During a fireside chat at the 2026 PATA Knowledge Forum in Kuching on Tuesday, 18th August, Sojern senior director Bharat Nagpal and Booking.com head of public affairs for APAC Yang Li addressed the shifting role of AI across the traveller journey, offering key insights into how destinations and small businesses can harness these tools responsibly.

During their fireside chat AI, Digital Commerce, Sales, and the Future Traveller, the two pointed out how artificial intelligence continues to reshape digital commerce and sales.

However, the travel sector finds itself navigating a critical evolution: moving beyond mere technology adoption to balancing automated efficiency with genuine human connection.

Considering the trust deficit

While consumer appetite for AI integration remains high, full autonomy is far from realised. 

According to Li, Booking.com’s global AI sentiment survey revealed that 90 percent of travellers expressed excitement about AI applications, with 89 percent intending to use it for trip planning. 

However, a striking trust gap remains: only 12 percent of respondents said they would trust an AI agent to make independent travel decisions on their behalf.

As Li put it: "Efficiency gains are real, but there is still a major trust gap when allowing AI to do more than search.”

Both panellists cautioned against an over-reliance on generic AI content, as Nagpal noted that, while 66 percent of businesses use AI for content development, modern travellers easily spot synthetic imagery. 

Li echoed this sentiment, pointing out that uncalibrated enterprise models risk making destinations sound identical, stripping local culture of its distinct identity.

Making the shift from funnels to real-time intent marketing

It is interesting to note that the panelists say that the traditional travel funnel which progresses from awareness to booking has vanished. 

Nagpal highlighted findings from Sojern’s State of Distribution report, revealing that discovery now originates directly within conversational AI environments like ChatGPT and Gemini. 

Consequently, 51 percent of destinations are preparing for this shift, while 31 percent are positioning their websites as verified sources of truth for AI engines.

This transformation has shifted digital sales from demographic targeting to precise, intent-based marketing. 

By analysing real-time transaction signals, destinations can engage travellers in-destination to boost economic impact.

Democratised technology for smaller players

Then panellists likewise noted that generative AI has democratised data analytics, granting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) access to insights that once required dedicated data science teams. 

However, the wider roll out of such technologies may take time as resource constraints remain a challenge.

Initiatives like Sarawak’s Tourism Ecosystem Fund which offers eligible businesses up to MYR 5,000 for AI enablement alongside public-private co-op marketing models, provide vital catalysts for regional growth. 

By combining public backing, first-party data literacy, and authentic storytelling, travel operators can deliver the hyper-personalised experiences the modern traveller demands.