2025
Travel Foresight 02
Although the digitalisation of travel has been going on for many years; fewer than half (47 percent) of all travellers required a hard copy of their visa in 2023, compared to 77 percent the previous decade.
In 2025, AI and tech will increasingly reshape the travel industry and travel experiences. Biometrics is the primary area in which passengers can experience the capabilities of artificial intelligence while travelling. Airports and border crossings are increasingly using AI-driven technologies, like e-gates for automated passport and visa checks, streamlining security and reducing wait times.
Already in 2023, 18 percent of people worldwide were estimated to have e-visa access, more than doubling since 2018.
While automated systems enhance the quick and secure movement of passengers relying on facial recognition and biometric data, growing dependence on AI and technology exposes the travel industry to new vulnerabilities that could have large-scale negative impacts, as evidenced by the global IT outage caused by Crowdstrike software that affected Microsoft Windows devices and the UK’s e-gates, causing significant delays in May of this year. Computer outages affecting individual airlines also continue to impact travel planning, as carriers move to upgrade ageing systems and integrate new functions to improve customer satisfaction.
AI-driven technology in travel planning is expected to advance further and integrate into all aspects of the travel experience. Data from 2024 already showed 66 percent of travellers will use technology and AI-powered tools to plan their journeys, benefiting from technology which can help find alternative travel itineraries. These innovations include major advancements in personalising itineraries, finding good cost-saving options and minimising travel time to maximise sightseeing.
Despite AI’s significant benefits, one of the challenges of the travel industry in 2025 will remain balancing innovation with resilience to prevent critical failures in the future.
Editor: Paul Mutter
Health Foresight
Safety Foresight
In collaboration and partnership with content provider and leading travel risk intelligence company Riskline providing world-class information and analysis services.
