How agentic AI could transform travel

In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, host Lucia Rahilly interviews McKinsey senior partner Jules Seeley about the potential impact of agentic AI on the travel industry. They discuss the current state of AI adoption among travel companies, the benefits and challenges of implementing AI for both travel employees and customers, and the skills needed to adopt agentic AI at scale. Seeley suggests that while AI can automate many operational processes and improve efficiency, the human touch remains vital for delivering personalized and emotional travel experiences. He also addresses risk mitigation, brand relevance, and the potential for smaller travel players to benefit from AI in the evolving landscape. The conversation concludes with a look at how travel research, booking experiences, and voice engagement might transform in the agentic AI-enabled future.