How Artificial Intelligence Has Taken Over Travel Industry Talks

Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from an emerging technology discussion to a central force shaping the travel industry, with applications ranging from payments and invoicing to security, pricing, content production and customer interaction. At Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA 2026), Alfredo Stefani, Director of Partnerships at Voxel, an Amadeus Group company, shared his perspective on the changing travel technology landscape in an exclusive interview with César de Lima e Silva for Travel And Tour World.

Stefani, who has attended the HEDNA conference for around five years, said the event remains an important platform for understanding industry trends and developing professional relationships. Having also attended the previous edition in Lisbon, he highlighted networking as one of the most valuable aspects of the conference, alongside the opportunity to hear how travel technology is evolving.

His observations come at a significant moment for the global travel industry. AI has moved from being a relatively limited topic at industry conferences several years ago to appearing across virtually every session, reflecting the speed at which businesses are exploring its potential. For Stefani, the discussion is no longer simply about whether AI will affect travel, but about how it can improve different participants, processes and interactions throughout the travel ecosystem.

“Five years ago, AI was just a little bit of the conversation, and now every single session is about AI, but from different angles.” — Alfredo Stefani, Director of Partnerships, Voxel

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Why Does HEDNA 2026 Matter to Travel Technology Leaders?

For Stefani, HEDNA provides an opportunity to understand where the industry is heading while creating meaningful connections with professionals working across travel distribution and technology.

Speaking about his continued participation in the event, Stefani explained that he has been attending HEDNA for approximately five years and returned because of the quality of its industry discussions and networking opportunities.

The conference has therefore become more than an annual gathering for him. It provides a recurring view of how priorities are changing across the travel technology sector and how companies are responding to new developments.

Stefani particularly emphasised networking as one of the most interesting elements of the event. As travel technology becomes increasingly interconnected, relationships between technology companies, travel businesses and other industry stakeholders are becoming an important part of understanding and implementing new solutions.

The continuing evolution of HEDNA also gives participants an opportunity to compare how topics have changed over time. For Stefani, the contrast between his earlier visits and HEDNA 2026 is particularly clear when it comes to artificial intelligence.

How Has AI Changed the Travel Industry Discussion?

Artificial intelligence has become one of the dominant themes at HEDNA 2026, representing a major shift from the conference discussions of several years ago.

Stefani noted that around five years ago, AI occupied only a relatively small part of industry conversations. At HEDNA 2026, however, AI was present across virtually every session, although discussions approached the technology from different perspectives.

That change reflects the rapid expansion of AI applications across travel. Rather than being treated as a single technology with one specific use, AI is now being examined across multiple areas of the travel ecosystem.

The discussions mentioned by Stefani included agentic AI, security, identification, content production and marketing. These applications demonstrate how artificial intelligence is increasingly being considered throughout the operational and commercial sides of travel.

The breadth of these conversations also means that businesses are confronting new questions around how AI should be deployed. Security, privacy, pricing and interactions with travellers are all becoming part of the wider AI conversation.

For the travel sector, the transformation is significant because the technology can potentially affect both back-end processes and the traveller-facing experience.

What Does Agentic AI Mean for the Travel Sector?

Agentic AI is emerging as another important area of discussion as the travel industry examines technologies capable of supporting increasingly sophisticated tasks and interactions.

While Stefani did not predict precisely how the technology would develop, his comments highlighted the expanding range of AI-related topics being addressed by the industry.

The movement from general AI discussions towards more specific applications demonstrates how quickly the technology conversation is developing. Travel companies are now examining AI not only for content or automation but also for more complex interactions involving business processes and customers.

This creates opportunities as well as challenges. As AI systems become more capable, travel businesses will need to consider how technology interacts with existing systems, data, security requirements and commercial relationships.

The emphasis at HEDNA 2026 on multiple AI applications suggests that the industry is moving towards a more integrated approach in which artificial intelligence could influence numerous stages of the travel journey.

How Is Voxel Supporting B2B Travel Payments and Invoicing?

Voxel specialises in electronic payments and electronic invoicing, supporting both B2B transactions and invoicing processes within the travel sector.

Stefani explained that Voxel has been helping the B2B travel industry interact in a smoother and more seamless way through its technology.

This is particularly relevant because B2B travel transactions can involve multiple companies, payment processes and documentation requirements. Improving the way these elements interact can help reduce friction between businesses operating within the travel ecosystem.

Electronic payments and invoicing are also increasingly important as travel companies pursue digital transformation. Businesses need systems that can support efficient financial interactions while connecting different participants in complex travel supply chains.

Voxel’s position within the Amadeus Group further places its work within a broader travel technology environment. The company was acquired by the Amadeus Group almost three years before the HEDNA 2026 interview, according to Stefani.

The integration provides an important context for understanding Voxel’s role in the wider travel technology landscape, particularly as the industry increasingly connects distribution, payments, invoicing and other digital processes.

Why Are Payments Becoming More Important in B2B Travel?

Payments are a critical component of the B2B travel ecosystem because transactions often extend across multiple businesses and markets.

For travel companies, efficient payment processes can contribute to smoother commercial relationships and help simplify interactions between different participants. Electronic invoicing similarly provides a digital mechanism for managing financial documentation and business transactions.

Voxel’s focus on these areas addresses an important part of the travel industry’s digital transformation. While much attention is often directed towards consumer-facing technologies, B2B infrastructure can be equally important in determining how efficiently the wider industry operates.

The growth of AI could add another dimension to this environment. As travel businesses increasingly automate processes and introduce intelligent technologies, payment and invoicing systems will need to work effectively alongside evolving digital ecosystems.

This makes the convergence of AI, payments and travel technology an important area to watch as the industry continues its digital transformation.

How Are Security and Privacy Becoming Part of the AI Conversation?

AI’s rapid expansion is also creating new discussions around security and privacy, both of which were identified by Stefani as important themes emerging across industry sessions.

As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into travel businesses, questions surrounding how data is processed, protected and used become increasingly significant.

Security and identification can affect the way businesses interact with customers and partners, while privacy considerations can influence how information is collected and processed.

The issue becomes particularly relevant when AI systems are integrated into multiple travel processes. A technology that can support content creation, marketing, pricing or customer interactions may also require access to significant amounts of information.

Consequently, the industry’s AI discussion is becoming broader than technology performance alone. Companies are increasingly required to consider the governance, security and privacy implications associated with implementation.

For travel technology providers, balancing innovation with trust will therefore remain an important consideration.

How Could AI Change Travel Marketing and Content Production?

Content production and marketing are among the areas where AI is already generating significant industry interest.

Stefani identified content production and marketing as subjects being discussed alongside security, identification and other AI applications at HEDNA 2026.

For travel companies, these technologies could influence how destinations, hotels, airlines and travel products are presented to customers. AI-assisted systems can potentially support the creation, adaptation and distribution of content across multiple channels.

However, the rapid development of these technologies also means that the industry is still working out how best to use them.

The challenge is not simply adopting AI but determining where it can create genuine value. Businesses need to understand how technology can complement existing teams and processes while maintaining quality, accuracy, security and appropriate customer interactions.

The breadth of discussions at HEDNA 2026 suggests that AI’s influence on travel marketing is likely to extend well beyond automated content generation.

Why Is Networking Still Important at HEDNA 2026?

Despite the strong focus on technology, Stefani identified networking as one of the most valuable reasons for continuing to attend HEDNA.

His comments underline an important reality of travel technology: digital transformation still depends heavily on relationships between businesses and industry professionals.

Travel distribution involves numerous stakeholders, including technology providers, hotels, travel companies and other commercial partners. Creating connections between these participants can help businesses understand new technologies and identify opportunities for collaboration.

For Stefani, five years of attending HEDNA have provided a useful perspective on the evolution of industry conversations. The event has allowed him to observe how topics that were previously emerging have become mainstream areas of discussion.

AI is perhaps the clearest example of this transformation, but the same principle applies to payments, security, identification and other areas of travel technology.

What Does Alfredo Stefani Expect Over the Next 12 Months?

Stefani was notably cautious when asked what he expected to happen over the next 12 months.

Rather than offering a conventional prediction, he said that what happens tomorrow can already be a surprise, making it difficult to forecast developments a year ahead.

His response reflects the extraordinary pace of change currently affecting travel technology. AI developments in particular are moving quickly, with new applications and terminology emerging at a rapid rate.

For businesses operating in this environment, long-term planning therefore has to accommodate a degree of uncertainty. Technologies, applications and market expectations can change faster than conventional industry cycles.

Yet Stefani described this unpredictability as exciting. The rapid evolution of technology is creating uncertainty, but it is also providing new opportunities for travel businesses and technology providers.

What Does HEDNA 2026 Reveal About the Future of Travel Technology?

The discussion with Alfredo Stefani provides a snapshot of an industry undergoing rapid digital transformation.

AI is now central to travel technology conversations, while its applications are expanding into agentic systems, security, identification, pricing, content production and marketing. At the same time, foundational infrastructure such as electronic payments and invoicing continues to play an important role in making B2B travel interactions more efficient.

Voxel’s focus on electronic payments and invoicing demonstrates how the transformation of travel is not limited to consumer-facing applications. Behind the traveller experience is an extensive B2B ecosystem that requires reliable digital infrastructure to connect businesses and financial processes.

HEDNA 2026 also demonstrates the importance of industry events as places where these developments are discussed and relationships are established.

For Stefani, the conference offers both insight into emerging trends and opportunities to network with industry professionals. His five-year perspective provides a useful indication of how quickly the conversation has changed.

Five years ago, AI was a relatively small part of the discussion. Today, it is influencing almost every area of travel technology.

The next stage remains difficult to predict. As Stefani’s comments suggest, the pace of change means that even developments in the immediate future can be difficult to anticipate.

What is clearer is that AI, digital payments, electronic invoicing, security, privacy and increasingly sophisticated technology platforms will continue to shape the travel industry’s transformation. For B2B travel businesses, adapting to these developments while maintaining seamless, secure and efficient interactions will remain a central priority.

The HEDNA 2026 conversation therefore offers a clear message: the future of travel technology is being shaped not by one innovation, but by the convergence of multiple technologies and business processes.