Artificial Intelligence

PhocusWire’s in-depth coverage of generative AI including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and other solutions and how they are being used across the travel industry.

Gen AI is transforming the travel industry by enabling new levels of automation, personalization and decision-making. From AI-powered chat interfaces to dynamic content creation and predictive analytics, PhocusWire explores the growing influence of generative and agentic AI in travel—and what it means for suppliers, intermediaries, and travelers alike.

How AI tools are reshaping travel and tourism operations

Our coverage tracks how travel companies are implementing AI across customer service, marketing, product development, and internal workflows. Whether it's conversational commerce, itinerary generation, or fraud detection, generative AI is unlocking new operational efficiencies and guest experiences throughout the industry.

 

The Plaid moment hospitality can't afford to miss
Opinion / Technology
The Plaid moment hospitality can't afford to miss
By Ira Vouk - AI Hospitality Alliance | June 1, 2026
Ira Vouk, founder of AI Hospitality Alliance, argues that OpenAI’s Plaid integration offers a blueprint for AI-era direct hotel distribution and urges hospitality to move quickly to build shared... Read More
Meet the 17 finalists of the 2026 Global Startup Pitch
News / Startups
Meet the 17 finalists of the 2026 Global Startup Pitch
By PhocusWire | May 29, 2026
Finalists will compete in person at Phocuswright Europe, and winners from each region will deliver showcase presentations at WiT Singapore. Read More
Amadeus, Accenture partner on new agentic advertising platform
News / Technology
Amadeus, Accenture partner on new agentic advertising platform
By Matthew Parsons | May 28, 2026
The platform is designed to help travel brands identify intent and demand signals earlier, then leverage Accenture’s agentic framework to execute campaigns. Read More
Tony Fernandes: The art of never saying no and never wasting a crisis
News / Online
Tony Fernandes: The art of never saying no and never wasting a crisis
By Yeoh Siew Hoon - WiT | May 28, 2026
AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes reflects on building the airline from a two-plane startup into a regional travel and aviation group, sharing lessons on crisis management, low-cost travel... Read More
New developer challenge offers resort stays, API credits for AI travel agents that can actually book
News / Technology
New developer challenge offers resort stays, API credits for AI travel agents that can actually book
By PhocusWire | May 28, 2026
RouteStack’s 21-day Build Challenge gives developers access to travel inventory, checkout and payouts to test whether AI agents can move from demo to transaction. Read More
Lighthouse scoops up Hotelrank.ai to help hotels with AI visibility
News / Technology
Lighthouse scoops up Hotelrank.ai to help hotels with AI visibility
By Linda Fox | May 28, 2026
Lighthouse said the deal provides “a measurement layer into its Connect AI solution, giving hotels the ability to manage their appearance, ranking and performance” across AI travel platforms. Read More
Travel marketers prepare for the rise of AI agents
News / Technology
Travel marketers prepare for the rise of AI agents
By Morgan Hines | May 28, 2026
Executives from Expedia Group, OpenAI and The Trade Desk say travel marketers must adapt as AI agents become a bigger part of trip discovery and booking. Read More
Travel operators ramp up AI spending as search and discovery behaviors shift
News / Online
Travel operators ramp up AI spending as search and discovery behaviors shift
By Cathy Walsh | May 27, 2026
TravelTech Show research points to rising investment in AI and travel technology as operators adapt to changing customer search, discovery and booking patterns. Read More
Why hoteliers should not vibe code their own software
Opinion / Technology
Why hoteliers should not vibe code their own software
By Jordan Hollander - HotelTechReport | May 27, 2026
HotelTechReport.com co-founder Jordan Hollander argues that while AI coding tools can support hotel operations, building proprietary core systems is a distraction from revenue-driving... Read More
AI-powered, human-led: Scaling trust in travel
From Our Partners / Online
AI-powered, human-led: Scaling trust in travel
By Andrés Spitzer, Civitatis | May 26, 2026
AI may power travel’s next operating model, but trust will depend on human judgment, empathy and connection as automation reshapes the traveler experience. Read More
PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Visa, Trip.com Group, Navan and more...
News / Technology
PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Visa, Trip.com Group, Navan and more...
By PhocusWire | May 22, 2026
Keep up with all the latest people, partner and product news from around the global travel industry. Read More
3 key takeaways from Google I/O 2026
News / Technology
3 key takeaways from Google I/O 2026
By Matthew Parsons | May 21, 2026
New agentic AI features unveiled at Google I/O 2026 could reshape how travelers search, shop and book trips, increasing pressure on travel brands to become machine-readable and agent-accessible. Read More
Airbnb's updates build towards wider personalization and community ambitions
News / Online
Airbnb's updates build towards wider personalization and community ambitions
By Linda Fox | May 20, 2026
Airbnb's AI-driven app updates and additions to Services and Experiences point to its wider strategy. Read More
Expedia Group to acquire CarTrawler in bid to become B2B ‘one-stop shop’
News / Online
Expedia Group to acquire CarTrawler in bid to become B2B ‘one-stop shop’
By Morgan Hines | May 20, 2026
Expedia Group announced the acquisition and a number of AI products at its Explore event in Las Vegas. Read More
OneReg lands $4.4M for aviation regulation compliance platform
News / Technology
OneReg lands $4.4M for aviation regulation compliance platform
By Linda Fox | May 20, 2026
The funding will help OneReg, which was founded in New Zealand in 2020, accelerate its expansion into further markets including the U.K. and Europe. Read More
The Phocuswright Conference 2026