Amadeus study finds rise in GDS use & AI among agents

Amadeus has published research showing increased use of global distribution systems by travel agents and wider adoption of artificial intelligence in selling workflows. The survey covered more than 750 travel sellers across the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The findings point to a stronger role for distribution platforms in agency booking activity. Globally, 43% of agents said they use GDS platforms more than they did two years ago. On average, respondents accessed the systems more than six times a day and spent nearly eight hours connected.

Asia Pacific recorded the largest increase, with 47% of agents in the region saying their use had risen, followed by 44% in EMEA and 42% in the Americas. Growth in GDS use also outpaced other reservation channels.

Rate pressure

Pricing consistency emerged as one of the clearest demands from agents. The survey found that 94% regarded rate parity as highly important, while 63% said they would book away from a property if they believed its pricing was inconsistent.

Hotel information within the systems also remains central to agency decision-making. Nine in 10 agents said they rely on hotel description fields supplied by properties when comparing options and recommending accommodation to clients.

Sustainability information has also become a mainstream part of agency sales discussions. The survey found that 88% of agents said sustainability matters to customers when choosing a provider, and that missing green credentials could count against a booking decision, particularly in EMEA and Asia Pacific.

AI in use

Artificial intelligence is now part of daily work for many agents. More than three in four respondents said they use AI in their selling toolkit, including for researching options, comparing content, preparing recommendations, and improving productivity.

Regional differences were marked. Asia Pacific led in more advanced uses, with 36% of agents in the region using AI for itinerary suggestions, 32% for customer relationship management recommendations, and 21% for fraud or quality tools.

In EMEA, conversational AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini were the most widely used, with 62% of agents saying they employed them. Globally, conversational AI was the leading use case, while automated fare search tools and itinerary suggestion platforms were each used by 29% of agents.

The Americas showed greater caution. More than one in three agents in the region, or 35%, said they were not using AI to support selling activity.

Despite those regional differences, respondents were broadly aligned on where AI could be most useful. Agents identified pricing and upsell suggestions, hotel recommendations, destination inspiration, and content comparison as areas where the technology could improve productivity.

Advertising effect

The research also examined how agents respond to advertising placed within distribution systems. Around two in three respondents said GDS advertisements shape their buying behaviour, and one in four said they had booked a hotel directly in response to an advert.

Exclusive offers available only through the GDS were the strongest booking trigger, cited by 57% of agents. Verified rate parity followed at 36%, while loyalty perks and customer review summaries were each cited by 34%.

Those results suggest that advertising in booking workflows influences not only immediate transactions but also wider brand recognition among travel sellers. Even when an advert did not lead directly to a booking, familiarity could influence later searches, recommendations, and reservations.

Takedown Research conducted the survey across users of the three main GDS providers: Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport. The results were weighted to provide equal regional representation and follow earlier surveys carried out in 2024 and 2022.

Dan Ciocoiu, Head of Advertising Solutions at Amadeus, addressed the role of advertising within agency booking channels.

"Effective advertising is no longer simply about being visible. It is about delivering the right offer and content at the point when an agent is ready to act. Our advertising solutions combine broad multi-channel reach with targeted insights and industry expertise, helping travel brands capture attention, build familiarity, and influence booking decisions," said Ciocoiu.