The travel industry loves to talk about “the modern traveler,” as if there is one universal profile that fits everyone from Berlin to Beijing. In reality, traveler expectations are shaped by culture, technology, and habits that differ far more than most booking platforms would like to admit. A new report from Amadeus pulls that assumption apart and replaces it with something far more useful: data.

Based on a survey of 6,000 travelers across the US, UK, China, India, France, and Germany, the Travel Dreams report digs into what travelers actually want today, how they book, and where technology is starting to quietly reshape decision-making. For hotels, insurers, mobility providers, and travel tech companies, the signals here are hard to ignore.

Inspiration sources are no longer universal

Travel inspiration has changed dramatically in the last five years, and not in the same way everywhere. Social media and content creators now play a central role globally, but their influence varies sharply by market. In China and India, around half of travelers say influencers are a primary source of inspiration. That figure drops significantly in Europe and the US, where more traditional sources still matter.

French and American travelers continue to rely heavily on friends and family, with 54 percent and 55 percent respectively turning to personal recommendations. In the UK, television still holds surprising power, with 41 percent of travelers citing TV content as a source of travel ideas.

One trend does cut across borders. Virtual experiences are gaining serious traction. Around 70 percent of travelers globally say they are “likely” or “very likely” to use virtual reality or virtual tours to explore a destination before booking. For destinations and hotels, this is no longer experimental tech. It is fast becoming a mainstream expectation.

Booking habits reveal cultural differences

Once inspiration turns into intent, booking behavior tells another story. When it comes to hotels, online travel agencies still dominate globally, but they are no longer the automatic second step everywhere.

Travelers from China and the US show a stronger preference for booking directly through hotel websites, while European travelers continue to value in-person travel agents far more than many industry forecasts suggest. That matters for distribution strategies that assume digital-only journeys.

Car rental behavior is equally revealing. Most travelers believe the best deals come from booking directly with rental companies, but Chinese and Indian travelers are far more open to booking cars as add-ons during hotel reservations. Indian travelers also stand out for frequency. They are almost twice as likely to rent a car abroad compared to travelers from other surveyed countries.

Insurance purchasing habits, meanwhile, remain anchored in trust. Most travelers say they buy coverage online from brands they recognize. And the perceived risk of skipping insurance is not theoretical. The average reported loss for uninsured travelers is US $1,210, with some cases significantly higher. Among leisure travelers, 38 percent cite emergency health coverage as the primary motivation for buying insurance.

Together, these behaviors underline a consistent message. Relying on a single channel or funnel is no longer viable. Providers that want volume need to show up across OTAs, direct platforms, and distribution systems simultaneously.

The hotel experience is split into two

Hotels are facing a quiet but important divide between leisure and business travelers. Leisure guests want connection. Half of those surveyed say personalized interactions would help them achieve a perfect stay. Business travelers, by contrast, prioritize speed and autonomy, preferring online or self-service check-in over face-to-face interaction.

On-site services present another opportunity. Sixty-three percent of travelers say they are willing to pay extra for features they care about, whether that is a premium view or bundled entertainment. Travelers from China and India are prepared to pay roughly 16 percent above the average daily rate for their preferred view. French and British travelers are more conservative, with premiums closer to 8 and 9 percent.

For hoteliers, this reinforces a familiar but often poorly executed strategy. Knowing who your guest is and adapting the experience accordingly is no longer a branding exercise. It directly impacts revenue.

Technology is no longer optional

Looking ahead, travelers appear surprisingly open to letting technology take the lead. Artificial intelligence, in particular, is moving from novelty to utility. Half of leisure travelers say they would trust AI to recommend restaurants, rising to 60 percent among business travelers. Only 13 percent say they would not trust AI recommendations at all.

In mobility, the demand is clear and practical. Forty percent of travelers say a seamless booking experience via a simplified app or website for contactless car reservations and pickups would significantly improve their trip.

Insurance expectations are also shifting. Speed matters more than compensation. Fifty-two percent of travelers want 24/7 assistance for emergencies such as flight rebooking or finding accommodation. The message to insurers is blunt. Be present when things go wrong, not weeks later.

Why this matters now

What makes the Travel Dreams report particularly relevant is how closely it aligns with broader industry trends seen across platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, and even newer travel super-apps emerging in Asia. Personalization, bundled services, and proactive support are becoming competitive differentiators, not marketing buzzwords.

Companies like Airbnb have already moved aggressively toward experience-led personalization, while insurance providers such as Allianz and AXA have invested heavily in real-time assistance tools. Meanwhile, hotel groups are experimenting with AI-powered upselling and dynamic pricing tied to guest preferences.

Amadeus is not alone in pointing toward this future. Similar conclusions appear in recent studies from Skift Research and Phocuswright, both of which highlight fragmented traveler expectations and the growing cost of ignoring regional differences.

Conclusion

The most important takeaway from this research is not that travelers want more technology. It is that they want smarter technology, applied selectively and respectfully. Travelers are not asking for complexity. They are asking for relevance.

The winners in the next phase of travel will not be the companies that automate everything, but those that understand when to automate and when to humanize. That balance will look different in Paris than in Shanghai, and different again for a business traveler versus a family on holiday.

For hotels, insurers, and mobility providers, the opportunity is clear. Stop designing experiences for an imaginary global traveler and start building for real people, in real markets, with real expectations. The data is already there. The question now is who will act on it first.

The full Travel Dreams report is available directly from Amadeus for those looking to explore the data in more depth.