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Personalisation used to mean “Dear First-Name.” Today, travellers expect recognition across channels and timely, relevant help—balanced with clear choices about data use. The brands that get this right win loyalty and reduce cost-to-serve.
What travellers want (and what they’ll trade).
Salesforce’s research on the AI-connected customer shows rising expectations for smarter, more proactive service—tempered by a trust gap around how data and AI are used. IATA’s 2024 survey echoes this tension: passengers embrace biometrics and pre-airport processes for speed, yet many want stronger privacy assurances before fully switching. Designing for both utility and transparency is non-negotiable. (Salesforce)
Sustainability is part of CX now.
Booking.com’s 2024 Sustainable Travel Report (31k respondents, 34 markets) documents continued interest in responsible choices and clear, actionable information. When your service channels surface greener options (rail vs. short-haul, efficient rooms, low-impact excursions) at the right moment, you’re not just educating—you’re reducing future service friction by matching intent earlier. (STV Files)
A privacy-forward personalisation model.
Consent as a feature: Show what’s collected and why (e.g., mobility needs to plan assistance; messaging number to send gate changes), and allow easy opt-outs.
Predict, then ask: Use AI to anticipate needs (late arrival → keep the room; cruise transfer delay → auto-move airport pickup) and explicitly confirm before executing.
Channel-aware journeys: If a customer starts on WhatsApp, let them finish there—including payments, confirmations, and service recovery. Messaging adoption in travel and transit is accelerating for a reason: it simplifies life. (The Times of India)
Guardrails for generative AI: Maintain a curated knowledge base; audit AI prompts and outputs; route safety-critical topics to humans.
The payoff.
Forrester links CX quality improvements to revenue growth; combining that with sustainability signals and privacy clarity builds durable loyalty rather than one-off wins. And as agentic AI matures, more routine follow-ups will execute automatically—so long as your data foundation and consent model are rock-solid. (Forrester)
Where to begin.
Start with two journeys where personalisation + transparency can shine (e.g., disruption handling and on-property upgrades). Pilot clear consent UX and measure the basics: opt-in rates, engagement, and repeat purchase. Personalisation with principles is both a customer right and a competitive moat.
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