The world of the consumer is on the cusp of momentous change. The combination of mobile devices, big data and artificial intelligence is set to revolutionise the consumer experience. The effects of this new world, driven by consumer expectations, will rapidly spill over into the travel distribution industry. How long it takes, and how far the industry moves, is impossible to predict, but considering the waves of innovation that are already starting to impact on the industry, change is likely to be inevitable and far-reaching. As a result, the future for many industry players is at a crossroads.
The aim of this report is to provide insights into the future of the global travel distribution market, and stimulate an industry-wide debate about the emergence of new business models that can respond to the consumer revolution. Industry players interviewed for this report have a wide range of views – some of them conflicting – on how the industry should and will respond. The risk is that different players focus narrowly on their own area of the value chain without an industry-wide strategy, leading to a period of complexity and potential confusion for the consumer, and associated missed
opportunities for growth. Now is an opportune time for the travel industry to reflect on alternative pathways and examine new approaches that are more innovative and collaborative. This report is aimed to help support that process by providing an industry-wide view of the challenges and opportunities.