Press Release
Who Owns Travel in 2046? Artificial Intelligence, Trust and Power Redraw the Map
From AI agents booking our trips to cities limiting access, a new 2026 Executive Brief by Phocuswright and ITB Berlin reveals how trust, data, and inequality could redefine global travel over the next two decades.
Who will control travel in 2046: AI companies, governments, or the travelers themselves? What will determine value in an AI-driven industry? And will travel remain accessible to all, or become a privilege?
These questions were at the heart of the inaugural Leadership Exchange, hosted by Phocuswright, a leading global travel research and events company, and ITB Berlin, on March 3, 2026, at CityCube Berlin.
The year is 2046: AI companies control global data flows, travelers rely on intelligent agents to plan and book journeys, and some destinations restrict access to combat overtourism. This is not science fiction, but one of several plausible futures envisioned by senior travel leaders during the closed-door Leadership Exchange.
The Leadership Exchange at ITB Berlin 2026, held under the Chatham House Rule, convened industry leaders in a strategic think tank format to tackle four key questions: Who owns trust? Where does value sit in an AI-native industry? Is travel right or a privilege? And will the sector consolidate or fragment? Its goal: to move beyond trend narratives and provide actionable insight for businesses, governments and stakeholders navigating a period of profound transformation.
A clear narrative emerged across all discussions: artificial intelligence will dramatically reduce friction in travel, but in doing so, it will fundamentally redistribute power.
“The travel industry is entering a structural shift unlike anything we’ve seen since the early days of digitalization,” said Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin. “With the Leadership Exchange, we created a space where decision-makers don’t just discuss the future but actively shape it. The choices we make now around trust, data and value creation will define the industry for decades to come.”
Trust becomes the new currency
In a world mediated by AI, trust is no longer anchored to a single player. Instead, it becomes fragmented, and more valuable than ever. Built through countless micro-interactions and human signals such as user-generated content, trust must be actively designed into every step of the customer journey.
At the same time, multiple AI-driven booking channels risk blurring accountability, increasing the likelihood of “catastrophic” trust failures in the near term.
“Trust is not an algorithm. There’s no single recipe, and in the future, not only companies, but also consumers will be assessed on whether they can be trusted,” said Mieke De Schepper, CEO of Sunweb Group.
AI shifts value, and challenges brands
As AI agents take over search and discovery, personalization emerges as the industry’s greatest opportunity. Travel experiences will be tailored in real time, based on deep data insights and individual preferences.
However, this shift comes with a cost: traditional intermediaries may lose relevance, and even strong brands could see their influence erode as the “source of truth” becomes the key differentiator.
“By 2029, discovery as we know it today will almost disappear. The real value will sit with personal agents that act on our behalf,” said Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, principal at T2Impact.
Access to travel grows, and divides
While technology could make travel more seamless and inclusive, structural tensions remain. Easier mobility may foster more open and connected societies but also intensify overtourism and strain infrastructure.
At the same time, economic inequality, geopolitics and regulation will increasingly determine who gets to travel, turning mobility into a privilege for some rather than a universal right.
“To control immigration and overtourism, travel is becoming more of a privilege. Countries will either visa their way out of tourism or simply price people out,” said Stephen Joyce, global strategy lead at Protect Group.
Fragmentation vs. consolidation: an open question
AI has the potential to empower smaller players through hyper-personalization, enabling niche providers to reach highly targeted audiences. At the same time, control over data could lead to powerful monopolies.
The future travel ecosystem may ultimately be shaped by this tension between decentralization and concentration.
Despite differing perspectives, participants agreed that the next three years will be decisive: choices made now on data ownership, trust frameworks and technological integration will shape the industry’s trajectory for decades to come. As one participant put it, the future of travel is not to be predicted, but actively shaped.
About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention and ITB 360°
ITB Berlin 2026 took place from Tuesday, 3 to Thursday, 5 March as a B2B event. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show, and taking as its slogan ’Discover the stories behind 60 years of legacy’, this year celebrated its sixtieth anniversary. 5,601 exhibitors from 166 countries and territories displayed their products and services to 96,544 visitors. At the ITB Berlin Convention, under the heading ’Leading Tourism into Balance’, 400 leading speakers from business, science and politics discussed current and future industry challenges on four stages featuring 17 theme tracks. With ITB 360°, the 365-day global innovation hub that is ITB Berlin now offers the worldwide tourism community year-round insights in the shape of specialist articles, podcasts and other innovative formats.
Additional information is available at www.itb.com and from the ITB News & Insights & Social Media.
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