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The Pathways to Unlock the Potential of Agentic Commerce in Hospitality and Travel

Publisher IDC
Published Mar 18, 2026
Length 13 Pages
SKU # IDC21031753

Description

This IDC Perspective discusses the pathways to unlock the potential of agentic commerce in hospitality and travel. By 2030, agent-to-agent commerce will be operational across segments of hospitality and travel. The shift from generative AI assistance to agentic execution is forcing organizations to rethink core systems architecture, particularly as it relates to distribution and loyalty. As LLM surfaces emerge as booking channels, competitive advantage will move from traffic acquisition to structured offer clarity, policy governance, and real-time entitlement calculation. Organizations that modernize APIs, embed loyalty as infrastructure, and implement disciplined channel governance will shape the next era of travel and hospitality commerce. Agentic AI must not be considered merely a feature enhancement, but as a fundamental reordering of how commerce capabilities are exposed, evaluated, and executed."As AI surfaces become legitimate distribution channels, organizations must re-architect technology, data, and governance models to compete in an environment where agents evaluate structured capabilities rather than human-facing experiences," says Dorothy Creamer, senior research manager, Hospitality and Travel Digital Strategies at IDC. "Agentic AI will redefine how demand is captured and fulfilled in hospitality and travel. The organizations that win will not be those with the most conversational polish, but those that expose structured, policy-governed capabilities that AI agents can trust and transact with at scale."

Table of Contents

13 Pages

Executive Snapshot

Key takeaways

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Situation Overview

The 3,000-foot view of AI in hospitality and travel: Generative AI first, foremost, and foundational

Guest and traveler demand drives AI-enabled search and discovery

As the shift to agentic begins, tentative steps toward implementation in hospitality and travel

What's in a name: When the LLM becomes the channel

Agentic road map: Pathway progress, not perfection in hospitality and travel efforts

Mile marker 1: Generative assistance/AI as interface

Mile marker 2: Tool-using AI

Mile marker 3: Bounded agentic execution

Mile marker 4: Governed agentic booking

Mile marker 5: Full agent-to-agent commerce

Loyalty and ensuring brand ownership of the guest in the agentic era

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