View How do you envision AI transforming the hospitality industry in the next year, and more importantly: what should we do TODAY to prepare?

Loyalty programs will be the tool of choice for AI Agent interfaces like Apple Intelligence

Over the next 12 months I believe we'll see further advances in agentic interfaces from Apple Intelligence, Microsoft Copilot+ PCs, and Google's agents on Gemini. These interfaces will create an entirely new shopping and booking channel that enables the AI agents to create complete itineraries (and customize them) with deep personalization that will not likely be available via other, current booking channels. The personalization of these itineraries will be based on what the AI agent knows about the traveler(s) based on previous bookings and interactions with brands. Instead of starting their travel planning with Google searches, travelers will ask the AI agent to do the work of building an itinerary for them. 

George Roukas
View by George Roukas, President, GAIPAN

How to prepare? It's time to tune up that loyalty program! When the agent builds an itinerary, it will preference brands with which the traveler has a favored relationship. If the traveler has a history of engagement with ABC Hotel brands, the AI agent will favor that brand in the search recommendations. If XYZ Hotels has been aggressively marketing to the traveler but the traveler hasn't engaged, XYZ brands will be deprioritized in the search recommendations. Where will the booking happen? My expectation is that the AI agent will ask the traveler to help it understand how they value tradeoffs between price vs. loyalty points and stay credits, etc. and use that knowledge to present the best options. 

In this new agentic channel, the best way for brands to get ahead is to provide the AI agent with "evidence" of engagement with their brand, and the best way to get quality engagement is via a well tuned loyalty program.

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George Roukas
George Roukas
President, GAIPAN

I’ve spent a career at the intersection of travel, technology, and strategy. GAIPAN.ai is where I now explore how generative AI — and the agents it powers — will change not just the way we explore and shop for travel, but the way we work and think. I work with leaders and teams who are serious about navigating AI-driven change and want clarity on how to interpret the signals and plan for what to do next.

GAIPAN
Consultant

I’ve always worked where travel, technology, and business strategy intersect. Early in my career, I helped global travel companies navigate the shift online, when booking engines and meta-search were reshaping how travelers discovered and bought travel. As digital transformation took hold, my work shifted toward helping companies rethink products, operations, and the customer experience for a connected world.

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