Travel firms using AI and data analytics as “invisible enablers” to enhance rather than replace personal service have been identified in a new report.
The research by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) identifies four major forces transforming travel in 2025 – digital personalisation, sustainability demands, the blending of business with leisure ‘bleisure’, and financial resilience strategies.
The IMD ‘Travel Future Readiness Indicator’, which measures seven core performance factors, identifies Booking Holdings, the parent company of travel brands like Booking.com, Kayak, and Priceline; Airbnb; Delta Air Lines; and Marriott as industry frontrunners.
The list of 33 of the world’s largest travel companies places Ryanair 10th, British Airways owner IAG 11th and EasyJet 19th – all below cruise giants Royal Caribbean in 8th and Carnival 9th.
Norwegian Cruise Line is placed 23rd while Tui is ranked in 28th place.
The study shows that across all sectors, future readiness correlates with technological innovation, financial resilience and a commitment to sustainability, according to the IMD.
It found that “future-ready” companies are distinguishing themselves by strategically balancing technological advancement with authentic human connection.
“Future-ready travel companies demonstrate that strong cash flow provides the critical foundation for sustainable innovation, allowing these companies to invest in technologies that have matured beyond initial hype to deliver tangible competitive advantages,” said Howard Yu, Lego professor of management and innovation and director of the IMD Centre for Future Readiness.
The emergence of generative AI agents like OpenAI’s Operator and China’s Manus represents the industry’s most significant potential disruptors in the medium term, potentially shifting from human-led to AI-powered curation of travel experiences.
Yu added: “In this environment of AI-driven disruption, the ability to create ‘customer stickiness’ that keeps travellers returning directly to a brand may determine which companies thrive in an automated booking environment.”