Only one in five travel brands are fully committed to AI: study

A recent global study by London Research highlights a widening divide between travel brands that are data-savvy and those falling behind—especially in their use of artificial intelligence (AI) to elevate customer experiences.

Titled Data and AI – The Twin Forces Shaping the Future of Travel Marketing, the report examines how travel companies—including airlines, hotels, airports, tour operators, and cruise lines—are advancing their marketing capabilities through sophisticated data management and AI adoption.

The findings indicate that brands capable of unifying and activating customer data gain a distinct competitive advantage in personalization, orchestration, and decision-making.

Yet, to sustain this edge, these leaders need to further accelerate their AI maturity to fully leverage its potential across their business operations.

Based on a survey of 200 senior travel marketers worldwide, the study shows that companies leading in data management consistently outperform mainstream counterparts throughout the marketing journey:

• They are nearly three times more likely to enhance customer profiles with predictive insights (39% vs. 14%).
• They are twice as likely to leverage machine learning to anticipate customer behavior and value (36% vs. 17%).
• They are almost three times more likely to deliver timely, personalized responses (43% vs. 15%).

The growing AI divide

Despite these advancements, the research reveals an emerging gap in AI adoption.

While early adopters are using predictive AI for common marketing tasks, only 21% of travel companies say they are fully exploiting AI for predictive decision-making and modelling, the study found. 

A third (33%) of data management leaders view AI as mission-critical for future marketing success, compared to just 12% of mainstream companies. 

The full-scale adoption of advanced AI is hindered by three main challenges: limitations of technology platforms that complicate integration with legacy systems, a lack of in-house expertise to effectively implement and manage AI, and fragmented or low-quality customer data.

Without the right infrastructure, skills, and unified data foundation, organizations struggle to scale AI and unlock its full potential for predictive insights and personalized customer experiences.

"Only one in five travel marketers has fully adopted AI—a gap that represents both a challenge and an unprecedented opportunity," said Christiaan van der Waal, general manager data activation at Supermetrics and CEO at Relay42, which was involved in the study.

"Those who hesitate risk falling behind as competitors shift from static campaigns to dynamic, data-driven customer journeys powered by intelligent decisioning. The industry leaders emerging today aren't treating AI as a supplementary tool—they're embracing it as a core strategic capability that will define the future of travel marketing."

The report highlights that AI’s value is not limited to marketing.

By leveraging causal, predictive, agentic, and generative AI throughout the organization, companies can improve operational efficiency, optimize pricing strategies, manage risks more effectively, and elevate the overall customer experience.

"AI isn't just a marketing enabler—it's a growth engine for the entire business," said Linus Gregoriadis, director and co-founder of London Research, in a statement. "Data management leaders are blazing a trail with machine learning for predictive analytics and decisioning. However, we are still only at the start of the AI journey, particularly for generative and agentic applications."