Who Owns Travel in 2046? Artificial Intelligence, Trust and Power Redraw the Map

From AI agents booking our trips to cities limiting access, a new 2026 Executive Brief by Phocuswright and ITB Berlin reveals how trust, data, and inequality could redefine global travel over the next two decades.

AI as Gatekeeper:
By 2046, intelligent agents may dominate trip planning and booking, shifting power away from traditional intermediaries.

Trust as Currency:
Trust will be fragmented across platforms, travelers, and governments. Failures in trust could be catastrophic, making transparency and accountability essential.

Value Redefined:
Personalization becomes the new source of value. Brands risk losing relevance as AI agents become the “source of truth.”

Access & Inequality:
Travel could become more seamless but also more restricted. Overtourism, immigration controls, and pricing may turn mobility into a privilege rather than a universal right.

Industry Structure:
The sector may either fragment (empowering niche providers through hyper-personalization) or consolidate (monopolies controlling data flows).

Voices from Leaders
- “Trust is not an algorithm… consumers themselves will be assessed on whether they can be trusted.” — Mieke De Schepper, Sunweb Group.
- “By 2029, discovery as we know it today will almost disappear.” — Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, T2Impact.
- “Countries will either visa their way out of tourism or simply price people out.” — Stephen Joyce, Protect Group.

Strategic Implications
- Businesses must design trust frameworks into every customer interaction.
- Governments will play a larger role in regulating access and mobility.
- The next three years (2026–2029) are decisive: choices around data ownership and AI integration will set the trajectory for decades.

This report essentially argues that AI won’t just streamline travel—it will redistribute power across the ecosystem.