Skift Data + AI Summit Europe 2026: AI in Travel
Key takeaways from the Skift Data + AI Summit Europe 2026 in London on Oct 6, exploring AI challenges and agentic bookings in travel.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Independent hotels were 8 times more likely to be unknown to AI systems than chains.
- 51% of surveyed travelers expressed concerns about AI recommendation accuracy.
- Amex GBT reviewed 139 AI tools in the past year, up from 13.
- AI referral traffic remains below 2% at both Booking and Marriott.
The European travel industry is undergoing a major transformation as artificial intelligence reshapes discovery and booking operations. Amid stricter regulations across fragmented markets, travel executives overseeing AI deployment are forced into challenging conversations.
The shift toward agentic booking has become a dominant topic across the industry. With tools like Instinct and Muse entering the market and consumer adoption accelerating rapidly, travel operators recognize the momentum even as much remains to be sorted out.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Seth Borko, Skift's Head of Research, noted that agents are already here, yet almost no one in the travel sector is truly ready for this new reality. The Skift Data + AI Summit Europe focused on five key operating decisions travel executives face regarding investment, exploration, and execution.
Research presented by Stiplo founder Carlo Del Mistro, covering over 27,000 queries across 650 Barcelona hotels, revealed that independent hotels were eight times more likely to be unknown to AI systems compared to chains. Google review volume emerged as the strongest visibility driver, while llms.txt files showed no measurable advantage.
"The agents are here. Almost no one in travel is ready for this world."
Seth Borko
Kayak CEO Peer Bueller and Skyscanner CEO Bryan Batista argued that convenience alone will not sustain agentic booking. They pointed to comparison complexity alongside Skyscanner research showing that 51% of surveyed travelers harbor concerns regarding the reliability of AI recommendations.
Context Analysis: The implementation of the EU AI Act highlights how regulatory frameworks in Europe are shaping corporate innovation, turning experimental deployments into rigorous governance and review processes rather than halting them entirely.
Operators including Accor, IAG, Strawberry, and Amex GBT described narrowing their AI use cases to projects with visible returns. Amex GBT reviewed roughly 139 AI tools or use cases over the past year, up from 13. Meanwhile, Bernstein's Richard Clarke pointed out that no clear consumer AI winner has emerged yet, with AI referrals still under 2% at Booking and Marriott despite exponential growth.
Source: Skift
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