Amadeus today released the findings of its latest survey, “Connected Journeys: How Technology Will Transform Travel in the Next Decade.”

In it, the “technology company powering the global travel and tourism industry” looked at the current pros and cons of technology in the travel industry and how tech can further improve the traveler experience and alleviate pain points. While none of this may be wrong, I also read this as an endorsement of the work of a luxury travel advisor.

Social Media Is the Top Influencer

Diving into the report, I learned that the number of Americans turning to social media for travel inspiration has increased by 21% over the last 12 months. In fact, social media is now the primary source of travel inspiration among U.S. travelers, surpassing “recommendations from family and friends.” Leading the charge on the social media front is, surprisingly, not Gen Z or Millennials but Gen X (ages 44 to 59).

Alongside social media, influencers have, understandably, seen a 17% year-over-year increase as a source of travel inspiration. While the research was not conducted among only luxury or affluent travelers, it was still interesting to see a 5% drop in usage of “highstreet agents”—the only category factoring in travel advisors/agents of any sort. (In the survey, “highstreet agents” specified “travel agents with a physical presence.”) Just 16% of Americans consider these agents as their top source of travel inspirations—surpassing only celebrities (13%) and newspapers (12%).

At an event in New York City this week, Neil Rogan, Head of Corporate External Communications and Digital Marketing, Amadeus, noted that, “Over past couple decades, the world has changed so much in how you travel—but not why you travel.”

To that point:

• 27% of people travel to spend quality time with loved ones
• 25% want great food and drinks
• 24% want a chance to create good memories
• 24% want great weather
• 20% want authentic, local (and) cultural experiences

How Americans Plan and Experience Travel

In the report, Amadeus also looked at how tech can improve the way Americans plan and experience travel. Among the findings in its report, 17% of U.S. travelers consult AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to source travel ideas. Interestingly, it’s the older cohort—Baby Boomers (ages 60 to 78)—who have increased their use of Gen AI tools the most over the past year.

Despite the increase in AI usage, Americans had some mixed reviews. Travelers highlighted AI’s ability to help them discover hidden gems like restaurants or hotels (37%) and said AI tools helped them plan more creative and unexpected trips (36%); however, only a third of respondents said AI saved them time compared to traditional trip-planning and 27% said AI had returned inaccurate information, which led to a similar number of travelers feeling the need to double check AI responses by visiting other sources of information. Doesn’t sound like a time-saver to me.

In addition, 68% of travelers also said that despite feeling a need to double-check AI, they would actually be willing to pay a one-off fee for an “AI-travel assistant offering in-trip information and bookings.” These respondents said they would be open to, on average, a charge of 5.8% of the cost of an entire trip.

The Solution: Tech or a Travel Advisor?

Along those lines, 75% of respondents agreed that the true quality of a travel provider emerges clearly in how they handle and communicate about disruptions. Asif Khan, Business Strategist, AI, Google, at that same event in New York explained that 64% of travelers expect to receive real-time assistance while on a trip.

Amadeus said that “streamlined, end-to-end technology solutions that enable effective disruption management can deliver a competitive edge.” While this may be true, it also points to the value of booking with a travel advisor—someone who can have your back in real time and handle any disruptions for you.

Building on that point, while the application of tech is widely supported by U.S. travelers, more than half (52%) still prefer speaking to a human representative when problems arise. How is this anything but a strong endorsement for the value of a travel advisor?

The report also said that 73% of travelers would rebook with providers who handle disruptions efficiently and transparently To repeat that: If you can help your client when they need you, three quarters of the time they will come back to you. That’s an impressive conversion rate.

Khan, in discussing the “Travel Consumer Landscape,” noted that the path to booking is no longer linear; however, Google’s data showed that 50% of travelers are more likely to use travel advisors. This research also shows that 75% of travelers prefer personalized interactions over navigating websites. That could go either way—either in favor of a Gen AI interaction or a human conversation.

Final Tidbits

Where AI assistance and tech can seemingly make the biggest difference, however, is within the airport. Three in five U.S. travelers (61%) favored the use of biometrics to replace repetitive document and identity checks at key airport touchpoints like check-in, boarding and immigration, while a “significant minority” of respondents expressed a desire for digital wallets to securely store travel documents like passports and boarding passes.

Lastly, be sure to file this nugget: Half of respondents said they would choose to have their bags checked-in and collected from their home and delivered to their destination.