HOW AI IS CHANGING TRAVEL SEARCH
At the same time, artificial intelligence is changing how travellers decide where to go and plan their trips.
A report published this month by Skift Research and McKinsey & Company, based on a survey of more than 1,000 travellers in the United States, found that 71 per cent were comfortable using AI for travel inspiration, while 86 per cent said they would consider using AI to book trips in the future.
In Singapore, 65 per cent of travellers say they are comfortable and confident using AI tools in their travel planning, said Mr Batista.
“As we move with AI from search to answers to recommendations, we’ll be able to better give travellers a more relevant, more personalised, more reliable answer for what’s best for them for a particular trip,” he said.
Such recommendations could take into account the reasons for travel, how quickly they need to get to the destination and budget concerns, he added.
The rise of generative AI also presents a challenge to travel search platforms, as tools such as Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are able to research destinations and plan itineraries.
Asked how Skyscanner was responding to competition from these AI tools, Mr Batista said the same technology was available to the company and was being implemented as well.
“We have the ability to actually extend further into the passenger journey these days,” he said. “We’re testing rigorously around agentic booking capabilities, for example, something we weren’t able to do before.”
The company is also seeking to combine AI along with its two decades’ worth of flight search data.
“AI gives us an advantage and allows us to build on our background of trusted and deep airline pricing and supply.”
