By Emmanuel Mounier, Secretary General, Global Travel Tech.
Introduction:
As generative AI tools become more capable, online travel agencies (OTAs) face a familiar question: Will AI agents eventually replace them? This framing echoes past fears—like the one that traditional agents would vanish in the age of OTAs—but it overlooks a more likely and promising scenario. Rather than displacing OTAs, AI can become a powerful co-pilot, handling routine tasks while enabling human agents to focus on what they do best: handling complex issues that require creativity, critical thinking, and the ability and mandate to make important and timely decisions.
AI as a Co-Pilot, Not a Competitor
Rather than spelling the end of OTAs, AI agents are poised to become co-pilots for travel platforms. OTAs were built to streamline the travel booking process by limiting human involvement, offering speed, scale, and efficiency through technology. Generative AI builds on that foundation by handling more complex queries, personalising suggestions in real time, and interacting with users more intuitively. Instead of merely retrieving and displaying search results, OTAs can now engage travellers through conversational interfaces that feel more like dialogue than data entry. This makes the experience faster, smoother, and more tailored, without departing from the core value proposition of automation. Instead of replacing OTAs, AI augments their value proposition, making them more capable and responsive.
Crucially, travelers are signaling that they want this kind of AI-assisted service. In one recent survey, seven in ten Americans reported being open to using AI for trip planning. OTAs have taken note of this demand. Many are already integrating generative AI into their platforms rather than waiting on the sidelines. Expedia and Kayak, for example, have been among the first travel companies to build AI-powered features into their search and booking tools. In practice, this means a customer might chat with an OTA’s AI to get personalized hotel or destination recommendations, which are then seamlessly saved to their profile or cart for booking. Rather than competing with the OTAs’ own services, these AI agents act as virtual advisers working within OTA platforms. The OTA benefits by providing faster, smarter service; the traveler benefits by getting instant, tailored suggestions without having to trawl through endless menus. In short, AI can serve as a co-pilot for OTAs.
Trust, Accountability, and the Enduring Need for Human Interaction
Despite the rise of AI, human interaction still plays an important role in online travel. When something goes wrong—like a last-minute cancellation or an issue during a trip—most OTAs still rely on human agents to step in. AI can support with standard cases, but it can’t handle every situation. That’s why even the most automated platforms continue to invest in customer service teams. AI is getting better, but it doesn’t remove the need for human support.
Technology often ends up augmenting human interactions instead of replacing them. In the context of travel, this could enable travel agents with more time to proactively reach out to customers, offer expert guidance, or simply add a personal touch, precisely because AI took care of time-consuming menial tasks. Travelers will still favor the option of real human support when it truly matters, while appreciating the faster self-service that AI provides for simpler tasks. In short, a human–AI synergy will define the future of travel planning. This synergy not only preserves the “soul” of customer service in travel but actually allows for more meaningful engagement. Free from answering basic queries, human agents can focus on building trust and solving problems.
New AI-Driven Services, New Opportunities
Rather than competing, AI empowers OTAs to innovate. Already, some platforms are experimenting with predictive rebooking, adjusting itineraries before problems hit. Others are offering adaptive insurance, which rates and adapts coverage dynamically based on trip context. Some propose sustainability scores for each option, giving travellers clarity on environmental impact. And all this can be delivered with hyper-personalised insights, informed by a traveller’s history and preferences. These are not speculative ideas—they’re actively being prototyped and tested in the field.
From predictive trip planning to personalized add-ons, these AI-enabled services will differentiate forward-looking OTAs from the pack. Importantly, they add value for the customer rather than taking something away. It’s a classic win-win scenario facilitated by technology. Notably, none of this would diminish the OTA’s role – on the contrary, it places the OTA even more at the center of the travel experience as an innovator and problem-solver. By investing in these AI capabilities, the travel tech industry can address some of the long-standing pain points, like trip disruptions or generic one-size-fits-all offerings, and turn them into opportunities to shine.
A Collaborative Path Ahead
As we look to the future of travel, it’s clear that AI agents should be seen as an opportunity, not a threat, for OTAs and the broader travel tech sector. AI will undoubtedly reshape how consumers search and book travel, adding more conversation and automation into the process. But it will do so with the support of OTAs, not in isolation. The travel industry has always thrived on innovation paired with trust. In that sense, AI is just the latest innovation that needs to be harnessed responsibly.
In conclusion, the question “Will AI agents empower or replace OTAs?” can be answered with a confident “they will empower.” The “agents” in online travel will not be usurped by algorithms; they will be augmented and amplified by AI, to the benefit of travelers. In the end, the winners will be those who leverage technology to enhance the traveler experience – and that is exactly what the next generation of AI-empowered OTAs aims to do.