Data privacy & trust emerge as top concerns for AI adoption in managed travel: FCM Poll
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According to the poll, when asked what was holding them back from going further with AI, 52% of attendees cited data privacy and security concerns, while 47% pointed to trust in the accuracy of what AI tells them.
A live poll of over 100 business leaders and travel decision makers was organised at FCM Travel’s annual Summit in Singapore last week which highlighted trust and data privacy as leading concerns to expanding AI use in managed travel programmes. When asked what was holding them back from going further with AI, 52% of attendees cited data privacy and security concerns, while 47% pointed to trust in the accuracy of what AI tells them.
Under the theme Intelligence that Travels, the event explored how connected intelligence can carry context across the traveller journey, bringing technology, data and human expertise together rather than relying on AI in isolation. Discussions also looked at what it takes to build greater confidence in AI, with trusted data, clear guardrails and human expertise identified as important foundations for how technology is designed and used.
Vicki Parris, Managing Director, FCM Travel Asia, address said, “For a long time, ‘good’ managed travel followed a fairly simple formula: negotiate the rates, access the right content, enforce policy and book efficiently. It was about delivering savings, keeping travellers safe, and keeping finance happy. That is no longer enough, and it is not just about making incremental improvements. It’s about making a leap in what managed travel needs to deliver, in how it needs to work, and what it now demands of travel managers.”
That shift was brought to life through an end-to-end connected traveller experience, demonstrating how intelligence can support a traveller from planning and booking through to disruption, on-trip support and post-trip needs.
“Trust is a design choice. It has to be built into how AI works from the start, with governance integrated into the workflow and clear accountability for when human judgement needs to step in. Innovation and compliance are not at loggerheads – the right guardrails give businesses the confidence to innovate responsibly. FCM’s Sam is one example of that approach in practice, grounded in trusted data and with governance and human accountability built in. Ultimately, trusted AI and capable people have to work together – automating the ordinary so people can focus on the extraordinary,” said Prabu Sangar, Director of Technology Operations and Integrations, FCM Travel Asia.
That balance between technology and human expertise was also reflected in the live poll. When asked what would give them the most confidence when travel becomes urgent or disrupted, 73% of attendees chose a consultant-led approach with AI working behind the scenes, while 23% preferred AI to recommend the best options, with the traveller making the final decision.
