In a turn that even Nostradamus might’ve missed, Australia’s Baby Boomers—those bastions of analogue loyalty and printed boarding passes – are now leading the nation’s AI-powered travel surge. Yes, you read that right. While Gen Z dances its way through TikTok-travel trends, it’s Grandma and Grandad quietly outpacing them with digital savvy.
According to Adyen’s 2025 Hospitality and Travel Report, the number of Australians using AI to book holidays has jumped 73% year-on-year, with Boomers recording a 106% increase. That’s not just a stat—it’s a seismic shift.
“We’re seeing more hospitality businesses embed AI across their digital platforms to personalise search, surface relevant experiences, and inspire faster bookings,” said Hayley Fisher, Adyen’s Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand.
It seems even the early bird special is now algorithmically optimised.
💻 AI, Not Just for the Young
While Gen Z (49%) and Millennials (41%) still dominate as the most active AI users for travel, the silver-haired trailblazers are surprising everyone. 60% of Boomers say AI helps them cut through the noise of ad-saturated social media, while 71% across all generations agree that AI delivers faster inspiration than traditional methods.
It’s clear: Aussies aren’t just booking trips—they’re tapping into a digital concierge that suggests where to go, where to stay, and even where to sip a flat white with the best ocean view. AI is, in effect, becoming the new travel agent—minus the rotary phone.
🏨 Hotels Brace for a Brave New Booking World
On the business end, Australian hospitality leaders are bracing—and, in many cases, embracing—the AI wave. 47% believe AI-powered search tools will completely reshape booking behaviour in 2025, and the same number expect automated personalisation to transform how guests are served and delighted.
But it’s not all champagne upgrades and seamless check-ins. There’s a catch, and it’s in the checkout.
A worrying 63% of hospitality merchants report that fragmented online and on-site payment systems are hindering their ability to deliver the seamless, connected guest experiences today’s travellers now expect.
And when guests are used to booking a European escape with a single voice command, fumbling through a slow, glitchy payment screen is unforgivable.
⚠️ The Fraud Factor
As bookings migrate online, so too does the dark side of digital. 39% of global accommodation providers say they’ve seen an increase in attempted payment fraud in the past year.
“Guests expect every interaction—from discovery to payment—to be effortless, but also secure,” said Fisher. “At Adyen, we help hospitality businesses strike that balance using AI not just to personalise experiences, but to prevent fraud in real time and protect what matters most—customer trust.”
It’s a tightrope walk for the industry: adopt AI to gain speed, personalisation, and competitive edge, while simultaneously outsmarting ever-sophisticated fraudsters.
And let’s be honest—there’s nothing quite like a fraudulent charge for a honeymoon suite in Milan to ruin your morning espresso.
🤖 More Than a Novelty: A Necessity
So, is AI just a passing trend or the bedrock of modern travel? The answer seems clear. From dynamic pricing and curated offers to real-time fraud detection, artificial intelligence isn’t just enhancing hospitality—it’s overhauling it.
The secret sauce? AI that’s present from planning to payment, not just popping up to offer cheeky hotel suggestions. That means platforms that understand preferences, tailor checkout flows, speed up authentication, and even block fraudulent transactions before they rear their ugly head.
In this brave new world, the travel experience begins long before wheels up—and it needs to be flawless every step of the way.
✈️ Travel Traditions Meet Tech Disruption
In a country known for its laid-back beach holidays, camping getaways, and great family road trips, the quiet digital revolution now underway feels somewhat counterintuitive but utterly Aussie in spirit.
After all, what’s more Australian than making things easier, quicker, and just a bit cheekier?
If this year’s data holds, 2025 may be remembered not just as the year AI became mainstream but as the year Aussies—led by their Boomer brigade—finally rewrote the travel playbook, one chatbot at a time.
By Susan Ng
