The future of travel search is hybrid

Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT and gave the world access to large language model (LLM) search, generative AI has reshaped consumer behaviour. 

 

Amid widespread media coverage and speculation about job losses, it’s no surprise that service sectors - especially travel - feel uneasy about what AI might mean for their future.

 

This concern increased with the rise of ’Agentic AI’, which now enables consumers to entrust entire booking transactions to chatbots.

 

While some believe it will take time for the holiday planning public to trust AI with full bookings, Abta’s recent report suggests otherwise.

 

Consumer confidence in using AI is surging:

• AI-powered ‘inspiration’ searches have doubled, from 4% to 8% of British holidaymakers - one in twelve now turn to AI for ideas.
• 43% say they’re confident letting AI plan their holiday.
• 38% would trust a chatbot to book it.

This shift and trend may suit DIY travellers booking a short-haul European beach and/or city break holiday, but it’s unlikely to satisfy those planning complex long-haul, multi-centre and touring holidays.

 

Why AI alone falls short

 

LLMs allow consumers, for the first time, to ask for what they really want for their holiday - something most travel websites don’t support. They push what they want or need to sell.

 

But here’s the big issue: AI tools only solve half the problem. After receiving suggestions, users still need to trawl the internet for flights, accommodation, and tour operators to match the suggestions.

 

What’s missing is the human touch: an agent’s ability to match personal preferences, budgets, to suggest the right holiday.

 

The value of agents

 

AI can suggest destinations, but when someone is planning a special holiday, possibly spending up to £10k a head, they don’t want to get it wrong!

 

They don’t want to explain their requirements to a chatbot that might misunderstand the emotional significance of the occasion. They want more. They want to speak to someone who gets it, someone who can share in their excitement and offer advice based on personal experience.

 

Planning high-value holidays is time-consuming and can be stressful. That’s why the reassurance of a travel consultant, someone with long-established supplier relationships, destination knowledge, and the ability to intervene if things go wrong, is so compelling. Their advice is priceless, yet free.

 

The AI dilemma for agents

 

Consumers are being encouraged to bypass agents and rely solely on Gen AI. LLMs frequently use travel examples to showcase their capabilities, and it’s working.

 

Tech-savvy consumers are experimenting with AI tools for inspiration and planning. If agents don’t offer AI-enhanced services, they risk losing ground to competitors or direct booking platforms.

 

The solution and the opportunity

 

Research shows 20–30% of consumers still prefer human interaction over automated solutions.

 

So how can agents fight back to protect their client base and future?

• Accept that AI is here to stay. It’s too powerful to ignore.
• Use AI as a partner, not see it as competition. It’s a fast, intelligent tool that empowers sales advisors and homeworkers.
• Adopt a "High Tech & High Touch” approach. Let AI handle research while agents build relationships.
• Position themselves as forward-thinking tech embracing personal advisors. Show their clients they’ve harnessed AI to enhance, not replace, the human experience.
• Ensure all sales staff have instant access to AI tools and global destination data.
• Empower newer team members to be as knowledgeable as their clients.
• Build a searchable library of AI-generated itineraries from their own experiences and create inspirational itineraries to suggest to their client base.

 

Conclusion: the future of travel search Is hybrid - it’s ‘high tech and human touch’

 

Abta’s research confirms what we have been observing and many in the industry already sense: the future of travel planning is neither fully human nor fully AI.

 

It’s a hybrid model that blends:

• The speed, power, and convenience of AI
• The empathy, expertise, and personalisation of a professional

Neither agents nor AI can deliver this alone. But together? That’s when the magic happens that will transform travel search and planning.

 

Ian Champness is a travel tech veteran who has founded Go There Travel as an AI start-up to offer agents a way to harness AI through a personalised interface. For more information, email ian.champness@gothere.travel.