By now, claiming that artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming entire industries is nothing new, and as consumers increasingly embrace it to help with their everyday lives, travel has emerged as one sector seeing very visible change.
From sparking initial inspiration to streamlining booking processes, AI is redefining how travellers plan trips, choose destinations, and even how much they spend. What once required hours of research can now be condensed into a seamless experience, as individual preferences are translated into a tailored itinerary in seconds.
As consumers grow more comfortable using AI-powered tools, they are turning to them not only for convenience, but to elevate overall travel experiences. For today’s travellers, the focus has shifted beyond simply where to go, to what the journey will feel like and are increasingly using AI to find unique locations, the most attractive prices, and shape the kinds of experiences they want to have.
But this more personalised, data-driven approach also creates new opportunities for fraudsters and cybercrime. As consumer journeys become increasingly digital and interconnected, securing every touchpoint against these threats will be crucial to unlocking this transformational opportunity for the travel industry.
Is AI boosting travel spending?
More than ever, AI is enabling companies to both influence demand and enhance customer experience. From the promotion of emerging destinations to delivering hyper-personalised recommendations and frictionless booking journeys, AI is fast becoming central to how travel providers compete and grow, with investment in these technologies only set to accelerate.
Analysis conducted for the Mastercard Economics Institute’s Travel Trends Report 2026 shows that subscribers to AI platforms are dedicating a larger share of their spending on travel experiences, often seeking out a more premium, personalised itinerary that such services can curate.
For instance, there has been a rise in interest for “off the beaten path” locations, with destinations such as Leipzig, Germany and Perth, Australia seeing travel spending disproportionately driven by AI-subscribing travellers.
While demographics and differences in income may play a role in the correlation between AI subscription and travel spending, this pattern highlights how consumer confidence in technology, and demand for more personalised experiences, is translating directly into higher spending.
By reducing friction in planning and decision-making, the growing availability of AI appears to be actively encouraging higher-value travel purchases. For ambitious travel and hospitality companies, there is a real opportunity to harness AI to help enhance their propositions.
Understanding the associated cyber risks
However, as AI becomes more deeply embedded across the travel journey, it also creates new opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit those same digital touchpoints.
Much of this growth has been linked to an increase in phishing attacks, where increasingly sophisticated and convincing messages are used to trick people into handing over sensitive financial information.
Other fraudulent tactics include AI being used to direct consumers to illegitimate or fraudulent booking sites, impersonate travel brands and their customer support teams, or manipulate reviews and recommendations.
According to industry data, travel scam losses reached $13 billion globally last year, with an average loss of nearly $1,000 per victim. With these figures expected to rise, maintaining consumer trust will be key.
Spearheading the required response
Cybercrime already rivals the world’s largest economies and is projected to cost $15.9 trillion globally by 2029.
The trends currently seen in the travel industry offer a preview of the future of global commerce; always-on, connected, AI-fuelled consumer journeys are fast becoming the new normal. To preserve consumer trust, cybersecurity must scale alongside innovation.
Collaboration will be crucial, both within the sector and across the broader ecosystem of digital commerce and payments. Mastercard research found cyber-fraud integrations brought 68% of financial institutions fraud loss reductions, while 70% saw improved threat intelligence. Yet despite the clear benefits, nearly half (44%) of European issuers and acquirers still lack formal cyber-fraud integration processes, compared to 24% globally – putting businesses on the continent at increased risk.
As AI enables criminal actors to industrialise highly convincing scams at unprecedented scale, security measures must move from reactive to proactive. While a weapon in the hands of fraudsters, AI will become our greatest defence.
The implementation of AI-powered and intelligence-led cybersecurity solutions will allow organisations to detect, prevent and respond to cyber-enabled fraud before it happens. Our initial modelling of AI-enhanced solutions shows fraud detection rates increasing by an average of 20%, and as much as 300% in some scenarios.
As AI reshapes how consumers discover, book, and experience travel, the industry and its partners must ensure they are now applying the same technology to keep those same consumers safe. Those who can successfully combine trusted expertise with secure, AI-powered innovation will be those who define the next era of travel.
