This article summarizes the key findings of Accenture’s recent report, “Me, my brand and AI: The new world of consumer engagement – Building resilient relationships between consumers, brands and AI in times of uncertainty. » The study surveyed more than 18,000 people across 14 countries and the results reveal a fundamental shift in how consumers discover, choose and book travel experiences. For travel and hospitality professionals, the message is clear: AI isn’t just changing marketing tactics. It changes who makes booking decisions.
When AI becomes a trusted friend
Here’s a statistic that should catch your attention: 36% of active AI users consider the technology a “good friend.” Not a tool. Not a search engine. A friend.
This is not hyperbolic technical talk. Consumers are turning to AI to make deeply personal decisions. Among active users, 94% have asked or would ask AI for help in achieving their personal development goals. 87% of them seek social and relationship advice from AI tools.
What does this mean for hotels, airlines and travel brands? When someone trusts AI enough to ask for life advice, they will definitely trust it to recommend where to stay or which airline to book.
The new purchasing path
The numbers tell a compelling story. Half of all AI users have already made a purchasing decision based on AI recommendations. For frequent AI users, generative AI is now the second-largest source of shopping recommendations, behind physical stores.
Think about it for a moment. AI has overtaken search engines, brand websites, and even friends and family as a trusted source of shopping advice.
Only 9% of consumers currently rank AI as their most trusted purchasing source. But that number is growing rapidly and represents a seismic shift in the discovery process that traditionally drives travel bookings.
Three roles that AI will play
Accenture identifies three distinct ways in which AI is reshaping the consumer-brand relationship. Each has direct implications for how travel companies should respond.
AI as a trusted guide
The great linguistic models are becoming the new influencers. When travelers ask “Where should I stay in Tokyo?” » or “What is the best family resort in Mexico?”, they increasingly ask ChatGPT or Perplexity instead of Google.
The challenge? These AI tools can misrepresent your brand or exclude you from the conversation altogether. If your hotel isn’t optimized for AI discovery, you risk missing out no matter how good your property is.
AI as a faithful companion
This goes beyond basic customization. AI can now deliver proactive, emotionally intelligent experiences that anticipate what travelers need before they ask.
Research shows that it pays off. Travelers are 2.3 times more likely to recommend brands that provide emotionally engaging experiences. They are also 1.5 times more likely to accept higher prices from these brands.
In an industry where loyalty has always been important, AI offers a new way to deepen emotional connections with customers.
AI as a second self
This is where things get really interesting. The study found that 75% of consumers are willing to use an AI-powered personal shopper who understands their needs and can make purchases on their behalf.
Imagine an AI agent that knows your travel preferences, budget, and schedule. It compares airline and hotel options, makes the reservation, arranges airport transfers and manages any changes. All this without you lifting a finger.
It’s not science fiction. The technology exists today. And when they become commonplace, traditional touchpoints like banner ads and loyalty emails can be bypassed entirely.
The uncertainty factor
There is another trend that makes all of this more urgent. More than half of consumers (54%) now view uncertainty as the new normal. This feeling has doubled in just one year.
Economic anxiety combined with price optimization by AI agents could trigger a race to the bottom. If brands compete only on cost, they become interchangeable.
The winners will be travel agencies that compete instead on experience and emotional connection. AI can help create these differentiated experiences, but only if brands act strategically.
What Travel Brands Should Do Now
Accenture presents several concrete steps. Here are the most relevant to travel and hospitality:
- Optimize for AI discovery – Just as brands were once optimized for Google, they now need to optimize for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI platforms. This means creating high-quality, frequently updated content. This means encouraging and highlighting authentic customer reviews. This means ensuring your property details are accurate across all platforms.
- Think of it like moving from SEO (search engine optimization) to GEO (generative engine optimization).
- Create AI-driven experiences – Don’t just digitize existing services. Reinvent the customer journey for an AI-powered world. What would a truly proactive and advance booking experience look like? How could you use voice, video and augmented reality to create immersive overviews of your property?
- Create emotional value – When AI agents can compare prices in milliseconds, the emotional connection becomes your differentiator. Exclusive access, unique experiences and personalized touches are things that AI cannot commoditize.
- Loyalty program members are 1.6 times more likely to be motivated by experiences rather than price. They are also twice as likely to help perfect new products and services. They are your partners in co-creating AI-powered experiences.
- Consider strategic partnerships – Some LLM platforms are already experimenting with brand partnerships. Early players like Perplexity are testing ways for brands to feature in AI responses. By getting involved, you can now have a say in how these platforms work.
The imperative of trust
All of these AI capabilities come with responsibilities. Travelers are wary of AI-generated content that lacks authenticity (41%) or appears impersonal (45%).
Brands need to be transparent about how they use AI. They need strong data protection and clear consent processes. And they must retain the human touch that makes hospitality special.
Technology should enhance human connection, not replace it.
The essentials
The travel industry has survived countless disruptions, from online booking engines to the sharing economy. AI represents another inflection point, but it’s also an opportunity.
The brands that will thrive are those that use AI to become more helpful, more personal, and more emotionally resonant with travelers. Those who wait or hesitate risk becoming invisible in an AI-mediated world.
Accenture’s research shows one thing very clearly: the time to act is now. The investments you make today in AI capabilities, data infrastructure, and experiential differentiation will determine whether you remain relevant tomorrow.
AI becomes the consumer. The question is whether your brand will be part of this conversation.
Read the full Accenture report via this link.
