Agentic AI is the Top Strategic Tech Trend for 2025 Says Gartner: How Does This Impact Travel & Hospitality?

Welcome to the fascinating realm of ‘Agentic AI’—the next significant leap in technology revolutionizing our collaboration with machines, transforming the customer journey into an autonomous and hyper-personalized experience. 

Buckle up, everyone! We’re entering an era where AI isn’t merely an assistant but is transforming a future where AI systems act as proactive agents, driving intelligent actions and redefining the way industries, including hospitality and travel, operate. Welcome to the fascinating realm of ‘Agentic AI’—the next significant leap in technology revolutionizing our collaboration with machines, transforming the customer journey into an autonomous and hyper-personalized experience. 

Gartner’s top 10 strategic technology trends for 2025 gave top honor to agentic AI as the top strategic technology trend for 2025 and beyond. The company predicts that agentic AI is set to revolutionize workplaces by 2028, with at least 15% of daily work decisions made autonomously. 

Curious about what that means for you? Let’s explore the game-changing possibilities this evolution offers for all of us! 

Once upon a time, AI was all about crunching numbers and predicting trends. Pretty cool, right? And then came generative AI—chatty little helpers that could whip up content and have a natter with us. Fast forward to today, and we’ve got agentic AI strutting onto the scene. These tech innovators are eagerly rolling up their sleeves and getting stuff done on their own, mingling with other AIs, and making decisions. 

Agentic AI gets its mojo from a tech cocktail that’s as sophisticated as it sounds! We’re talking about blending heavyweight champs like big language models (LLMs), machine learning, deep learning, and reinforcement learning. Imagine LLMs as the intellectual wizards behind apps like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Meta Llama, allowing AI to chat away in our native tongue. Meanwhile, machine learning is the sleuth that sifts through heaps of data to spot patterns, and reinforcement learning is the curious learner, constantly leveling up from its own experiences to make wiser choices.

Forget what you know about pinging a virtual assistant! Agentic AI isn’t just sitting back waiting for you to ask it to do something. It’s busy automating whole jobs and stepping in on our behalf. Say goodbye to mundane interaction and watch AI take the wheel. It’s like putting your workplace on autopilot—kind of cool and maybe a little scary. 

The job market is like an ever-changing landscape and agentic AI is turning it from painting-by-numbers into a fascinating mosaic of surprises. Our new AI recruits are in town and ready to help. They’re shaking things up by doing what humans can’t, letting us humans tackle entirely new roles as situation commanders. 

New roles are emerging faster than ever. AI agent trainers, workflow orchestrators, and, of course, AI ethics officers to keep them in check. As much as we’d like to hit that nirvana of perfect synergy, the reality might swing between fully automated tasks and human-AI teamwork. We’re already seeing agentic AI ease into various industries like a smooth operator. 

Imagine a customer service AI who deals with entire support tickets from “Hi” to “Goodbye,” or AI brokers negotiating deals and hammering out patient care summaries. Picture them joining meetings with their digital briefcases and working out disputes with the finesse of a skilled mediator. 

In the world of travel and hospitality, Agentic AI steps up to handcraft personalized offers, itineraries, and experiences that sing to our unique tastes. Instead of just reacting to commands, it can make smart decisions on its own and even foresee what you might need before you do. Agentic AI call center agents can handle intricate customer interactions with speed, intelligence, and a humanlike touch, enhancing both efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Agentic AI systems act like your personal travel planner, making decisions and crafting itineraries autonomously. They sift through oceans of data, learn your likes, and whip up bespoke travel plans without needing you to micromanage every step. Perfect for navigating the complex world of travel, these AI systems handle the heavy lifting, so you can enjoy the journey. 

Picture this scenario: you’re stranded due to a public transport hiccup and on the brink of missing your last flight home. Panic mode, right? Not anymore! Instead of juggling a multitude of apps to cancel and rebook flights or hotels, your handy-dandy Agentic AI swoops in. With the finesse of a seasoned concierge, it taps into your preferences safely tucked in your digital wallet, then works its magic to suggest new flights and accommodations. All this without you lifting a finger, or worse, having to dig through booking numbers and online searches. Frankly, this kind of smooth sailing isn’t what we see today, but oh, how it’s on the horizon! 

We are already witnessing an impressive surge in the use of AI and digital assistants in travel. They step up to meet the demand, offering tailor-made choices, perfectly planned agendas, and lightning-fast solutions to your queries. I’m talking about AI innovations like Expedia’s AI wizard “Romie,” which crafts personalized travel advice based on your core values and likes. 

Along with these awesome super powers come great responsibilities. We need humans calling the shots on important matters and keeping AI on a leash within a clear framework. Let’s keep things transparent about what’s AI and what’s not, ensuring that humans are always at the helm. Charting these AI waters demands we rethink our approach to getting work done and keeping our ethical compass pointed north. 

So what’s next?

At this point, it is not hard to imagine how the most cutting-edge and successful businesses across all industries will function just five years from now—automation and AI will be woven into every fiber of their workflows.

AI is no longer just a brainy sidekick. Machines are now honing in on understanding us more deeply, learning, predicting, and even outthinking us when it comes to certain tasks. Just a few years back, some things seemed strictly human territory, but today’s AI can juggle those complex tasks and nuanced decisions like it’s nobody’s business. 

This revolutionizes how we structure work, divvy up duties between machines and humans, and set the stage for a harmonious dance between man and machine across various sectors of an organization.

I’d say the message is clear: arm yourself with the skills to dance with AI coworkers and tap into their potential. Together, we could create workplaces that buzz with creativity, efficiency, and innovation. Wrapping it all up, this agentic AI boom marks a monumental shift in AI evolution. And as we ride this wave, aligning with AI will be the secret sauce in crafting our future work ecosystem—an epic landscape where humans and AI join forces to usher in innovation and boost productivity.

About the Author

Ivana Johnston, CEO and co-founder of Puzzle Partner, is a trusted brand strategist that collaborates with some of the world’s most innovative companies in hospitality, travel, wellness, healthcare and technology. She has a proven track record of initiating, driving, and cultivating high-value business ideas and relationships, helping her clients outperform the competition, achieve profitable exits, and expand into the Americas. Her insights are regularly featured in business trade publications, Forbes.com, Entrepreneur and other prominent media outlets. As a member of the Forbes Agency Council, Forbes Business Council she contributes to Forbes Expert Panels®, offering her expertise on the interplay of advanced technologies and business success.

Connect with Ivana on LinkedIn.