HBX Group has published its latest intelligence report, The State of AI in B2B Travel Distribution, offering a closer look at how artificial intelligence is actually being used across the industry today.
The report is based on proprietary survey data from HBX Group’s global client base —including retail travel agents, tour operators and wholesalers across its platforms— capturing the perspective of those managing bookings, customers and operations on a daily basis.
What emerges is an industry that has clearly embraced AI, but is still figuring out how to make the most of it. According to the findings, 65% of respondents are already using AI in some form. More than half (55%) see it as critical or very important to their future success. And importantly, the experience so far is largely positive, with 64% saying AI is already having a positive impact on their day-to-day work.
However, these figures also point to a more nuanced reality. In many cases, AI is being used in a targeted way to speed up content creation or support customer interactions, rather than being fully embedded into how businesses operate. The gap between experimenting with AI and truly relying on it remains significant.
Javier Cabrerizo, Chief Strategy, Transformation & AI Officer at HBX Group, said: “The barriers we are seeing — particularly around trust, training and usability — point to a broader shift in where the challenge now sits. This is no longer about access to AI. The technology is already available and evolving rapidly. The real challenge is adoption at scale: prioritising where value lies, embedding AI into day-to-day workflows, and building the confidence to use it effectively.”
That gap is also reflected in the barriers respondents highlight. The biggest challenges are not about access to technology, but about how to use it properly — from lack of training and support to questions around trust and the usability of existing tools.
In other words, the tools are there. The question is how to apply them in a way that actually delivers value.
Looking ahead, the direction is clear. There is growing interest in more advanced, operational use cases —particularly those that can simplify complex processes and improve efficiency in core workflows.
The report suggests that the next phase of AI adoption in travel will be defined not by experimentation, but by execution and by how effectively businesses can translate intent into real, measurable impact.
The State of AI in B2B Travel Distribution is now available to download here and explores these trends in more detail, including how adoption varies across regions, which use cases are gaining traction, and what is still holding the industry back.
