As travel becomes even more deeply embedded in how we connect, relax and even work, the world of traveltech has continued to evolve.
Whilst the industry certainly embraced even more innovation in 2025, 2026 is a year set to completely redefine how we discover, book and experience travel.
How Has TravelTech Innovated To Date?
Over the past few years, travel has evolved far beyond just being able to book holidays online. Whilst online travel agencies and mobile bookings certainly made things easier, recently the sector has been swept up in the AI revolution, focusing on real personalisation.
In fact, AI is now able to help people plan their perfect trip in seconds, meaning they can find the best deals, locations and hidden gems without needing to speak to a travel agent or consult google.
But to find out what’s coming next, we asked industry leaders and founders to share their thoughts on which trends are set to shape traveltech in 2026.
Interested in what they had to say? Take a look…
- Faris Aziz, Head of Product at Flash Pack
- Christophe Peymirat, Head of Uber for Business EMEA
- Omri Amsalem, CEO & Co-Founder at Atriis
- Javier Cabrerizo, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer at HBX Group
- James Siegl, Co-Founder at Scapade
- Keith Watson, President at Roomex
- Rebecca Ward, CEO at Simply Owners
- Richie Khandelwal, Co-founder of PriceLabs
- Alexander Lyakhotskiy, CEO and Founder at Pass the Keys
- Holly Clarke, CMO at Byway
- Florian Montag, VP of Business Development at Apaleo
- Ruth Whitehead, COO of eviivo
- Cassie Petrie, MD of SMB EMEA at SAP Concur
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Faris Aziz, Head of Product at Flash Pack
“Social fit will become a larger part of how trips are chosen. People increasingly care about the vibe, compatibility and type of traveller a trip is designed for, not just the destination. Platforms that can surface this context upfront, whether for solo, group or community-led travel, will build far more confidence and ultimately drive better experiences for their customers.
“One of the biggest shifts we’ll see in travel tech next year is the move towards intent-driven discovery. Travellers don’t want to sift through hundreds of options anymore, they want platforms that understand what they’re trying to achieve and guide them quickly to the right few choices. Simplicity of the browsing experience will win over customers.”
Christophe Peymirat, Head of Uber for Business EMEA
“Sustainability still matters. Travel managers are being asked to report back on the environmental impact of transport choices. To do so, they need to be able to track and access key data on CO2 emissions from trips. At the same time employees are valuing the option to order green vehicles.
“As companies look to gain oversight and control of expenses, the consumerisation of enterprise technology will also grow as businesses simultaneously seek to encourage user acceptance and keep pace with employee expectations. Employees now want the same features and functionality that they are familiar with in their personal lives.
“Spend visibility will become really important as research shows budgets are down and cost savings are key. Greater visibility will help travel decision makers to identify opportunities to control spend and better manage budgets. Tracking expenses and managing receipts remains a challenge, so supplier tech integrations and access to data will be key.”
Omri Amsalem, CEO & Co-Founder at Atriis
“By 2026, travel tech will be reshaped by the rise of open, interoperable travel platforms. After years of relying on closed, monolithic ecosystems, corporate buyers now demand API-flexible infrastructures that can integrate with any travel supplier or travel management company (TMC). Vendor lock-in is fading fast as organisations push for greater control, configurability and transparency. In this new landscape, the TMC shifts from being the gatekeeper of content to the service layer that orchestrates it.
“Supplier fragmentation will also accelerate. Instead of access to a booking system paired with one or two hotel aggregators, corporate travellers will expect seamless access to direct hotel chains, rail, ground transport and long-tail regional suppliers. Platforms that can connect, normalise and adapt at high speed are setting the standard.
“Lastly, service automation will be the new competitive battlefield. AI agents will handle the bulk of ticketing, changes, waivers and post-ticketing operations, while the leading players will combine deep automation with expert human support in truly hybrid service models. The travel companies and platforms that master this balance will thrive over the next 12 months.”
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Javier Cabrerizo, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer at HBX Group
“Today’s travellers expect a fully connected experience. Increasingly, they want to plan and book their entire journey in one seamless step with a brand they trust. This trend underscores the rising popularity of connected trips and highlights the critical role of partnerships in building a broader travel ecosystem.
“We’re witnessing a major shift toward integrated journeys where every travel stage – from inspiration and booking to the actual experience – flows effortlessly through technology. Artificial intelligence and data are driving hyper-personalisation and adaptability, while fintech solutions are removing friction. Instant refunds, flexible insurance, and embedded payments are becoming standard. At the same time, innovations such as digital wallets and buy now, pay later services deliver incremental advantages that help travel companies thrive in globally connected ecosystems. These solutions blur the lines between finance and technology, elevating customer experience across borders.
“Looking ahead to 2026, we expect to see personalisation at scale and greater operational efficiency, particularly in large, complex processes. The future of travel will be smarter, more seamless, and deeply interconnected.”
James Siegl, Co-Founder at Scapade
“Travel tech is already changing the way we move, and in 2026 its impact will deepen, expanding well beyond vacation and holiday planning and redefining how we work and live. The rapid rise of remote working and location-independent lifestyles has completely transformed digital nomadism, changing it from a fringe trend to an attainable and mainstream way of life. And as more people continue to work from cafes, co-working hubs and other non-traditional workspaces, the demand for technology built for improved adaptability, portability, and productivity will accelerate.
“The digital nomad and remote working sectors are evolving rapidly. And to meet this demand, mobility-first tools will become just as essential as the laptop itself, with mobile office essentials emerging as a formal retail category. Travel-friendly technology like universal power banks, modular organisation systems, lightweight workstations, and physical privacy tools are set to become everyday necessities for nomadic professionals. Even backpacks are being reinvented, moving toward modular, trackable, and secure designs such as ours. At the same time, the demand for noise-reduction and privacy solutions will also grow exponentially as cafes, libraries, and communal workspaces become increasingly preferred alternatives to the traditional office.
“However, future travel tech is not only about efficiency. It’s tied deeply to personal wellbeing. Many remote workers are travellers at heart and know the benefit that comes from stepping outside routine or simply changing their surroundings. Therefore, travel tech in 2026 will reflect this to enable a more free, flexible, and healthier way of living, where work, travel, and wellness coexist.
“As a result, travel tech and gadget trends in 2026 will continue to disseminate from global remote-work hubs like Lisbon, Bali, and Mexico City, and spread globally as lighter, smarter, and more balanced tools become increasingly essential for a world that no longer separates travel from daily life.”
Keith Watson, President at Roomex
“In 2026, business travel tech won’t be a search engine; it will be an engine that narrows choices down to the best few options, and that quietly orchestrates spend, safety and sustainability for every workforce traveller on the road. Instead of delivering a thousand hotel results, the best platforms will offer a handful of smart options with a clear reason why they are right for the user, already aligned to policy, budget, carbon goals, duty of care, fatigue-at-work restrictions and the company’s own booking patterns.
“The winners won’t be the platforms that look the most consumerised, but those that use tech and machine learning to know the company, the booker, the traveller, and the trip type, and make smarter decisions on savings, safety, quality, travel times, and more. Think of it as a true co-pilot for workforce travel. It learns the rhythm of your projects, matches your upcoming trips to the best available rates in real time, and shrinks decision time from minutes to seconds.
“AI will increasingly help interpret patterns and explain recommendations, but the real step-change comes from data quality and automation that understands your policies, budgets and patterns. In short, the era of a thousand-result dumping is over; intelligent recommendation is the new user experience of business travel.”
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Rebecca Ward, CEO at Simply Owners
“2026 will be the year of reconnection for vacation rentals. Guests and managers are tired of third-party platforms where basic questions go unanswered and both sides get stuck talking to chatbots. Vacation rentals require hospitality, and that starts with clear and direct communication, enabling skilled managers to fully understand their guests and personalize the whole experience for them.
“We’ll also see property owners and managers taking back control over their business with direct bookings, and as a bonus, they have the opportunity to speak directly to guests and build relationships that turn one-time visitors into lifelong repeat customers.
“Guests are beginning to tire of social media trends and overcrowded hot destinations. In 2026, many will think about returning to places they’ve been before and rebooking properties that made them feel at home. Returning to a previous stay means you already know your family loves the place, have an existing connection with the manager to get the best deal possible, and can create family memories that last. Familiarity, trust and personal connection will become the new luxury.”
Richie Khandelwal, Co-Founder of PriceLabs
“The short-term rental industry has long been a tale of two halves, one made up of casual hosts and the other, management companies with varying levels of operational maturity. However, now both of those groups are learning that the key to long-term success isn’t luck or timing, it’s professionalism.
“In such a competitive market, it’s no longer enough to simply have nice photos on your listing and run the property in your spare time. Guest expectations are higher than ever, and the only managers that will succeed are those who invest in operations, technology and their team. Our recent Global Host Survey found that the biggest concerns for hosts remain visibility on OTAs, financial pressures, and the demands of cleaning and maintenance. While technology may be able to help alleviate some of these concerns, lasting success comes from treating the business with intention, pairing tools with disciplined, strategic management.”
Alexander Lyakhotskiy, CEO and Founder at Pass the Keys
“As we head into 2026, short-term rentals are facing uncertainty all around the world, from tightening regulations, rising costs, and changing traveller behaviour. But decision paralysis in 2025 will give way to stronger decisions in 2026. If you’re going to stay in short-term rentals, you’ve got to really want it. That means professionalising and making intentional investments in operations, technology and teams.
“Using AI for guest messaging and simple marketing tasks is already widespread, so in 2026, it will be about not just using AI, but implementing it well across operations, improving productivity and cutting costs.
“While we can’t control regulations or guest habits, property managers can do plenty to set themselves up for success in 2026, starting with a clear-eyed assessment of where their business is doing well and where it might need some help. Then, managers can fill those gaps with technology and education to build on their success.
“In hospitality, we often move at a hundred miles an hour, going from booking to booking and fighting fires without pausing to plan strategically. Professionalisation means taking a step back, letting your team handle the day-to-day, giving you space to look ahead and build a long-term strategy.”
Holly Clarke, CMO at Byway
“2026 will be a defining year for AI in travel, not because people want holidays planned for them, but because they want them planned around them. Travellers are craving journeys that feel personal and purposeful, shaped by their interests, values, budgets and the pace they actually want to travel at. That’s where slow travel comes in: taking the time to travel in a way that feels intentional, immersive, and genuinely yours. The real opportunity is hyper-personalisation you can trust. People are already leaning on general AI tools to plan trips, but generic answers can miss nuance and lead to inaccuracies due to hallucination.
“Next year, the best AI won’t just recommend a destination, it will build a journey that fits you. Tools like Byway’s Place Finder are designed for trusted personalisation instantly, so travellers can move beyond generic suggestions into trips that reflect who they are. Travellers can start with what they love and instantly generate a unique, flight-free itinerary to match, all reachable by train, ferry or bus. The goal isn’t planning faster for its own sake; it’s unlocking joyful, meaningful slow-travel journeys where the route is part of the magic, and the trip feels unmistakably personal.”
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Florian Montag, VP of Business Development at Apaleo
“In 2026, one of the biggest pressures and opportunities in hospitality will come from agentic AI.
“Agentic AI will move from experimentation to deployment, gradually realising autonomous hospitality. Instead of passively supporting workflows, agents will increasingly act, learn and collaborate across systems.
“The next big leap will be agent-to-agent communication. Soon we will see hotel-owned agents directly engage and even negotiate with external travel or booking agents. This will reduce reliance on intermediaries and return control of data, pricing agility and distribution to hotels.
“A2A communication will make operational autonomy a reality. Imagine a hotel manager asking, How many guests with children are arriving today? The hotel’s AI agent instantly queries the PMS, retrieves reservation data and identifies which bookings include children. It then triggers downstream agents to prepare amenities and adjust operations. This seamless agent-to-agent collaboration is the backbone of the next stage of automation in hospitality.”
Ruth Whitehead, COO of eviivo
“A shift already reshaping the industry, and one that will continue in 2026, is the rise of experience-first travel. Guests aren’t simply booking a place to sleep, they’re seeking meaningful, immersive stays that feel personal and memorable. Whether it’s an independent inn or a design-led vacation rental, the properties that celebrate local culture, distinctive architecture, or a clear sense of purpose will be in high demand.
“We’re also seeing a growing desire for a boutique feel within bigger brands. Travellers want individuality, but they also expect the reliability of a well-run operation. The real opportunity lies with mid-sized groups and property managers in scaling up without diluting the brand.
“Hybrid hospitality will move from trend to expectation. Demand for longer, more flexible stays that blend work, leisure and lifestyle continues to rise. Guests want versatile spaces and seamless digital experiences. Operators will need platforms that manage every stay type with ease, using dynamic pricing, automation and personalised communication to deliver a smooth experience without extra operational strain.”
Cassie Petrie, MD of SMB EMEA at SAP Concur
“Fast-evolving technological, economic and sociopolitical shifts are impacting business operations and making it harder than ever to lead with certainty. Moving into 2026, leaders are implementing adaptable approaches to navigate uncertain times, keeping a finger on the pulse of emerging trends, from breakthroughs in agentic AI to evolving forms of expense fraud that will shape TravelTech in 2026.
“AI is transforming travel, from biometric checkpoints to predictive maintenance on airport machinery. Travellers trust AI to suggest itineraries and book journeys, while businesses use it to enhance duty of care. But AI is only as good as the data behind it. Gaps can lead to privacy and fraud risks, so organisations must prioritise common data standards and maintain human oversight.
“Market volatility is creating a challenging environment for businesses. In response, many SMBs are focusing resources on a tight set of high-impact growth bets, including strategic investments in technology and smart business travel. The core challenge for SMBs in 2026 will be investing in travel that delivers a clear return on investment. Technology can help by automating manual processes, ensuring compliance and providing analytics to identify cost-saving opportunities.”
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