The future of travel may be shaped less by technology itself and more by who controls trust, data and access to the traveler.
A report from Phocuswright and ITB Berlin highlights predictions made during the jointly hosted Leadership Exchange, which took place on March 3, 2026 at ITB Berlin.
During interactive working groups, travel leaders opined on the structural shifts that will define travel over the next two decades.
The findings are organized around four central questions: who owns trust in 2046, where value sits in an artificial intelligence (AI)-native industry, whether travel is a right or a privilege and whether the travel market is set to consolidate
or fragment.
Across these themes, a consistent pattern emerges: AI is accelerating efficiency across the travel ecosystem, but redistributing power. Control is shifting away from traditional intermediaries and toward those that own data, operate intelligent agents
or maintain direct relationships with travelers.
The report highlights several structural tensions already emerging. Trust is becoming more valuable but harder to manage, as AI-driven booking paths fragment accountability and increase risks tied to unreliable data and undefined “sources of truth.” At
the same time, personalization is emerging as a core opportunity, with first-party data and AI agents compressing discovery and shifting decision-making toward automated interactions.
Participants also pointed to widening divides in travel access, shaped by economics, policy and sustainability pressures. Meanwhile, competing trends are likely to shape the industry landscape. AI is expected to both lower barriers for small suppliers
and concentrate power among the players that control data, distribution and the underlying intelligence layers.
While the scenarios look ahead two decades, the report emphasizes that many of these shifts are already underway, with the next three years seen as a critical window for action.
The full report is available below or to download here.