Interest in technology to improve travel will skyrocket in 2025

For many, travel is a source of excitement and anticipation, and new global research from Amadeus reveals how travelers are turning to technology, especially AI, to enhance their journey, seeking to eliminate pain points and friction in the process.

The Amadeus study, Connected Journeys: How Technology Will Transform Travel in the Next Decade, gathers the opinions of 9,500 travelers from around the world, including China, France, India, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It explores the evolving needs of travelers and the role new and emerging technology plays in transforming the travel and hospitality sectors.

Travelers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to plan and manage their trips, with the use of generative AI (Gen AI) increasing by 64% year-over-year. Among the top benefits travelers cited were significant time savings (42%), highly personalized recommendations (37%), and the discovery of new destinations (36%). Globally, travelers who used generative AI in their planning felt more confident in their travel decisions (35%).

Sixty-four percent of travelers responding to the Amadeus survey said they would be willing to pay for an AI-powered travel assistant to help them with information during their trip. And 17% said they would be willing to pay up to 5% of the total trip value to benefit from such services.

However, the study also reveals areas where AI currently falls short. A quarter (25%) of respondents have experienced outdated or inaccurate information in AI-generated results, while another 25% struggled with AI's inability to truly capture their personal preferences.

“The rapid rise in the use of generative AI shows that travelers are eager for smarter, more personalized experiences. But the data also reveals a clear message: expectations are high, and the industry must work together to meet them. At Amadeus, we see a tremendous opportunity to collaborate across the travel ecosystem to ensure AI delivers real value by reducing friction, increasing trust, and making every journey more intuitive and enjoyable,” Decius Valmorbida, President of Amadeus Travel.

“Travelers are enthusiastically embracing AI, but they're also demanding more. In Hospitality, we see this as a call to action: to offer technology that not only responds to travelers' needs, but anticipates them. From booking the perfect stay to planning the trip itself, hyper-personalization and real-time accuracy are no longer optional, but expected,” said Francisco (Paco) Pérez-Lozao Rüter, President of Hospitality at Amadeus.

The data also revealed that an overwhelming 90% of air travelers experience some level of anxiety during the travel experience. However, these concerns coexist with clear aspirations and expectations for the trip. Rather than focusing on material objects, travelers' top hopes for their free time include spending quality time with loved ones (27%), discovering great food and drink (25%), and creating lasting memories (24%). Nearly a quarter (22%) of travelers explicitly highlight the desire for a seamless travel experience, without delays or disruptions, as central to their travel aspirations.

With concerns affecting multiple stages of global travel, including baggage (26%), security clearance (27%), airport travel (26%), and the flight itself (24%), technology plays a pivotal role in transforming the traveler experience.

Travelers are willing to embrace innovative technological solutions that promise comfort and peace of mind.

Two-thirds (66%) show a strong interest in remote baggage check-in, meaning luggage would be collected directly from their homes, significantly reducing pre-travel anxiety.

Similarly, 69% of respondents support biometric boarding gates, which promise a smoother airport experience by eliminating repetitive document checks.

Other technological solutions that already ease anxiety include real-time travel updates via apps (29%), digital wallets for secure document storage (27%), smart luggage tracking systems (26%), and integrated “super apps” that offer comprehensive
trip management in one place (26%).

Source: Amadeus.