Mirko Lalli

🌎 In 2026, EU Tourism Day in Brussels highlighted AI's impact on travel behavior. With 39% of travelers using AI for planning trips—58% of Millennials and 45% of Gen Z—AI is becoming the primary interface. 41% trust AI over friends for recommendations. Europe, with its rich but fragmented tourism offer, faces challenges in digitization. The shift requires machine-readable data to compete in an AI-driven market. AI governance and strategic data use are essential for sustainable tourism growth.

🌐 On the Phocuswright stage in San Diego, the discussion shifted to the impact of AI on destinations managing changing expectations. By 2025, data sources have expanded, yet challenges remain in utilizing this data effectively. The journey from dashboards to dialogue, and then to delegation, introduces AI agents for specialized tasks like marketing and sustainability. These agents, supported by curated tourism data, empower destinations towards better management and strategic decision-making.