# Artificial Intelligence in Tourism – Assessing and Supporting NTOs' Research & Marketing Operations

**Publisher:** European Travel Commission (ETC)  
**Published:** 2025-09-04  
**Category:** Destinations, NTOs & DMOs  
**Type:** Report  
**Access:** Not specified  
**Official source:** https://etc-corporate.org/reports/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-tourism-assessing-and-supporting-ntos-research-marketing-operations  
**Canonical:** https://tourismintel.ai/reports/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-tourism-assessing-and-supporting-ntos-research-mar

## At a glance
- Significant variation exists in AI adoption and digital maturity across European regions and national tourism organisations.
- Ethical and regulatory challenges are identified as barriers impeding NTO progress in AI implementation.
- The report calls for investment in AI capabilities and training to maintain competitive positioning in tourism.

## What the report covers
The European Travel Commission (ETC) report examines AI adoption and readiness among National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) across Europe. It assesses current integration of AI in research and marketing operations, explores barriers to adoption including resource constraints and regulatory hurdles, and identifies opportunities for improving operational efficiency and traveller engagement. The research addresses digital maturity disparities across regions and provides guidance for DMOs, hoteliers and travel-tech operators seeking competitive advantage through AI.

## Key findings
AI adoption among European NTOs remains limited. According to the report, only 30% of surveyed NTOs have successfully integrated AI into their marketing strategies, indicating that the majority of organisations have yet to embed these capabilities into core operations. This finding signals early-stage adoption across the sector.

Readiness and digital maturity vary significantly across Europe. The report identifies uneven adoption patterns, with disparities driven by differences in resource allocation, technical infrastructure and organisational capacity. Regional variations suggest that wealthier, more digitally advanced destinations have progressed further in AI implementation than smaller or less resourced markets.

Ethical and regulatory challenges present material barriers to progress. The report highlights that compliance concerns, data privacy requirements and ethical considerations around AI deployment are actively impeding adoption rates. These institutional obstacles require resolution before broader industry adoption can accelerate.

Investment in capability and training is essential for competitiveness. The ETC report recommends that destination management organisations, hospitality operators and travel-tech providers prioritise investment in AI skills, infrastructure and systems. Without deliberate upskilling, organisations risk falling behind peers and losing competitive advantage as AI becomes sector-standard.

## Why it matters
**DMOs & destinations** — Digital maturity gaps threaten competitive positioning. The report demonstrates that AI-capable destinations will outperform peers in traveller engagement, decision-making and operational efficiency. DMOs lacking AI investment face growing disadvantage in a digitally accelerating market, making capability investment urgent for mid-sized and smaller destinations.

**Hotels & hospitality** — AI readiness is becoming table-stakes for distribution and marketing. Hoteliers dependent on NTO promotion and data intelligence must align with AI-enabled marketing ecosystems. The report emphasises that hospitality operators need to invest in AI capabilities to remain relevant as tourism marketing becomes increasingly AI-driven and data-intensive.

**Travel tech & distribution** — Fragmented AI adoption creates market opportunity and complexity. With only 30% of NTOs AI-enabled, travel-tech firms can capture significant value by providing AI-as-a-service solutions. However, interoperability challenges and regulatory heterogeneity across regions demand localised, compliant product approaches for sustainable growth.

## Methodology and limits
This brief is based on the publicly available summary only; the full report text could not be retrieved. The underlying ETC research assessed AI adoption among European NTOs through survey methodology, examining current integration levels, regional digital maturity, and barriers to adoption. Specific sample size, data collection period and confidence intervals are not disclosed in the available metadata. Key figures cited reflect survey findings rather than official statistical records.

> Note: this brief is based on the publicly available summary of the report only.

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© European Travel Commission (ETC) for the original report. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel (https://tourismintel.ai). Read the original: https://etc-corporate.org/reports/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-tourism-assessing-and-supporting-ntos-research-marketing-operations