How AI is Changing the Way We Travel
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
- AI is revolutionizing travel discovery, personalization, and booking, making journeys more tailored and efficient.
- The emergence of “agentic AI” promises frictionless travel by automating logistics but necessitates careful consideration of traveler autonomy and choice.
- Ensuring transparency, establishing strong ethical frameworks, and setting global standards are critical for responsible AI adoption in the travel industry.
- AI enhances cultural exchange and supports inclusive economic growth by highlighting authentic experiences and local businesses.
- Travelers should actively engage with AI tools, prioritize platforms that offer data control, and maintain a supervisory role over agentic AI to ensure autonomy.
- Key Takeaways
- Your Intelligent Travel Companion
- The Rise of Agentic AI: Beyond Suggestions to Action
- Personalisation vs. Algorithmic Influence: A Delicate Balance
- Ethical Frameworks and Cultural Exchange
- Setting Global Standards with TOURISE
- Empowering Your Future Journeys: Actionable Steps
- A New Era for Travel
- Frequently Asked Questions
The allure of travel has always been about discovery, adventure, and connection. For generations, the planning process often involved guidebooks, travel agents, or hours of online research. Today, a new force is revolutionizing this entire landscape, transforming not just how we book trips, but how we imagine and experience them.
AI is reshaping how people plan and experience travel. From curated videos on Instagram Reels to booking engines that build entire itineraries in seconds, AI is becoming a powerful force in how journeys are imagined, booked, and lived. But this shift raises an important question: is AI giving travellers more freedom, or quietly steering their choices?
Fahd Hamidaddin, Founding CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority and President of the upcoming TOURISE Summit, believes AI can do both, speaking to AI News. In a wide-ranging conversation, he explained how AI is transforming travel discovery, personalisation, cultural exchange, and ethics—and why the industry must set clear guardrails as technology takes on a more active role.
Your Intelligent Travel Companion
Gone are the days of sifting through generic “top 10” lists. AI has ushered in an era where travel discovery feels uniquely personal. Platforms leverage sophisticated algorithms to understand your preferences, past travels, and even aspirations, serving up content that resonates on a deeper level.
“AI has turned travel discovery into a personal canvas,” Hamidaddin said. “Platforms like Instagram Reels no longer just show ‘where to go’; they curate journeys that feel tailor-made for each traveller.” This personalized approach isn’t merely a convenience; it’s a strategic shift that can highlight lesser-known destinations, easing pressure on crowded tourist hotspots and introducing travelers to authentic local experiences that might otherwise remain hidden.
The Rise of Agentic AI: Beyond Suggestions to Action
The evolution of AI in travel extends beyond mere suggestions. Hamidaddin envisions the next phase as “agentic AI”—technology that doesn’t just recommend but takes decisive action on a traveler’s behalf. Imagine a scenario where your AI travel assistant automatically rebooks flights disrupted by unexpected weather, adjusts your itinerary to accommodate unforeseen changes, and reschedules reservations in real time.
“That’s frictionless travel—where the logistics fade and the adventure takes centre stage,” he explained. This seamless, adaptive capability promises to strip away the stress of travel planning, allowing individuals to fully immerse themselves in their journey. For example, platforms like Saudi Arabia’s “Spirit of Saudi” are already using AI to showcase authentic experiences, from desert adventures to artisan workshops, laying the groundwork for truly agentic journeys where AI travel companions handle logistics effortlessly.
Personalisation vs. Algorithmic Influence: A Delicate Balance
While AI-driven booking engines promise hyper-personalised recommendations—matching experiences to individual interests, budgets, and even moods—this powerful capability comes with inherent risks. The question of whether AI truly empowers travelers or subtly steers their choices is critical.
“They do both,” Hamidaddin affirmed. “AI can empower travellers like never before—matching experiences to passions, budgets, and even moods. But unchecked, algorithms can quietly narrow horizons, nudging people toward predictable options. This risk only increases with agentic AI, which will make decisions on travellers’ behalf. That’s why transparency and accountability are non-negotiable. AI should be a compass, not a cage, and travellers must always hold the final word.”
The balance between personalization and privacy will define the next era of travel. As AI systems collect vast amounts of personal data, travelers are increasingly aware of how their preferences, clicks, and searches are utilized. Hamidaddin stressed that trust forms the bedrock of this new landscape.
“The era of hyper-personalisation must be built on trust. Travellers know their data is powerful, and they’re right to ask how it’s being used,” he said. The solution, in his view, is “radical transparency: explicit consent, clear explanations, and real opt-in choices.”
This need for transparency is amplified with agentic AI. If algorithms are booking, adjusting, or cancelling plans automatically, travelers require clear mechanisms to control and understand these actions. “True innovation doesn’t just customise the journey; it safeguards the traveller’s confidence and autonomy,” he added.
Ethical Frameworks and Cultural Exchange
The profound impact of AI extends beyond individual travel logistics, influencing cultural exchange and economic development. Hamidaddin highlighted how AI is breaking down barriers: “AI is dissolving barriers—linguistic, cultural, and economic. It’s curating authentic connections that go beyond sightseeing into meaningful exchange.”
In Saudi Arabia, for instance, AI is being strategically employed to showcase and preserve cultural and historical treasures like AlUla and Diriyah, while simultaneously supporting local artisans, festivals, and small businesses. This is not merely about attracting more visitors, but about fostering “inclusive growth, mutual respect, and shared prosperity.” With AI projected to contribute $135 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2030, tourism is poised to play a central role, driven by technology that enhances cultural immersion and eases logistical burdens.
Setting Global Standards with TOURISE
Recognizing the need for global oversight, Hamidaddin will lead discussions on these critical topics at the inaugural TOURISE Summit in Riyadh this November. He envisions the summit as a pivotal opportunity to establish global standards for AI use in travel, rather than simply showcasing technological advancements.
“The TOURISE is designed to be more than an event—it’s the world’s first platform where government, business, and technology leaders unite to shape travel tech responsibly,” he stated. Key goals include creating a shared ethical framework for AI, fostering partnerships to address privacy and workforce challenges, promoting sustainability, and training the global tourism workforce to thrive in an AI-driven industry. “TOURISE must set a new benchmark: innovation with integrity,” he emphasized.
As AI systems assume more responsibility, establishing clear ethical standards is paramount. Hamidaddin outlined several priorities: ensuring AI usage is clear to users, regularly auditing algorithms for bias, providing travelers with control over their data, and designing systems that actively promote cultural diversity and accessibility. “With agentic AI, the stakes rise: when an AI acts on a traveller’s behalf, we must ensure transparency, explainability, and accountability. Agency must never replace autonomy,” he cautioned.
Empowering Your Future Journeys: Actionable Steps
The debate is not whether to adopt AI, but how to do so responsibly, aligning innovation with human values and environmental priorities. As travelers, we can proactively engage with this evolving landscape:
- Be a Savvy AI User: Understand that AI-driven recommendations are powerful. Actively seek diverse sources of information, experiment with different platforms, and customize suggestions to genuinely reflect your interests. Don’t passively accept the first option presented.
- Prioritize Transparency: When using AI-powered booking engines or planning tools, look for platforms that explicitly explain how your data is used and offer clear, granular control over your privacy settings. Opt-in for features only when you understand their implications.
- Embrace Agentic AI with Awareness: As AI takes on more active roles in managing your travel, ensure you understand its parameters and limitations. Demand clear override options and maintain a supervisory role. AI should function as an intelligent co-pilot, enhancing your journey, not dictating it.
A New Era for Travel
Fahd Hamidaddin remains optimistic about the future of travel. “What excites me most is that travel is becoming transformative again,” he said. He envisions a future where language barriers dissolve, itineraries adapt in real time, and every trip supports local communities, fostering genuine connection and shared prosperity.
Collaboration between governments, businesses, communities, and travelers is essential to establish shared principles for this new era. As agentic AI makes increasingly complex decisions, our collective responsibility is to ensure that “technology serves people, not the other other way around.”
The integration of AI is not merely a technological upgrade; it’s an opportunity to redefine the essence of travel. It promises journeys that are more personalized, more efficient, more culturally enriching, and crucially, more ethical. As we stand on the cusp of this transformation, the focus remains on leveraging AI’s power to create truly meaningful and autonomous experiences for every traveler.
Ready to Explore the Future of Travel?
Discover AI-powered travel tools that prioritize transparency and user control, and empower your next adventure. For industry leaders and innovators, the conversation continues at the TOURISE Summit this November – a crucial platform shaping the ethical roadmap for tomorrow’s journeys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is “agentic AI” in travel?
A: Agentic AI refers to technology that doesn’t just recommend but takes decisive action on a traveler’s behalf. This could include automatically rebooking flights, adjusting itineraries, or rescheduling reservations in real-time to create a frictionless travel experience.
Q: How does AI personalize travel experiences?
A: AI leverages sophisticated algorithms to analyze a traveler’s preferences, past journeys, and aspirations. It then curates content and recommendations, such as personalized itineraries or suggestions for lesser-known destinations and authentic local experiences, that resonate deeply with individual interests.
Q: What are the ethical concerns surrounding AI in travel?
A: Key ethical concerns include the potential for algorithms to narrow traveler choices, the need for radical transparency in data usage, ensuring privacy, and the requirement for accountability when agentic AI makes decisions. There’s also the risk of algorithmic bias and the need to promote cultural diversity and accessibility.
Q: How is Saudi Arabia leveraging AI in tourism?
A: Saudi Arabia is using AI to showcase and preserve cultural treasures like AlUla and Diriyah, support local artisans, and foster inclusive growth. Platforms like “Spirit of Saudi” use AI to present authentic experiences, aiming to enhance cultural immersion and ease logistical burdens for visitors.
Q: What is the purpose of the TOURISE Summit?
A: The TOURISE Summit, led by Fahd Hamidaddin, aims to be the world’s first platform where global leaders unite to responsibly shape travel technology. Its goals include establishing an ethical framework for AI in travel, addressing privacy and workforce challenges, promoting sustainability, and training the global tourism workforce.
