Agentic AI will transform travel, but trust is the real ticket
At the TravelTech Show 2026 in London, agentic AI moved from promise to operational reality. Mike Hyde (Trainline) and Harry Herbert (Anthropic) agreed that over 60% of travel companies already embed AI agents into their workflows. But Hyde cut to the chase: the real bottleneck isn't tech, it's governance. Without clear rules, these agents may erode trust faster than they boost efficiency.
- Trainline already runs AI internally, while eDreams ODIGEO is partnering with Visa to let agents book flights autonomously. Yet Herbert reminded us that traveler trust is the most fragile asset: one autonomous agent's mistake can wreck years of reputation.
From where I stand, the industry is rushing to integrate AI without first designing proper governance. OTAs and airlines that don't put trust at the core of their AI strategy will crash hard. The tech works, but travelers don't forgive failure.
Full story at SmartTravel.News.
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