Travel agents worldwide are embracing artificial intelligence in their day-to-day operations at the same time as they demand rate parity from suppliers, according to new research from Amadeus.

The finding, reported by Travolution, points to a distribution channel under dual pressure: agencies are accelerating technology adoption to protect margins and productivity, while supplier pricing practices remain a live commercial grievance that shapes where bookings flow.

Rate parity has long been the fault line between hotels and intermediaries. Agents argue that when suppliers offer direct-booking rates unavailable to third-party sellers, the agency channel becomes structurally uncompetitive. That grievance has only sharpened as AI-driven search and booking tools make price comparison instantaneous for consumers. Amadeus, as one of the largest distribution intermediaries connecting agencies to airline and hotel content, sits directly on this fault line — its research carries commercial weight because parity terms determine how much content agencies can sell, and on what terms.

The simultaneous embrace of AI suggests agents are not resisting technology change but deploying it. For sellers of travel, the practical question is whether AI tools — from itinerary generation to service automation — deliver measurable gains in conversion and cost per booking, or whether they function as table stakes that raise expectations without lifting revenue. Amadeus's finding that adoption is broad indicates the second scenario is becoming the baseline: agencies without AI-enabled workflows risk a productivity gap against those that have them.

The demand for parity, meanwhile, signals that agents see distribution economics, not technology, as the binding constraint on their channel's share. If suppliers respond with more restrictive rate strategies, agencies armed with AI may still lack the inventory and pricing to compete — a combination that could push more bookings toward suppliers' direct channels regardless of how technologically sophisticated the agency channel becomes.

The research's global scope matters. Adoption patterns and parity demands that were once concentrated in mature markets such as Europe and North America now appear to span agents across regions, suggesting a worldwide recalibration of how travel is sold.

For technology providers, the message is that agencies want tools that plug into existing booking workflows rather than replace them. For suppliers, it is that channel strategy can no longer assume intermediaries will accept structurally disadvantaged rates while investing in the technology that keeps them relevant. How Amadeus and its competitors translate these findings into product and commercial policy will shape the next phase of the agency channel's role in travel distribution.