Travel Technology

AI memory and who controls it is about the fundamental architecture of customer relationships in an AI world. The companies that get this right will define the next era of travel.

Tech is hyperventilating about the whopping new $100K fee for H-1B visas. Travel shouldn’t breathe easy either. 

AI was all the rage at the Skift Global Forum this week, with the industry’s top executives revealing excitement, and uncertainty, as the tech takes center stage in travel.

The growth-at-all-costs playbook that built online travel platforms is dead. The disruption opportunity with new players isn't theoretical anymore, it's structural, and it rewards depth over scale.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky talks beds, bots and better travel experiences, and that’s just the beginning, as it eyes new businesses and AI expansions. 

CEO Jason Liberty says the cruise ship operator sits on ‘Himalayas’ of data and is ready to use the disruptive technology further.

For now, Kayak’s challenge is less about technology than traveler behavior: convincing consumers to trust a conversational AI to handle bookings, and not just fall back on the familiar search box.

Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel sees the generative AI era as travel’s next major disruption – and he's been through this kind of upheaval before.

To stay competitive, travel companies need to grow beyond traditional categories and turn capabilities outside of their core business into strategic revenue streams.

Hotels face AI upheaval on both sides of the reservation desk. New studies show they can save money on paid search by switching to AI tools, but they also face a threat as AI booking agents ignore traditional brand ads.