Advisors Want AI, and Rate Parity
An Amadeus survey of 750-plus advisors finds GDS use rising, three in four selling with AI, and 94% calling hotel rate parity essential. The Americas lag on AI.
Travel advisors are using the global distribution systems more, not less, and they are bringing AI into the workflow with them. But the strongest signal in a new Amadeus survey is aimed at hotels. Advisors say they will book elsewhere when a property’s GDS rate doesn’t match what clients can find online.
Amadeus released its biennial travel agent study on 29 September 2026. Takedown Research surveyed more than 750 travel sellers who use the Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport GDSs across Asia-Pacific, EMEA and the Americas, with results weighted for equal regional representation.
More time in the GDS
About 43% of agents globally say they use a GDS more than they did in 2024. Amadeus says agents spend an average of nearly eight hours a day connected and access the systems more than six times a day. Asia-Pacific leads on increased use (47%), followed by EMEA (44%) and the Americas (42%).
Rate parity is the red line
- 94% say rate parity is highly important.
- Two-thirds say they would actively book away from properties with inconsistent pricing.
- 90% rely on hotel description fields when comparing and recommending properties.
- 88% say sustainability credentials are now a standard decision factor; missing green credentials can reduce the likelihood of booking, especially in EMEA and Asia-Pacific.
AI in the toolkit
More than three in four agents say AI is part of how they sell: researching options, analyzing content, building recommendations and saving time. Globally, automated fare search and AI-driven itinerary tools each reach 29% adoption.
Asia-Pacific leads on more advanced uses, including itinerary suggestions (36%), CRM recommendations (32%) and fraud detection (21%). In EMEA, 62% use conversational AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini. The Americas are the most cautious: 35% say they don’t use AI for sales at all, though the study says that “may shift as tools become more embedded in daily workflows.”
Ads that work, and why Amadeus cares
Amadeus sells advertising inside its GDS, and the study looks at that too. About two-thirds of agents say GDS ads shape their buying behaviour, and a quarter say they have booked a hotel directly in response to one. The strongest triggers are exclusive GDS-only offers (57%), followed by verified rate parity (36%), loyalty benefits (34%) and review summaries (34%).
Read next · Trend AnalysisPrincess Sails Into the Chatbot2 min →“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,” said Dan Ciocoiu, head of advertising solutions at Amadeus.
Read the advertising findings with that interest in mind; the parity and content numbers stand on their own.
For advisors
- Use the parity finding with hotels. When a GDS rate is undercut online, raise it with the property’s sales team. The data says you are not alone.
- Ask for GDS-only value. Exclusive offers are the top booking trigger in the study; push preferred partners for trade-only amenities.
- Pick one AI task and test it. If you are in the 35% not using AI, start with research or itinerary drafts, and check every fact before it reaches a client.
- Read hotel descriptions critically. With 90% of agents relying on them, thin or outdated content is worth flagging to your hotel partners.
Sources
Covers travel technology: AI, distribution and the booking platforms advisors work in every day.