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AI is forcing travel companies to make difficult choices about technology and customer relationships. Meanwhile, the industry’s commercial priorities are becoming harder to reconcile. Hospitality brands are pursuing premium demand while facing questions about affordability, travel companies are experimenting with new revenue models, and growing uncertainty is exposing weaknesses in the industry’s response to disruption.
These challenges were reflected in the audience polls conducted at Skift Global Forum 2026, presented by Travel Guard, part of Zurich Cover-More, where we asked over 1,000 travel industry decision-makers to weigh in on some of the sector’s most pressing challenges.
The results reveal where leaders see opportunities, where they remain divided, and what those differences could mean for the industry’s next phase of growth.
Travel’s Biggest Vulnerability Is a Lack of Coordination
Travel disruptions rarely affect a single company. A canceled flight can disrupt hotel bookings, ground transportation, and entire itineraries, yet the companies responsible often struggle to coordinate their response.
That fragmentation emerged as the industry’s biggest weakness. Over half of respondents (53%) identified coordination across the travel ecosystem as the area where the industry is least prepared for the next major disruption. Another 24% pointed to anticipating and planning for emerging risks, while only 8% selected maintaining operations during disruption.
Travel companies may be getting better at handling disruptions on their own, but getting airlines, hotels, and other providers to work together remains a challenge. The findings suggest that the next major test of travel resilience will depend as much on cooperation between businesses as on the strength of their individual contingency plans.
Trust Is Becoming the Most Valuable Asset in AI Distribution
AI agents are beginning to change how travelers discover and book trips, threatening to reshape the relationship between suppliers, intermediaries, and customers. Businesses must now decide which capabilities to control and which to leave to technology partners.
The audience showed a clear preference. Around 61% of respondents said owning the traveler relationship and trust should be the priority as distribution shifts toward AI agents. Just 12% favored owning the underlying technology stack and AI infrastructure. Another 15% preferred to integrate with whoever wins the discovery battle while focusing on fulfillment.
The results suggest that travel brands are more concerned about maintaining direct relationships with travelers than owning the technology behind them. They appear willing to rely on external technology providers, provided they retain control of the customer relationship.
Closing the AI Trust Gap Is the Next Commercial Opportunity
Travelers are becoming more comfortable using AI to research destinations and compare options. Convincing them to hand over control of an actual booking is a different story.
Asked where the biggest opportunity lies as travelers increasingly use AI for planning but remain hesitant to book, 60% of respondents selected closing the trust gap so AI can convert customers. Only 12% saw the greatest opportunity in winning the inspiration and discovery stage, even if bookings happen elsewhere. Another 16% said that the opportunity remains unclear because the data is outpacing actual consumer behavior.
The results suggest that travel leaders see an opportunity for AI to start generating bookings, but companies first need to convince travelers they can trust it to make decisions and complete transactions.
Hotels Are Seeing AI Deliver Efficiency Before Revenue Growth
Hospitality brands are using AI across operations, marketing, and customer service, but the financial benefits appear to be concentrated in a narrower set of applications.
When asked which AI return is most tangible for hotel brands today, 46% of respondents selected operational efficiency and lower costs. Conversion, or generating more bookings from existing traffic, followed at 29%. Only 18% identified new customer demand that hotels would not otherwise have reached.
The findings raise questions about AI’s longer-term commercial potential. Hotels may be seeing early savings, but they have yet to demonstrate whether the technology can become a meaningful driver of revenue growth.
Guest Expectations Should Determine Where Hotels Use AI
The industry’s enthusiasm for AI-driven efficiency has not eliminated the importance of human service. One of the strongest results across the polls came when executives were asked what should determine whether a guest interaction remains human-led or moves to AI.
An overwhelming 94% selected guest expectations and creating a better experience over cost considerations. Only 6% said the decision should depend on whether the interaction measurably increases loyalty or spending.
The result highlights that executives recognize the financial benefits of automation, but they’re reluctant to make cost reduction the deciding factor in how they serve guests.
Hospitality Leaders Are Divided on the Limits of Premium Growth
Hotels are investing heavily in luxury and premium properties to attract higher-spending travelers, but how much more growth can the market support?
The poll revealed little consensus. The largest share of respondents (34%) said the answer depends entirely on the market, while 31% believed premium demand still has room to grow without hitting a ceiling.
At the same time, 23% said that hospitality has already gone too far, pricing mid-market guests out of the market. Another 11% warned that the industry is approaching a point where overinvestment in premium properties could leave businesses exposed during the next downturn.
These differences suggest that the premiumization debate cannot be settled by looking at global demand alone. Markets with strong luxury demand may continue to support higher-end development, while others face greater pressure from affordability constraints and shifting consumer spending patterns.
The risk for hospitality companies is assuming that demand at the top of the market can sustain the same pace of expansion across the board. Leaders will need to judge where premium investment makes commercial sense and where maintaining a broader customer base may provide greater resilience.
Cruise Operators Are Looking Beyond Base Fares for Growth
The pressure to increase revenue without losing price-sensitive customers is also shaping the cruise industry’s business model. Cruise operators face a balancing act as they invest in upgraded experiences and new amenities while maintaining the accessibility that supports high passenger volumes.
Asked how a volume-driven business can continue to add value without becoming a premium product, 56% of respondents favored paid upgrades and onboard spending. Another 33% supported segmenting fleets, with premium ships operating alongside vessels aimed at value-conscious travelers. Only 11% believed the tension between volume and additional value would prove unsustainable over the long term.
The results suggest that keeping base fares affordable while giving passengers the option to spend more could be the strongest strategy.
The Next Phase of Travel Growth Will Depend on Execution
The Skift Global Forum 2026 polls reveal an industry increasingly focused on the practical consequences of its biggest strategic decisions.
AI is starting to deliver real business value, but consumer confidence has yet to catch up. Hotels are looking to cut costs and attract higher-spending guests without compromising service or pricing out customers. Coordination remains a major vulnerability across the wider travel ecosystem.
The common thread is that technology and investment alone will not resolve these challenges. Travel companies will need to decide which relationships to protect, where automation can improve the experience, and how to build business models that can withstand fluctuating demand and disruption.
This content was created collaboratively by Zurich Cover-More and Skift Studio.