A survey of 150 travel agency leaders from 10 countries commissioned by Amadeus found that business travel agencies around the world have a “strong appetite” to invest in technology, with 91% reporting that their business will at least The company plans to make “moderate” technology investments. France, Germany, England, America.
The study is an industry breakdown of the Amadeus Travel Technology Investment Trends Study released last month, showing that business travel agencies in Latin America and Africa have the most extensive technology investment plans, with Includes 62 distributors, 59 percent of American distributors. In Africa, it intends to invest “aggressively” in technology.
The survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2023 by market research firm Opinium.
According to Amadeus, more than two-thirds of business travel agencies plan to increase their investment in technology this year compared to last year, with an average increase in investment of 13%. However, in Latin America, the average planned increase rate is 16%.
Machine learning is one of the key investment areas for business travel agencies around the world, with 42% seeing it as an important investment in the next 12 months and 49% in the next five years. This is the highest percentage. of any technology of any period.
Data analytics, generative AI, digital payments, and cloud computing made up the rest of the top five most important short-term investments. The five-year list is similar, with augmented reality and API-driven innovation replacing cloud computing and data analytics.
The survey also showed that nearly half of responding agencies are making significant preparations to manage content for new distribution capabilities. 54% said they had trained their team for NDC, 49% said they had access to a “wide range” of airline's NDC content, and 48% said they had trained their team for NDC, and 48% said they had trained their team for NDC. I answered that I am investing. For the next few years. A smaller number, 41 percent, said they updated their mid-office and back-office systems for NDC, according to Amadeus.
“Business travel agencies are demonstrating a willingness to invest to meet evolving traveler and market needs. Many are building more end-to-end experiences for their passengers, delivering more value and We are looking to significantly increase our spending in 2024 by adding technology and features to drive value and emphasize sustainability standards,” said Elena, Vice President of Travel Distribution at Amadeus. Avila said.
“For business travel agencies, having access to relevant content continues to be important to differentiate themselves by offering personalized and simple travel to business travelers. Also, managing ‘mixed travel’ trips, meeting Revenue is also driven by the ability to book additional products such as transportation and transportation. Auto and Rail is a top priority to ensure we can deliver a complete end-to-end experience. Additionally, realizing the benefits of NDC technology remains a top priority for many, and this is an area where progress is accelerating. ”
