Move over hashtags and influencers, the most powerful voice in travel today doesn’t post selfies. It starts conversations.
In its new white paper by Sabre, Chat as the New Influencer: From Conversations to Clicks, the GDS forecasts a seismic shift in how travel is discovered, personalised, and booked. The report argues that conversational commerce powered by next-generation, agentic AI, isn’t just another tech trend, but a new paradigm set to redefine the traveller journey and unlock growth across the industry.
“Conversational commerce is more than ‘just’ a tech trend for the travel industry; it’s a generational leap,” said Jen Catto, Sabre’s Chief Marketing Officer. “It will collapse the distance between desire and delivery, turning complexity into conversion and transforming every traveller into their own influencer. Talk is no longer cheap. It’s AI-powered and driving revenue.”
From social commerce to smart conversations
Social media has long been the heartbeat of travel inspiration. It fuels wanderlust, shapes bucket lists, and fills our feeds with envy-inducing content. But there’s just one tiny problem… while social commerce works wonders for impulse purchases, it struggles with complex, multi-step decisions like travel.
Booking a trip isn’t just clicking “add to cart” (though we do wish it does and perhaps that’s what’s coming in smart travel tech next!). It’s co-ordinating flights, hotels, transfers, tours, and preferences across multiple people and time zones. And while Instagram and TikTok inspire us, let’s face it, they rarely convert us.
Sabre’s paper is crystal clear on this – social commerce inspires travel purchases and conversational commerce converts. So while social media sparks wanderlust, it lacks the infrastructure and trust to complete high-value, multi-component transactions. Agentic AI bridges that gap, turning intent into action in mere seconds.
From search to chat
Generative AI (GenAI) has already made trip planning faster and smarter. Travellers can now ask, “Plan me a weekend in Lisbon with great food, boutique hotels and a day trip to Sintra,” and instantly receive tailored results.
According to Phocuswright, three-quarters of travellers say AI improves trip planning over traditional search, and one in four would let AI book trips on their behalf. That immediacy is powerful. It’s the travel equivalent of a dopamine rush.
But agentic AI takes things further. These systems don’t just recommend, they orchestrate. They handle real-world logistics, coordinate suppliers, and personalise results dynamically. It’s travel planning without the spreadsheet, and conversion without the friction.
Agentic AI: turning complexity into conversion
Unlike static search or social discovery, conversational commerce powered by agentic AI thinks and acts. It turns complexity into simplicity, enabling multi-leg, multi-traveller journeys to be planned in seconds.
And crucially, it expands the market. Over half of travellers using agentic AI to discover options they wouldn’t have found otherwise, creating new demands, not just shifting existing market share.
> “We’re building the platforms to turn conversations into commerce, and commerce into loyalty,” said Garry Wiseman, Sabre’s Chief Product and Technology Officer. “This is travel retailing reimagined – from static search to dynamic, personalised dialogue.”
In an AI-driven world, trust becomes the cornerstone of brand success. The white paper highlights that transparency, governance, and data integrity will separate the leaders from the laggards.
A new storefront for travel
As conversations replace clicks, the way we “shop” for travel is changing. The storefront of the future won’t just be a website or app. It will live inside chat windows, voice assistants, and AI agents. Browsing will be a thing of the past, and co-creating trips will be the new
Sabre’s report urges travel retailers, suppliers, and brands to act now:
- Be first movers. AI adoption is accelerating fast, and early adopters will define market standards.
- Rethink merchandising. Conversational commerce demands flexibility, instant response, and contextual offers.
- Build for trust. Transparent, well-governed data and AI ethics will be key differentiators.
Sabre’s human-first approach
From inventing the world’s first computerised reservation system to co-creating early online booking engines, Sabre has long been at the forefront of travel innovation. Today, it’s once again setting the pace.
“Sabre isn’t just responding to change,” Wiseman added. “We’re setting the pace. We’re building the platforms that make it possible for travel brands to thrive inside the conversation.”
Travel has always been personal. It’s about stories, choices, and the excitement of discovering somewhere new. AI only helps to enhance it.
Conversational commerce bridges the gap between wanting and booking, empowering every traveller to become their own influencer. For the first time, the conversation is the conversion.
And as Sabre’s white paper puts it – the next great travel influencer won’t be a person. It’ll be a conversation.
