At the 2026 TravelDaily Conference, Plug and Play's Amir Amidi delivered a pointed message to travel executives: stop chasing AI novelty and start demanding measurable returns. In his session, “From Pilot to P&L, How AI Rewrites Travel Economics?”, Amidi argued that the industry has moved past the experimentation phase and into a period where AI investments must be justified by tangible gains in revenue, cost savings, operational efficiency, and personalization.
Amidi, who leads Plug and Play's Travel and Hospitality Program and GOAL Program, drew on the accelerator's decade-long track record of connecting startups with global enterprises. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play operates roughly 70 offices worldwide, including five in China. The firm's model—investing in startups while helping large corporations identify emerging technologies—positions it to see which AI use cases actually move the needle.
From hype to hard numbers
The travel sector has been fertile ground for AI pilots, but Amidi stressed that the bar has shifted. “AI is everywhere,” he said, noting that the real question is no longer whether the technology is available, but which applications can genuinely transform how large enterprises operate. This is especially relevant for an industry built on labor, physical assets, and data-driven decisions.
Citing industry research, Amidi noted that approximately 80% of travel suppliers report pursuing some form of AI initiative. Meanwhile, a BCG study suggests that airlines could improve operating margins by five to six percentage points through targeted AI adoption. These figures underscore the potential, but Amidi cautioned that potential alone doesn't pay the bills.
The travel value chain is ripe for AI-driven efficiency. From airline revenue management and airport operations to hotel pricing, customer service, marketing, and loyalty programs, countless tasks involve data processing, demand forecasting, and repetitive workflows. The key, Amidi argued, is to identify AI capabilities already validated in other industries and adapt them to travel's unique challenges.
He outlined three phases of AI adoption. In the first, companies asked whether they had AI. In the second, they focused on integrating AI into business workflows. Now, as the industry enters the third phase, the critical question is whether AI can make a measurable difference to the bottom line.
For travel professionals, the message is clear: AI is no longer a buzzword but a tool for economic transformation. As the industry gathers at events like TravelDaily 2026, the conversation is shifting from pilots to P&L. Amidi's presentation serves as a call to action for airlines, hoteliers, and tour operators to move beyond experimentation and focus on scalable, ROI-driven AI deployments.
This pragmatic approach aligns with broader industry trends. For instance, luxury operators are investing in high-value experiences, while cruise terminals are enhancing guest experiences—all areas where AI can optimize operations and personalize offerings.
Amidi's emphasis on ROI resonates with travel-tech vendors and enterprise buyers alike. As AI becomes more accessible through large language models and other advances, the barrier to entry has dropped. But with lower barriers comes greater scrutiny. Travel companies are now asking not just “Can we use AI?” but “Should we, and what will it return?”
For an industry that has long relied on human labor and physical assets, this marks the true starting point of AI's transformation of travel economics. The winners will be those who can translate AI's promise into measurable P&L impact.
