Industry executives talk Agentic AI, new…

Leaders from RateHawk, TikTok, Lufthansa City Center, Travelport and MakeMyTrip recently discussed how travel businesses are adapting to technological change, changing customer expectations and growing market uncertainty at Futurecast, RateHawk's online event.

“If the past decade has taught us anything, it's that the pace of change will only continue to accelerate. For tourism businesses, this creates both opportunity and uncertainty.” Astrid Kastberg, Managing Director, RateHawkin her opening remarks.

Many topics were discussed, but the first one outlinesNew consumer behavior. Gen Z customers, increasingly active travelers, are already reshaping demand patterns that will impact the industry over the next decade, panelists said.

They desire to connect with someone's experience and therefore show greater trust in people and authentic content rather than traditional forms of advertising.

Siiri Palisaar, Senior Director Sales Guidance, Lufthansa City Center, Highlights that travel professionals should take advantage of the growing role of social media channels, especially to connect with younger, digitally native customers.

“Travel agents should advertise and create content themselves on social media and digital platforms because that’s where their audience is,” she said.

When it comes to the role of a travel professional, palisal Adding: “The world is getting ‘loud’ and the decision-making process is not getting any easier.

“Tourism businesses have better information than ever before, which enables them to create particularly relevant offers.

“Demand for their support is increasing as it helps travelers cope with uncertainty and a wealth of choice.”

Panelists pointed to APIs as a key enabler of future travel distribution and automation.

“We are just beginning to understand what APIs combined with artificial intelligence and cloud-based technologies can do in terms of personalization and connectivity.”assistance Sinead RileyseleniumGlobal Corporate Sales Director, nior Travelport.

The ultimate goal is to provide less fragmented, more standardized content to frontline travel professionals.

according to Ilya Kravtsov, Chief Commercial Officer, Emerging Travel Group The parent company of RateHawk says demand for travel APIs will grow as more businesses digitize their operations.

“Travel businesses want to focus on customer acquisition and service rather than managing dozens of supplier integrations, so we will see many strong technology partnerships over the next decade,” said Kravtsov.

“Another thing that travel technology providers should provide travel professionals is access to market intelligence. For example, we are developing the Demand Shift Tool, a solution that provides actionable insights into emerging travel trends and demand patterns. The product is currently in beta testing.”

In a fireside chat focusing on the latest developments in artificial intelligence, Felix Shpilman, President and CEO of Emerging Travel Group Encourage companies to adopt new technologies early rather than waiting for them to mature.

“You can't wait,” he said. “Start by automating simple tasks, one at a time, learn from the process, and expand the scope of what works.”

Kravtsov Highlighting the role of human interaction over the next decade: “While agent AI will be good at finding answers and performing routine tasks, humans will remain irreplaceable when it comes to understanding context and delivering services with empathy,” Kastberg, Managing Director at RateHawk, concluded: “We believe that long-term success will belong to those companies that keep an eye on change and act with confidence.”

The event was part of RateHawk's 10th anniversary celebrations and also showcased joint research In partnership with Phocuswright, it defines the top industry trends for the next decade.