Pulse of Change 2025 survey: Accenture

Accenture just launched this Pulse of Change 2025 survey on the sidelines of World Economic Forum. The survey of 3450 C-suite leaders in 20 countries and nearly 22 industries, provides a timely snapshot into many industry leaders’ (including travel, airlines and transport) views on AI adoption, investments, preparedness and evolving workforce dynamics.

Given below is travel specific data

What’s on the minds of travel C-suite leaders now?  Below insights are for C Suite executives (survey respondents) from travel, airlines and transport industry:

1. Anticipated Change and Investment:
   • Compared to the change experienced in 2024, 74% of travel industry leaders expect a higher level of change in 2025.
   • 87% of respondents plan to increase their investments in generative AI, with 21% aiming for a substantial increase (of 20% or more).
2. Primary Drivers of Investment in gen AI:
   • Travel industry leaders are 3x more likely to be increasing investment in gen AI to capitalize on advancements in the technology (25%) compared to improving workforce skills (8%).
   • 25% of respondents are driven by the desire to capitalize on technological advancements.
   • 21% are motivated by the need to maintain a competitive edge.
3. Challenges and Preparedness:
   • For travel C Suite leaders, the most significant challenge is the limitation with data or technology infrastructure, affecting 31% of respondents.
   • Despite these challenges, 82% of respondents now see a greater potential for business impact from their experience with generative AI over the past year.
4. Workforce Readiness:
   • 94% of all travel leaders surveyed said their organizations have revised their talent strategies to address developments in the AI economy such as generative AI.
   • 95% of respondents believe their workforce has the foundational training needed to use these technologies effectively, with training programs covering key concepts, risk management, and AI tool usage.
5. Deployment and Impact:
   • By 2025, 57% of travel organizations expect to have generative AI solutions in production and at scale.
   • Focus areas for these investments include IT (55%), engineering, manufacturing, and production (33%), customer service (29%), and sustainability (34%).