Artificial intelligence can compare fares, assemble itineraries and even suggest weekend getaways. Yet travelers still want a human who knows the ropes. That's a key takeaway from Amadeus Hospitality's 2026 Global Travel Agent Report, which surveyed 756 agents across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific between April and June 2026.
The findings paint a picture of an industry that is not being replaced by technology but is becoming more tech-enabled. More than three-quarters of agents now use AI in some capacity, and over 80% are comfortable relying on it to support booking decisions. However, the technology is largely serving as an assistant rather than a replacement—helping agents research faster, compare options and craft recommendations.
APAC leads in AI adoption and GDS growth
Agents in Asia-Pacific are moving fastest. Forty-seven percent say they use the GDS more than they did two years ago, compared with 43% globally. Their enthusiasm for AI is even more pronounced: 58% believe AI could improve pricing and upselling, and 51% see potential for better hotel recommendations.
This matters because the GDS has evolved from a simple reservation tool into a bustling marketplace. Agents log in more than six times a day and stay connected for nearly eight hours, giving hotels, airlines and destinations a prime window to capture attention while trips are being built.
Agents want AI to compare, not decide
The report's most revealing finding may be what agents actually want AI to do. They are not asking it to take over. Globally, 48% see pricing and upsell suggestions as the top area where AI could boost productivity, followed by hotel recommendations (47%) and destination inspiration (43%). In APAC, interest in pricing and upselling jumps to 58%.
That creates a new challenge for travel brands. If AI is helping an agent decide which hotel to recommend, what happens if your property's information is incomplete, outdated or difficult for the system to interpret? The report finds that 40% of agents want AI-generated summaries of hotel content, while 37% want tools that match traveler needs with relevant property features. Suddenly, hotel descriptions are not just marketing copy—they become the raw material for AI-assisted selling.
As AI agents shift hotel discovery from search to delegation, the quality of that content becomes even more critical. Hotels that feed clean, structured data into the ecosystem will be the ones that get recommended.
Price still rules, but trust is paramount
For all the excitement around AI, some fundamentals remain unchanged. Price is still the number-one consideration for travelers, cited by 48% of agents globally. In APAC, health and safety ranks at 25%, with value at 21%. And agents want proof that the price they see can be trusted: 94% consider GDS rate parity highly important, and 63% say they will book elsewhere if hotel rates are inconsistent.
This echoes the Amadeus survey showing APAC agents lead AI adoption and rate parity is non-negotiable. The message for hoteliers is clear: if you can't maintain parity, you risk losing the booking.
Advertising must earn its place
Travel brands have only a brief window to capture an agent's attention. More than one in four agents globally say they have booked a provider after seeing it in a GDS advertisement. In APAC, that rises to 32%. Two-thirds say GDS advertising influences their buying behavior, with APAC again ahead at 72%. And 80% of APAC agents say they would act on a strong offer even if it appeared on a different GDS screen from the product they were booking.
That suggests travel advertising needs to stop thinking in silos. A hotel can catch an agent while they are booking a flight. A destination can influence an itinerary before a hotel has even been selected. The journey, rather than the product, becomes the advertising opportunity.
Bleisure opens new doors
Business travel is also creating another opening. The report finds that 30% of agency bookings are blended travel, combining business with leisure. For destinations such as Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo or Seoul, that means the business trip may be only the beginning. The agent who books the flight may also be deciding where the traveler stays, whether they extend the trip and what they do with the extra two days. That makes the GDS less of a booking engine and more of a trip-building engine.
For hotels, this is a chance to capture the extended stay. As Fairmont New Orleans opens bookings for its November debut, properties that position themselves for bleisure travelers—with strong Wi-Fi, flexible check-in and local experiences—will stand out.
The new travel sales pitch
The report's message for hotels, airlines and destinations is ultimately straightforward. Amadeus recommends improving hotel descriptions, using strong imagery, maintaining rate parity, making sustainability credentials visible and highlighting loyalty benefits. The report also says 57% of agents consider exclusive GDS-only offers a strong booking trigger.
As AI reshapes travel booking, but human advisors remain key, the travel agent's role is evolving into that of a trusted advisor who leverages AI to work smarter. The technology is not replacing the human touch—it's enhancing it. For travel brands, the winners will be those who equip agents with the tools and content they need to sell effectively in this new era.
