Given the ongoing conflict in West Asia which has disrupted travel plans for both business and leisure travel the world over, one would think that the global travel and tourism sectors will be in for a lean season this summer.
Surprisingly, that doesn’t seem to be the case: travel experts at Barclays Corporate Banking say that travel demand hasn’t dropped.
Instead, we are looking at a shift in demand which has worked to the advantage of domestic tourism, as well as short-haul international flights
Crises notwithstanding, people still need a break from the tedium of everyday living and this has prompted necessary adjustments to travel plans, with people opting for shorter but more meaningful breaks or longer and more immersive trips for those who can afford them.
Indeed, the Barclays study notes that only 28 percent of those they surveyed will cut travel out of their 2026 agendas to have more for daily necessities; for the rest, well, travel is a necessity, too.
But the way we travel has been changed time and again by numerous factors, most obviously socioeconomic and geopolitical ones; so how does this play out in the current context?
Evolution in hyperdrive
Back in January, Globetrender chief executive Jenny Sotuhan declared that the fusion of nascent technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), cultural immersion, and innovative thinking within the industry has put the evolution of global tourism into hyperdrive.
Southan likewise pointed out how contemporary marketing, especially online via socials, has changed the way people react to travel-centric material.
As she put it: “Although people's fundamental human needs don't change from year to year, what does change is how they react to marketing, news cycles, and pop culture. As we enter the latter half of the decade, 2026 will feel more 'science fiction' than any year that has come before."
It may feel like science fiction, but technologies are turning concepts once on someone’s drawing board into science fact.
AI, in particular, has evolved into a viable planning tool for the harried modern traveller, enabling them to customise their trips specifically based on preferences and budgets in practically the time it takes to tap a screen.
Also, while up to 34 percent of travellers are still booking trips through conventional travel agencies, the majority have since shifted to online booking platforms and the use of AI in travel planning has increased by eight percent over the past year.
Mobile technology has also transformed one’s phone into what can easily be seen as the Swiss Army knife of the 21st century: why carry a map, a compass, and a guidebook when the world is virtually at one’s fingertips?
However…
That, of course, does not mean that the adoption of technologies and innovative ideas in global travel has done nothing but good.
Digital marketing, especially influencer-driven marketing on socials, is one of the factors blamed for the rise in overtourism in some of the world’s most popular destinations.
At the same time, experts see a new challenge coming up in the form of tech fatigue, which is what happens when one has to pop open several apps on their device to access a number of necessary services at once.
The developers behind apps like Alipay+ and AirAsia MOVE are already working to stop tech fatigue in its tracks through super-app concepts that bring together travel booking, ride-hailing, digital guides, and even online payment solutions onto a single platform.
But, again: this also has its flaws and some apps may not perform in all geographical locations.
In any case, experts suggest that the travel sector needs to learn to strike a balance between the wholesale use of technology and maintaining the human touch that has characterised the industry for ages.
Indeed, as much as it sounds like a cliche, this synthesis of man and machine could be the key to more seamless travel in the future.
