On World Tourism Day 2025, the global travel industry reflected on a theme that meshes transformation with responsibility, “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation.” For many in the sector, that transformation meant evolution. New research from more than 1,300 travel professionals across the GCC, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America revealed both deep-rooted loyalty to the trade and growing concern about the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). However, beyond concern lies opportunity, and agents who embrace AI strategically may well be the ones who lead the next era of travel.
Loyalty, passion and small-scale strengths
The RateHawk study “What Supercharges Travel Professionals 2025” revealed that travel professionals are guided not only by career earnings but by passion, relationships, and sustained purpose. Around 42% of professionals have more than 15 years of experience, with figures climbing even higher in Europe (Italy: 68%, Germany: 64%, Spain: 52%). Many work in small teams (2-5 people) or solo, especially in Latin America and Europe, while the GCC and Asia have more mid-sized agencies (6-50 employees) dominating the landscape.
Motivation is high with 92% of respondents saying they were satisfied or very satisfied with their roles, driven by creating memorable client experiences (51%), curiosity and human contact (42%), and positive feedback from clients (39%) rather than simply maximising sales. For many, what they most enjoy is building long-term relationships, helping clients find the perfect deal or offering personal expertise.
Fears, variations, and vulnerabilities
Yet, along with pride comes concern. Nearly half of travel agents identified manual searches for the best deals often across too many platforms as one of their biggest inefficiencies. Others pointed to adapting to ever-changing regulations, financial instability (including unstable supplier relationships), and difficulty adopting new technologies.
A significant portion of agents also feared that AI might one day replace them with 44% believing this is a real possibility. However, opinion varied widely by region. In Asia, 60% of agents see AI as a potential threat, in the GCC, 55%. By contrast, in Europe and Latin America, most believed that AI will not replace them, with only about 20% in North America holding the fear.
Interestingly, the newer agents (with fewer than 3 years’ experience) were more inclined to believe AI could replace them (51%), while those with more than 15 years’ experience were less fearful (40%).
Seeing AI as a tool, not a threat
Alongside these fears, there was also a strong view among agents that AI’s potential lies in augmentation rather than substitution. From the RateHawk study:
- Many seek smarter tools: 49% want automation tools such as CRM or back-office systems; 34% are interested in AI-driven personalisation; another 34% in advanced data analytics; 33% in enhanced mobile booking.
- When asked where the human touch is irreplaceable, professionals emphasised creative journey design, complex itineraries, empathy, handling disruptions, and personal relationships. For example, Betul Culhacilar (Country Manager Turkey) said: “When a client wants a tailor-made journey … the creativity and experience of a human agent is unmatched … clients need empathy, reassurance, and someone they can trust … especially for honeymoons, family holidays, or once-in-a-lifetime trips.”
Piotr Wiklak, Head of Business Development Visegrad Group, captured the optimistic view:
“AI can act as a personal advisor, uncovering hidden places … by analysing local insights, cultural trends, and vast data sources … enhancing their expertise with AI’s reach and precision … a collaboration where human creativity meets AI’s intelligence.”
Staying ahead with AI
While the data shows legitimate anxiety, it also points strongly to how travel agents can embrace AI not as a competitor, but as a powerful ally. Here are practical recommendations for agents who want to stay ahead:
- Automate routine tasks
Use AI-enabled automation (CRM, back-office systems) to perform repetitive work. For example, itinerary generation, booking confirmations, basic customer enquiries. This frees up agents’ time for complex, bespoke work where human skills matter most. - Personalisation through data analytics
Collect and use client data (with permission) to anticipate preferences. AI can help analyse past behaviour (destinations, styles of travel, feedback) to offer more tailored suggestions. That deepens relationships, which many agents described as their key motivator. - Hybrid customer service models
Combine AI tools (chatbots, multilingual assistants) for instantaneous service with human agents for empathy-heavy or complex interactions. For example, use chatbots for initial queries or FAQs; escalate to a human agent for nuanced questions or when problems arise. - Develop distinct and authentic offerings
Differentiation is vital. Agents who can show local knowledge, personal experiences, insider tips, cultural nuances and things algorithms cannot replicate will stand out the most. As one survey respondent noted: “when someone you trust can share a personal experience … with real passion and enthusiasm … difficult to replace.” - Learning and literacy
Attend webinars, industry events and network to learn about emerging AI applications. The study found many agents do this already. Investing in learning will make agents more comfortable with new tools and help them select those best suited to their niche. - Transparency, trust and empathy
Increasingly, clients want not only efficient service, but authenticity as well. Clear communication when using AI (e.g. disclaimers when AI was used to generate itineraries) and emphasis on agents’ oversight helps to maintain trust. Agents should emphasise their role as human guardians of safety, culture, preferences, and ethical considerations. - Strategic collaboration with technology providers
Rather than seeing tech firms as competitors, agents can partner with providers to adapt AI tools to their specific markets: integrating local suppliers, tailoring content to regional cultures, ensuring technology supports human interaction, not replaces it.
The travel industry of 2025 is undoudtedly at an inflection point. On one hand, there’s an understandable anxiety, where many travel agents (especially in the GCC and Asia) believe AI could replace them; and on the other hand, there is widespread loyalty, passion, and satisfaction among agents globally. The path forward is not about choosing between human expertise or AI, but instead, learning the most effective ways to combine them.
As Astrid Kastberg, CEO of RateHawk, put it:
“We see the future of travel as a combination of human expertise and innovative technology … as long as the agents continue to adapt and to innovate, their skills and their knowledge will remain irreplaceable.”
In essence, travel agents who embrace AI tools strategically, emphasise human qualities that machines cannot replicate, and commit to continuous learning will not only survive, they will lead the way.
