How Companies Use AI-enabled Digital Transformation in Travel

  • Sundew
    Sundew
  • sundew
    7 min.read
  • sundew
    May 15th, 2026
  • Technology
sundew

Imagine being stuck in heavy traffic with your flight boarding in an hour. In the past, you’d just panic and pray. Today, your AI tracks your GPS location and instantly purchases a priority security pass for you, saving you 20 minutes at the airport. If the traffic is really bad, the AI moves you to the next flight before you even enter the terminal. This level of digital transformation in travel to improve customer experience is a total game-changer.        

This shift is already the new standard: according to Statista, roughly 7 in 10 travelers across North America now rely on AI for real-time personalization. By late 2026, AI-enabled digital transformation in travel will become even more seamless, neutralizing chaos before it causes passenger stress.

How Companies Use AI-Enabled Digital Transformation In Travel

Right now in 2026, digital transformation in travel stands as far more than "just for show." Industry leaders like Expedia, Air France, Marriott, Booking.com, and Delta Air Lines have moved past the "what-if" stage. They currently use AI-enabled digital transformation in their core operations to maximize customer experience.

Expedia Integrates A ChatGPT-Powered Trip Planner

Expedia uses this conversational AI to help travelers find the perfect vacation through simple, natural dialogue. By letting AI handle common inquiries and planning tasks, they have successfully reduced customer support calls.

Marriott Uses "M-Live" To Track Traveler Sentiment

Marriott utilizes this real-time monitoring system to track traveler sentiment and social media trends as they happen. This data allows them to create highly personalized experiences that have increased direct-to-consumer bookings.

Booking.com Uses A Natural Language AI Assistant

Booking.com offers an AI assistant that chats with users to build fully customized travel itineraries. This interactive experience keeps travelers engaged on the platform longer, significantly enhancing user retention.

Air France Leverages AI-Driven Baggage Tracking

Air France uses high-precision AI systems to monitor and sort luggage throughout the entire journey. This smart technology has improved operational reliability and led to a notable decline in lost luggage reports.

Delta Air Lines Utilizes Predictive Maintenance and Modeling

Delta Air Lines uses advanced AI to identify potential technical issues or weather disruptions before they cause delays. This proactive approach ensures smoother operations and has minimized flight cancellations and downtime.

Digital_transformation_in_travel

These success stories from industry leaders are not just random wins; they are part of a much larger shift in how travel works today. By examining these examples, we can see how the industry is moving toward core AI strategies that are shaping the future of global travel.  

6 AI-Powered Strategies Shaping The Future Of Travel

1. Hyper-Personalization

In the past, travel companies would just put you into groups like "Business Traveler" and book easily available premium rooms. Today, they use "Agentic AI" to anticipate your tiring day and secure a premium room at a quiet corner far from the elevator. This deep level of personalization isn't just a buzzword but a major revenue driver (Statista) that turns a cold booking into a personal connection.  

How does it impact: True loyalty grows when you're treated as a person, not a random booking number. When an app understands you this well, it solves problems before you even notice them.

2. Predictive Interventions

Today’s travel apps have evolved into predictive intelligence systems. By syncing real-time weather and airport data, these AI-enabled apps spot delays early and act instantly - whether that’s prompting you to leave 15-minutes earlier or snagging a priority pass to bypass security crowds. 

How does it impact: By acting as a predictive early warning signal, the AI solves travel issues before they even start, to help you move through every checkpoint smoothly and on time. 

3. Biometric "Zero-Friction" Journeys

Your face and voice have become your passport and boarding pass. AI-powered sensors recognize you instantly, allowing you to walk from the airport curb to your seat on the plane without reaching for a phone or ID. This "invisible" tech handles check-ins in the background, making the journey hassle-free. 

How does it impact: By removing physical hurdles and long queues, AI-powered travel apps significantly improve passenger satisfaction, allowing you to relax and actually enjoy the premium services at the airport.

4. Agent-To-Agent Booking

Recent GitHub stats show a sharp rise in “Agentic Workflows,” proving that agent-to-agent working models aren’t just a theory; it's what hundreds of developers are actively coding into reality this year. This evolution is a core part of digital transformation in travel, where your personal AI "agent" now talks directly to an airline's AI to negotiate the best deal on your behalf. 

How does it impact: It saves you hours of research and guarantees you get the best price every time. Automating the booking process frees you to explore your hotel’s amenities and perks well before you even arrive. 

5. Immersion-First Planning (AR/VR)

Nowadays, the "search" bar is often replaced by "try-before-you-buy" experiences. Using Augmented Reality (AR), you can walk through a 3D version of a hotel room or a hiking trail before spending a cent. AI analyzes how you respond to these virtual tours to refine its suggestions until the final booking is guaranteed to succeed.

How does it impact: By providing a virtual tour, immersion-first tech removes the fear of the unknown and gives travelers the confidence to choose destinations that match their exact taste.  

6. Real-Time Language & Cultural "Bridge.

Language barriers are pretty much gone nowadays, thanks to AI, marking a pivotal milestone in digital transformation in travel. AI now provides real-time translation through your earbuds, acting as a cultural guide, whispering tips about local etiquette or tipping customs in your ear as you enter a restaurant. 

How does it impact: AI transforms you from a generic tourist into a welcomed guest. By bridging cultural gaps and helping you connect respectfully with locals, the system ensures you feel at home the moment you arrive.
While these strategies set the vision for the future, the real "magic" comes from the app's specific features. Whether you are building for a B2C traveler or a B2B partner, different AI features adapt to solve different problems. 

B2B vs. B2C Travel Tech: Choosing The Right Features

Travel_tech

Building the right features is essential for any app to function, but their purpose varies depending on who uses them. A B2C app focuses on making travel joyful, while B2B tools are built for speed and business precision.

How Do B2B and B2C Companies Use AI In Travel?

While the core technology is similar, the AI adapts its approach based on its user. With a traveler on vacation (B2C), AI emphasizes personal touches. With a logistics manager (B2B), AI focuses on efficiency, data analysis, and operational clarity. 

We see this play out in two different ways:

  • For the Traveler (B2C): It’s the "Heart." 

Instead of a cold search bar, you get a thoughtful assistant that actually "understands" you. It handles the stressful planning (Statista) and suggests things you’ll love - like a hidden café - because it remembers you prefer a quiet espresso over a loud tourist trap.

  • For the Business (B2B): It’s the "Brain." 

This side is all about operational speed and precision. It skips the small talk to handle the heavy lifting, such as building an AI-enabled system at an airport to turn fragmented updates from airlines, security, and ground into a unified command center. (BCG)

Future_of_travelling_powered_by_AI

If you want to build a travel app that actually succeeds in the future, you need a clear plan. Here is a simple guide on the best ways to use AI so your users stay happy and loyal. 

Best Practices For Building AI In A Travel App

Building an AI-powered travel app in 2026 is all about making the tech so smooth that it does all the hard work in the background while the traveler just enjoys the trip.

Here’s the secret sauce for getting it right:

  • Personalize in real-time: Use AI that adapts your itinerary on the fly based on your current mood, energy levels, and local weather.
  • Keep it real: Program your AI to suggest cool, local, and sustainable spots - not just the big tourist places paying the highest commission. 
  • Don't fear the dead zones: Run offline-first AI models on the phone so translation and maps work perfectly even with zero signal or Internet. 
  • Play well with others: Build your AI so it can easily "hand off" tasks to other apps, whether it's for digital payments or local health alerts. 
  • Automate the boring stuff: Deploy AI that handles repetitive tasks like filling out visa forms or tracking loyalty points without you lifting a finger.

Stick to these rules, and you aren't just building another AI model - you’re building a travel companion that nobody wants to leave home without.

The Bottom Line

The true winners won't be the ones with the flashiest travel apps, but the ones who use AI to make the "logistics" of travel vanish. We’re talking about flights rebooked before you even feel the panic, and experiences that feel personal before you’ve even arrived.

The soul of digital transformation in travel is about taking the "work" out of the trip so you can enjoy your journey. The best technology is the kind you don’t even notice - it simply makes the world feel smaller, friendlier, and much easier to explore.

Thoughts and Trends
Across Our Focus Areas

sundew

Blog

9 Must-have Features in an E-commerce App Why do you need it for your Business?

If you’re considering a mobile app for your e-commerce business, you may want to take a look at some of the latest statistics. You should know whether investing in the new app will be profitable for your business in the long run before developing it. Before you launch your app, you have to be sure that your customers will find your app important enough to download and use e-commerce applicationsDo you need an e-commerce app? Why?A study asked mobile shoppers how often they shop through apps. Even if many use retail apps on their mobile devices, they do it infrequently. Over half, at 57%, use their apps once per month or less. Only 10% say they use their apps once per day or more. Quite a few consumers download and use retail apps only sporadically. Other customers interact through a mobile device by visiting your mobile site.In fact, people are much more likely to visit your website for almost any online shopping activity, except for redeeming gift cards and loyalty program points. When checking store hours or locations, 66% will visit your website, and 45% use your app. On the other hand, 50% visit your website, and 31% use your app to check reviews. Around 19% will use the e-commerce app and 12% will visit your site to use their gift card or loyalty points. If you plan to use app-based loyalty programs, you could find that developing your app is worth the cost.Types of businesses that need an e-commerce appRetail, Wholesale, and Online ShoppingOnline retailing, e-retailing, or wholesale refers to the transaction of goods and services through online stores from businesses to potential and regular customers. It is achieved through virtual shopping carts and e-catalogues. The applications of e-commerce in this sector are numerous.The shopping preferences of people have undergone a massive change in the last few years. “Go online” has become a motto for most businesses to succeed. Online shopping is comfortable, convenient, and cost-effective. The prosperity of several online shopping apps validates this.FinanceFinance and e-commerce are more connected today than ever. Banking sectors and the stock market use e-commerce significantly to carry out their operation seamlessly. Online banking provides provisions such as balance check, bill payment, money transfer, etc. Online stock trading enables people to carry out trading electronically by providing information about stocks including analysis, performance reports, charts, etc. through websites.AuctioningCollaborating auctions with the e-commerce sector takes the business to the next level where people can participate without any geographical boundaries. It leads to more participation, more negotiation, and helps to make auctions successful.MarketingOnline marketing activities such as pricing, product features, and building customer relationships can be strengthened using an e-commerce portal to provide users with an enhanced and customized shopping experience. Digital marketing strategies have become a promising way to promote businesses.E-bankingE-banking is an e-commerce application that has simplified time-consuming and complex banking processes. It enables bank users to carry out transactions easily online without having to wait in long queues. Every major bank has its own online application to provide virtual banking services to its customers.9 Must-have Features in an e-commerce appFirst, you need to define your e-commerce goals with utmost clarity. What type of eCommerce mobile app do you want to launch your business – Android or iOS? What is your product? Who is your target audience? Next, you have to set important steps regarding the right features for your eCommerce Mobile Application.Easy Registration ProcessIt can be an exhaustive one for your customers if they are confronted with pages and pages of information to fill in to register an e-commerce app. With everybody having a Social Media Account today, make sure it’s an easy registration process. You can enable signup and log in with two clicks at maximum to welcome your customers on board! Moreover, you can earn extra brownie points to explore their preferences through their Social Media Accounts!Multiple Payment OptionsImagine how a customer would think if he could not find his convenient payment option after dumping his stuff into the cart. You just lost a customer and many others who prefer the same payment option that your app does not feature. You have to open the doors to the most popular payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, net banking, and eWallets to ensure that you subtly push your customers toward using your app’s in-built wallet.Push NotificationsYour customers have their needs and wants, you have the supply to satisfy them, but how to bridge this communication gap? Push notification improves customer engagement because they keep customers informed of recommendations, discounts, sales, promotions, and offers. Thus, it offers you the ability to cross-sell and up-sell for better profits.Social Media IntegrationDon’t tell me that you do not want ALL the attention of your customers. Social media integration will ensure that your eCommerce mobile app is right in front of your customers while they chat on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, or pin on Pinterest. This will also prompt them to share the seasonal discounts you offer on their social media accounts. User-generated content is the best way for word-of-mouth marketingComplete SynchronizationIf you have your eCommerce website and eCommerce mobile app, you can come up with a very exciting feature. It helps you reach your targeted audience fast and make their buying experience better. Speed up the process by getting our eCommerce mobile app synchronized with the website to save time, beat the competition, and increase your sales.Google AnalyticsOptimize the use of Google Analytics to check out how your potential customers are looking to be on your mobile app with the help of real-time data. Know which product of yours needs a different packaging, what offers can make an appealing combo, and which demography is resonating with your business with Google Analytics.Review & RatingEmpower your customers to rate and review your app and its features. The reviews will help you achieve a sense of realization about the products that you are offering to your customers.Wishlist ButtonIt happens many times that your customers would love to purchase the items but are running out of money at that very moment. They want to buy it, not now but definitely when they can afford it. Therein comes the importance of a wishlist as it helps your customers to save products they wish to buy later. In addition to that, you get a chance to know the preferences of your buyer and personalized offers!Easy CheckoutThe universal fact is that the customers hate to wait in the billing queue. You won’t let them wait with a virtual billing system for sure. To ensure that they do not abandon the cart, create a hassle-free checkout process. Help them save their address, e-wallet, and card details and get them faster through the payment gateways. Can you increase your sales by establishing your own e-commerce app?The bottom line is that e-commerce apps are the future of this digitally-driven world. Mobile application developers help your company to reap the benefits of the online retail business. Mobile eCommerce apps help brands know their customers better by staying closer to them with just a ‘finger tap’. As customers spend most of their time on mobile phones, ensure that your brand offers product details, and contact information, and motivates them to purchase.Smartphone owners are now increasingly using their devices to shop and search for products. The mobile app is also convenient and provides a personalized user experience that many customers now look for. The best thing? The mobile app encourages users to become returning customers rather than one-time shoppers.ConclusionWith its decade-long experience in e-commerce apps and software development for retail industries, we can be the perfect partner to consult and build an eCommerce mobile app for your business.  We can help you create scalable and robust e-commerce apps from scratch that expand your current business and skyrocket your sales. 

Read More
sundew

Blog

How to Create a User-Intent SEO Strategy

Search engines exist to provide users with results that are relevant to the search query. Smart SEO campaigns are built on an understanding of how your audience searches around your industry, products, and services.A key point here is to understand the intent behind a given keyword search. A user wants to find specific information, and search engines have advanced algorithms and large amounts of traffic they analyze to determine which results are the best matches for a keyword.In this article, we take a look at how to understand and categorize keywords based on intent to provide a solid foundation for your search engine optimization Understanding searcher intent secures a good chance for you to show up in front of people at the exact time they have a requirement. Unfortunately, commercial terms are highly competitive across the paid and organic search. For most businesses, there are other opportunities for branding and targeting customers higher in the marketing funnel. We just have to develop a greater understanding of the intent behind search keywords.The first step here is to understand the three categories of search queries:Navigational search queriesDo you ever type “Google.com” or “Facebook.com” into your browser? Or do you just type “Google” or “Facebook” directly into the address bar? This is a navigational query, a search performed with the intent of going directly to a specific website, or even a page on a site.Informational search queriesFrom a business perspective, we are looking to identify queries that relate to the product or service your company provides. Then develop content that answers these questions or provides information on certain topics. This will position you in front of your potential audience and build brand awareness.Commercial or transactional search queriesCommercial queries relate to the desired action that you would like a prospect to take. These keywords are all highly commercial in nature and therefore high-value. It is important not only to target these keywords but to ensure you focus on helping the visitor complete their goal once they arrive at your site.Ambiguous keywords and personalized resultsNot all keywords are crystal-clear in their categorization or intent. Take “software development” for example. If a user searches for “software development,” what exactly are they looking for?Some free tutorials? Development Company? The searcher may not be entirely sure and may simply be starting to investigate a topic.Where intent is not always clear, Google will typically show a page of results that cover a wide variety of potential answers. Mapping searcher intent to keywordsUnderstanding searcher intent allows you to build more strategic lists of keywords. This then helps us understand how to best target a given keyword and where that keyword fits into our overall SEO and strategy.Ad Words CPC and competitionAlso include Ad Words cost per click, Ad Words competition and keyword difficulty in your keyword spreadsheets to help you get a full picture with regard to the potential value of the keyword.How to clarify searcher intentSearcher intent is not always clear, and it is easy to classify keywords as commercial when in fact they may be more informational in nature. Your SEO campaign then becomes about promoting those content pieces to help build organic visibility.Content strategy and clarity of intentUnderstanding the intent behind the keywords you target simplifies the entire SEO process. Trying to rank content where the intent of your message is different from the intent of the search term is doomed to failure.Creating content that ranks well and converts users requires a crystal-clear understanding of what the searcher is looking for. Once you understand the intent, you can review the content that ranks and look for opportunities where you can improve the content that is already ranking. For more details, you can get in touch with our experts at [email protected] or call us at +91-98367-81929.   

Read More
sundew

Blog

Are PWA’s Replacing Native Mobile Apps?

A Progressive Web App is a set of best practices that together create a seamless user experience between a web application and a native mobile app. A user can download and install a PWA through their browser and enjoy the application’s functionality and features offline, from any of their devices.web application, Progressive Web Applications were created to help users cope with problems such as slow Internet speed, website load times, high friction among users, and low user engagement. Progressive Web Apps have several features that help alleviate these problems:Progressive Web Apps are fast: The data stored in the app is cached, so there is no need to rely on a network when starting up or engaging with the app. 53% of users abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load, so ensuring efficient load times is crucial to a positive user experience.Progressive Web Apps are integrated: PWAs live on a user’s home screen, send push notifications, and integrate with a device’s other native apps. For example, Twitter Lite was developed as a PWA and experienced a 75 % increase in tweets sent.Progressive Web Apps are reliable: Service workers use PWA’s to effectively troubleshoot any problems, regardless of the network connection. This enables them to work more efficiently and confidently.Progressive Web Apps are engaging: Through push notifications, companies can keep users engaged on and offline by sending information, calling-to-action a specific ask, or updating the user on new features.Because of the advantageous attributes listed above, the entire user experience is immersive and fluid.Why Build a Progressive Web App?Beyond the features listed above, developing a Progressive Web App is an important consideration for any business to grow and engage with their customers in the future. It used to be that developing a native app and/or a responsive website was enough to get by. In 2019, PWA’s are a hybrid of both, and offer plenty of benefits to the organization and to the end user. Below are three of the benefits of developing and integrating a PWA:Progressive Web Apps are easily discoverable: Because search engines index PWAs as a website, a variety of layers within the PWA are indexed and discoverable as their own component parts. This greatly increases SEO readability and the chances of your PWA being searched and found online.Progressive Web Apps don’t require tedious manual updates: Because PWAs don’t live on an app store or require installation, updates to the information and functionality of them are simply published and the user has immediate access to the new information. This functionality also tremendously helps out businesses and their user acquisition strategies, as there are less barriers between their users and the offering.Progressive Web Apps save on data usage with offline functionality: In markets with expensive and/or slow internet access, offline functionality can be extremely important to an end user. Inefficient apps can also be detrimental to your battery life and overall functionality of your experience. Therefore, the ability to get value out of a PWA without having to use data or rely on a network connection is one reason why they are the future of businesses everywhere.These three advantages are only a few on a long list of ways that PWA’s are changing organizations and their strategies for engaging and interacting with their users.Why Will Progressive Web Apps Replace Native Apps?Although native apps still dominate the online landscape, PWAs may soon replace native apps as the top priority in connecting with users. Because mobile-first development is the way of the future, having a PWA to ensure the speed, reliability and functionality of an experience will be important in staying relevant and top-of-mind in the mobile app world.There isn’t much information out there that contradicts the ideas in this article that prove Progressive Web Apps are the future of business. Their lean and efficient abilities are most appealing when compared to traditional native apps or websites. It will likely be years before PWAs completely replace native apps, but the smart investment is to start thinking about how you use them to better engage with your audience and introduce yourself to new ones.At Sun Dew Solutions, developing progressive web apps are a strength of ours in which we take great pride. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help through our mobile app development services, please contact us at +91-98367-81929.

Read More

Thank You!

Excellent!

Successfully subscribed to Sundew Solutions newsletter!

Acknowledged