While only 32 per cent of travel managers used AI to assist during the last hotel request-for-proposals season, nearly 70 per cent expect to do so in the upcoming cycle, according to a new Global Business Travel Association survey.
The survey of 258 travel managers across Europe, the US and Canada was conducted by GBTA in partnership with Radisson Hotel Group between 20 April 20 and 13 May.
The report noted that the share of AI holdouts that have flipped to expected AI users within just one year "points to a market moving rapidly towards adoption."
Despite the increased use of AI, survey respondents flagged where it still falls short: assessing trade-offs between cost, compliance and traveller experience (62 per cent), understanding traveller needs (60 per cent) and limited integration with RFP tools and TMC systems (55 per cent) topped the list of cited limitations.
"While Al can help evaluate options and identify patterns, determining how competing priorities should be balanced remains a human responsibility," according to the report, entitled "The Evolution of Managed Hotel Programmes."
The report also highlighted increased use of dynamic rates, with 49 per cent of respondents stating they had more dynamic rates in their programme now than they did a year ago.
Only 17 per cent of respondents said they had more static hotel discounts than the prior year, and 25 per cent said they had fewer.
The survey found that 90 per cent of large corporates use a combination of fixed and dynamic rates, compared to 76 per cent across all programmes.