Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way the tourism and hospitality industry operates and grows. Across the Middle East, AI is powering smarter, more sustainable destinations, improving guest experiences, increasing efficiency, and creating new value. Based on a survey of industry leaders in the region, this report shows how AI adoption is driving key opportunities, challenges, and priorities for transformation.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from experiment to necessity in the tourism and hospitality sector, transforming the way destinations operate, grow, and compete. AI is now central to achieving national transformation agendas across the Middle East, from Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 to the UAE's Digital-First Tourism Strategy.
In our latest co-branded report with Future Hospitality Summit, we explore how tourism and hospitality industry leaders are leveraging AI to predict guest preferences, optimize operations, and support sustainability goals, with AI at the heart of tourism and hospitality, powering personalization, efficiency, and growth. The analysis is based on a regional survey conducted by PwC Middle East among industry leaders in hotel, travel, investment and government.
The survey results show that AI is being widely adopted across industries, with 91% of respondents piloting or using an AI solution. However, only 3% proceed to enterprise-wide deployment, constrained by legacy systems, talent shortages, and data privacy considerations. Despite these challenges, its value is clear. 85% reported measurable improvements in cost efficiency and performance, and 74% allocated a dedicated AI budget for the first time.
Here are the areas where AI will have the biggest impact:
- Guest Experience: Creating a highly personalized and seamless journey
- Human Resources: Empowering and upskilling employees
- Operations and data infrastructure: Transform fragmented systems into connected intelligence
- Channel management: Redefining distribution and reputation in an AI-driven marketplace
After all, AI is not replacing human touch, but amplifying it. The winners will be those who use AI responsibly to make every interaction seamless, ethical, and valuable.
Click here to read the full report.
