Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming the invisible infrastructure of modern travel. Dr Jane Thomason, emeritus chair of the World Metaverse Council, author and influencer, tells us more.

From efficiency tool to competitive advantage

What began as a tool for efficiency is now a core driver of competitive advantage across hospitality and travel ecosystems. Consequently, it reshapes how guests are discovered, served and delighted throughout every touchpoint of the connected travel journey. The critical question for hospitality leaders is no longer whether to use AI, but how responsibly it can scale personalization.

At the heart of this transformation sits AI powered hyper personalization, redefining how brands engage guests through relevance and anticipation. By analyzing preferences, behaviors and context in real time, intelligent systems curate journeys by anticipating needs before articulation. As a result, experiences evolve from room preferences to dining, wellness, transport and local activities, delivering one-to-one service. Evidence consistently shows personalized recommendations increase spend and loyalty, thus boosting lifetime customer value and emotional brand connection. Consider a returning guest arriving at a hotel, where temperature preferences, favorite pillows and prior spa choices appear seamlessly. Nothing feels automated to the guest; instead, everything feels attentive, demonstrating AI operating quietly in the background to delight.

Building the connected travel ecosystem

The convergence of AI with blockchain and mobility platforms will significantly simplify friction across fragmented travel experiences. Today, travelers navigate disjointed payments, bookings, airlines, transport, hotels and activities, creating unnecessary complexity and inefficiency. Therefore, a unified AI coordinated ecosystem could integrate mobility and bookings into one application, unlocking new revenue opportunities. Industry forecasts suggest that by 2030, immersive metaverse operations and digital twins will become common across major travel hubs. Behind the scenes, AI is also revolutionizing operations through predictive analytics optimizing staffing, maintenance, pricing and resource allocation. Meanwhile, intelligent experience engines focus on micro moments that collectively shape satisfaction, loyalty and overall guest perception. Leading brands already deploy geo targeting and behavioral nudges to re-engage guests with timely and contextually relevant offers. Consider a traveler landing at an unfamiliar airport guided by AR wayfinding transport tolls and activating check-in. For the guest, the journey feels effortless; meanwhile, operators benefit from a seamlessly integrated revenue ecosystem across platforms. On the front line, AI-powered self-service tools provide continuous support, reduce wait times and escalate requests intelligently. Additionally, multilingual chatbots improve speed while mitigating human bias through consistent, data-driven decision-making frameworks. Finally, the strategic value of personalized data at scale enables continuous refinement, pain-point identification and compelling-offer design.

Ultimately, the future of travel is connected, intelligent and experiential, led by brands mastering AI responsibly and confidently.