The New Age(nts): Impact of Generative AI Travel Distribution

Summary

The New Age(nts) Trend Series is a series of online conversations hosted by Phocuswright exploring the impact of generative AI (GenAI) and autonomous agents on the travel industry. Five online events are taking place from March through September of 2025 which align with the five trends outlined in the report Travel Innovation and Technology Trends 2025.

In this installment of The New Age(nts) series, experts explored the far-reaching implications of agentic AI—from evolving personalization and content standards to trust, data validation and the rising importance of direct API connectivity. As AI agents begin to act as intermediaries between travelers and suppliers, the industry faces pressing questions about readiness, infrastructure and who ultimately controls the traveler relationship. With disruption inevitable, one message is clear: the time to prepare is now.

This analysis briefly covers the most important takeaways from the discussion and subsequent audience questions for Phocuswright subscribers.

Key questions answered by this summary (and its corresponding video seminar) include:

• How will generative AI and autonomous agents reshape travel distribution and booking behaviors?
• What role will travel suppliers and intermediaries play in marketing to and through AI systems?
• Is the industry’s current technology infrastructure prepared to support agent-based personalization and high-volume, granular data requests?
• What new standards, tools, and content strategies are required to ensure travel products are accurately represented to AI agents?