Across the Middle East, tourism authorities are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence (AI)  into the planning, marketing, and experience of destinations. Countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are leveraging data to track traveler behavior, forecast demand, and tailor recommendations. What’s emerging is a network of predictive models in which algorithms influence everything—from pricing and itineraries to crowd flow and even cultural programming.

“Across the region, smart tourism platforms now analyze traveler behavior, intent, and real-time signals, including search patterns and mobility data, to surface destinations, experiences, and itineraries that feel increasingly relevant to the individual,” says Hassan Malik, Managing Partner at Monitor Deloitte and Sports & Tourism Leader for Deloitte Middle East. 

Hotels, tour companies, and local operators are no longer just responding to traveler demand — they are anticipating it. AI and data tools are helping to track booking trends, analyze guest preferences, and understand which experiences resonate with different audiences. Recommendation engines, smart pricing models, and sentiment analysis platforms now allow even mid-sized operators to compete with global brands on personalization and efficiency.

“AI is allowing travelers to discover the Middle East in ways that are more intuitive, relevant, and seamless. Instead of generic search results, travelers now receive recommendations aligned with their interests, whether that’s culture, wellness, food, or adventure,” says JS Anand, Founder and CEO of LEVA Hotels. 

He adds that AI is removing friction. “When used well, AI becomes a bridge that connects guests to experiences they may not have found on their own, while still giving them space to explore.”

THE AGE OF SMART TRAVEL

AI’s growing role in tourism is particularly visible in countries building new destinations. Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, Dubai’s digital tourism platforms, and Abu Dhabi’s cultural initiatives are embedding AI as a core operating system for visitor engagement.

“In markets like UAE and Saudi Arabia, this is being embedded into national tourism strategies, where AI helps match travelers with cultural, leisure, and lifestyle experiences aligned to their interests, length of stay, and spending profiles,” Malik adds. “Importantly, this goes beyond marketing. Data-enabled discovery influences everything from airport flows and transportation planning to attraction capacity and dynamic pricing.”

This integration sets the stage for a broader industry shift that analysts see across global markets, where data-driven personalization is a baseline expectation.

Nicolas Mayer, PwC’s Global Industry Leader for Tourism, describes the shift as structural. “AI is turning travel discovery into something far more anticipatory than reactive. Instead of searching for inspiration, travelers increasingly have inspiration delivered to them at just the right moment.”

In a region building much of its tourism infrastructure from scratch, he adds, AI is becoming a foundational tool—shaping how destinations read global audiences and how visitors experience what’s possible.

But he cautions that the industry must manage expectations. “AI expands awareness, sharpens targeting, and helps destinations express their identity with greater precision. The real test now is trust. The future of AI-driven discovery hinges on clear data-use rules and on ensuring that technology widens choices rather than narrows them.”

WHEN PERSONALIZATION GOES TOO FAR

Personalization is now a core battleground for travel brands. But it also raises a deeper question: how far can algorithms go in interpreting human preference before they become intrusive—or start eroding the sense of choice and authenticity?

Personalized travel today is less about persuasion and more about relevance, says Malik—using data to understand who the traveler is, where they are, what they value, and how they want to feel, then adapting the journey accordingly.

But the line is thin.

“Algorithms can narrow options as easily as they expand them if optimization favors conversion or yield over experience. The risk is a travel ‘echo chamber,’ where travelers see only what mirrors their past behavior instead of being encouraged to explore.”

This tension between automation and authenticity is becoming the core challenge for the industry — how to use data to guide experiences without stripping away their human texture.

Anand sees personalization as a blend of technology and empathy. “Personalized travel today is a blend of data intelligence and genuine human care. Algorithms can understand preferences such as dietary needs, room type habits, and preferred activities, but they cannot replace emotional connection.” 

While technology can surface insights about guest behavior, it’s up to the people behind the brand to interpret those details with empathy and context, Anand explains. Much of personalization, he adds, begins with algorithms but truly comes to life through human interaction—the warmth and intention that define hospitality.

For Mayer, transparency is the deciding factor. “Personalization today is powered by an enormous amount of behavioral data. AI stitches together micro-signals to predict what travelers might want next, often before they consciously know it,” he says.

Mayer adds that personalization can feel empowering, but it can also feel like subtle choreography. The dividing line is transparency—travelers want to know why something is being recommended and how their data is being used.

AI IN THE BACKGROUND

From pricing and occupancy to staffing and sustainability, AI systems are not just about making incremental improvements; they are part of a rapidly growing global market. AI in the tourism industry is projected to expand significantly over the next decade, with the global market expected to reach over $13.8 billion by 2030, as platforms increasingly use AI to deliver real-time personalization and operational automation.

“The most transformative AI work in the region isn’t happening on screens. It’s happening in control rooms, revenue offices, and back-of-house teams,” says Mayer, adding that AI is rewriting how operators forecast demand, schedule crews, price inventory, and understand their own data.

Hotels and airlines are leading this operational transformation. “AI allows the industry to work smarter,” says Anand. “Predictive analytics help optimize occupancy and pricing in real time. Recommendation engines personalize content and promotions. Chatbots handle routine queries so teams can focus on elevated service moments.” 

Malik emphasizes that what sets the Middle East apart is integration. “Many destinations connect airlines, airports, hotels, mobility, and attractions through shared digital ecosystems. This allows optimization not just for individual operators, but for the destination, improving visitor flow, sustainability outcomes, and overall satisfaction.”

Ultimately, Anand says, AI systems are to support people. Faster insights mean less manual work and more genuine guest engagement. AI may streamline operations, but the core of the experience remains a human connection.

BUILDING TRUST AND EMOTION INTO SMART TOURISM

The industry’s next challenge is making sure the push for automation and efficiency doesn’t erode the emotional connection. As more travel businesses embed predictive analytics into their operations, experts warn that optimizing flows and revenues must be balanced with the protection of culture and authenticity.

The UN World Tourism Organization’s 2024 Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Tourism report, while highlighting how destinations are adopting AI to improve decision-making and sustainability outcomes, also emphasizes the importance of governance, ethics, and human oversight to ensure tourism retains its social and cultural value.

“The smartest tourism boards approach AI with one principle: treat it as infrastructure, not identity,” says Mayer. Predictive analytics can manage flows, ease pressure on public assets, and support sustainable growth, he notes. “But efficiency alone doesn’t create attachment. Emotional connection comes from culture, hospitality, and the small imperfections that make a place feel real.”

Deloitte’s Travel Insight Report 2025 explores how emotional engagement and digital innovation are shaping the future of tourism. Mayer notes that as the Middle East expands its AI-driven strategies, applying these insights will be key to fostering loyalty—not just driving transactions.

Anand says the same applies to operators: efficiency—seamless visas, smarter itineraries, intuitive digital touchpoints—matters, but emotional connection comes from culture, people, and storytelling. AI works best when it handles logistics, letting travelers focus on what truly matters. 

Noting that data should amplify, not replace, the emotional side of tourism, Malik says, “Predictive analytics should serve a human ambition, not replace it. The most effective tourism strategies in the region treat data as an enabler of emotion, not just efficiency.”