Artificial Intelligence and tourism in APEC economies: Boosting innovation and enhancing sustainability
At a glance
- OECD identifies six priority areas to support responsible AI adoption in APEC tourism economies.
- Report emphasises SME-dominated structure and unique characteristics of Asia-Pacific tourism sectors.
- AI adoption offers potential to enhance visitor experiences, improve business performance, and support sustainable development.
- Policy challenges require careful navigation to ensure equitable access and ethical AI use across the sector.
- DMOs, hoteliers and travel-tech operators urged to invest in AI technologies and develop sustainable frameworks.
What the report covers
This OECD policy paper examines the transformative potential and policy implications of artificial intelligence adoption across tourism sectors in APEC economies. It focuses on the Asia-Pacific region's characteristics, particularly the prevalence of small and medium-sized enterprises, and identifies six priority areas for responsible AI implementation. The paper draws on emerging practices across APEC member economies to recommend approaches that balance innovation, resilience and sustainable development.
Key findings
Artificial intelligence is transforming tourism across APEC economies by creating opportunities to enhance visitor experiences, improve business performance and support sustainable development. According to the report, AI adoption simultaneously raises significant policy challenges that require strategic oversight. The paper frames AI as a technology with dual implications: potential to drive innovation and efficiency whilst raising questions about equitable access, ethical deployment and regulatory governance in tourism sectors across the region.
The report identifies six priority areas to guide responsible AI adoption, with particular emphasis on the structural realities of APEC tourism economies. The focus on SME-dominated sectors reflects the regional economic context, where smaller operators constitute the majority of the tourism industry and face distinct barriers to technology adoption, financing and skills development. This sector-wide structure shapes policy design and necessitates support mechanisms tailored to smaller businesses.
Policy approaches must balance harnessing AI benefits whilst fostering innovation and economic resilience in tourism economies. The report highlights that success requires coordinated action from destination management organisations, hoteliers and travel-tech operators, who are urged to adapt strategies through investment in AI technologies and framework development. Emerging practices across APEC economies provide evidence for policy learning and knowledge sharing on responsible adoption pathways.
Sustainable tourism initiatives and equitable access emerge as central policy concerns. The paper emphasises that AI integration must address inherent risks and ensure that technological benefits are distributed across the sector rather than concentrated among larger operators with greater investment capacity. Supporting SME access to AI tools and expertise becomes essential for building inclusive, resilient tourism economies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
The report provides policy guidance for structuring AI adoption at destination level, particularly relevant for Asia-Pacific DMOs navigating SME-heavy ecosystems. Understanding the six priority areas enables development of governance frameworks that foster innovation whilst protecting smaller operators and supporting sustainable tourism goals aligned with regional economic development objectives.
Hotels & hospitality
Hoteliers—particularly SMEs dominant in APEC—gain strategic clarity on responsible AI investment and implementation. The paper positions AI as a tool for operational efficiency and customer engagement, whilst flagging policy and ethical considerations that will shape competitive advantage and regulatory compliance. Investment readiness and framework development become key differentiators in evolving competitive landscapes.
Travel tech & distribution
Travel-tech platforms receive guidance on embedding sustainability and equity in AI-driven services. As enablers of technology adoption for smaller operators, platforms must understand APEC policy directions to design solutions aligned with emerging governance frameworks. Responsible innovation becomes a commercial and regulatory imperative as stakeholders navigate policy challenges across diverse economies.
Methodology and limits
This brief is based on the publicly available summary and abstract only; the full policy paper text is not accessible in the provided source. The OECD drew on emerging practices across APEC economies to develop policy recommendations, with particular focus on the SME-dominated structure of tourism sectors in the Asia-Pacific region. Specific methodological details regarding sample sizes, data collection methods, quantitative research findings and technical parameters are not disclosed in the available summary. No figures or statistics are presented in the accessible portion of the report.
Official source
The report is © OECD Tourism. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
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