hotels of the World, a luxury soft hospitality brand within HotelREZ the
portfolio. “Now, end guests and travellers can do that too. That is for me the
biggest change”.
For companies operating in tours and activities, AI could
have an even broader impact on the commercial side of the industry.
“AI will transform almost everything around travel except
the actual experience” – added Daniel Pino, CEO of Aloja, the dynamic pricing
platform for tours and activities. "Everything else, how we book, discover
and how profitable companies are is just about to change”.
Arriola pointed to AI's ability to process and use the vast
amount of information available across the travel sector.
According to Ivonne Arriola, Managing Director of the B2B
hotel distribution company Connect by PriceTravel Holding “AI is accelerating
the pace at which the accessibility of available information is being processed
and the way that it is being used to personalize the experience for the
customer”.
Companies call for responsible AI adoption
While the panel highlighted AI's potential, the participants
also stressed that technological progress must be accompanied by responsible
implementation. They said tourism remains fundamentally dependent on human
experiences and that technology should support customer interactions rather
than replace them.
Governance, data privacy, employee training and digital
skills were identified as key priorities as companies integrate AI into their
operations. The speakers also connected responsible technology adoption with
wider tourism objectives, including sustainability, accessibility and inclusive
economic growth.
“We need governance and the fact is that, at this point, AI
has advanced much more than regulations” – stated Ivone Arriola. “Slowing down
AI development would allow us to catch up. AI is great, but it must be
regulated, used responsibly and with humans in the loop overseeing the progress
it makes”.
McLeod also highlighted the importance of ensuring that the
digital transformation does not leave destinations and communities behind.
“We need to ensure that we are bringing everybody with us
and not leaving behind the less developed regions or focusing on the wrong
thing” – explained Catt McLeod. “As the UN says, we need to invest in digital
skills, widen access to technology and guaranteeing that innovation benefits
the people and the places that make tourism possible.”
Travel businesses face a changing landscape
The panel's discussion comes as travel companies face
changing consumer behaviour and new ways for travellers to discover and
purchase travel products. The speakers said businesses will need to reassess
their commercial, marketing and distribution strategies as AI increasingly
influences the customer journey.
“Travel discovery and travel booking have already changed
and is happening faster than we can digest” - concluded Daniel Pino, Co-Founder
and CEO of Aloja. “If you're seeing a decline in bookings or revenue while
travel demand continues to grow, it might be time to look internally and ask
yourself what you are missing and to evaluate your customer acquisition
strategies. And technology, in general, and AI in particular, can help with
that”.
For the companies represented on the panel, World Tourism Day 2026 therefore provides an opportunity to underline both sides of AI's transformation of tourism: its potential to improve how travel businesses operate and how customers discover and purchase travel, alongside the need for governance, skills and human oversight as adoption accelerates. -TradeArabia News Service