According to 2026 data presented by Invia and remarks from an Invia background discussion, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in travel planning but does not spell the end of travel agencies. Jozef Zakar, country director for Invia Hungary and Slovakia, said AI currently helps travelers with inspiration, comparison and itinerary creation, but it does not yet carry out the entire booking and organization process automatically.
Key figures on Hungarian travel habits (2026)
- In 2026, 69 percent of the adult Hungarian population traveled or planned to travel. Of these, 28 percent travel only abroad, 28 percent only within Hungary, 13 percent both domestically and abroad, while 31 percent do not travel at all.
- Organized travel still plays a significant role for foreign trips: 21 percent of Hungarians traveled or plan to travel abroad through a travel agency. Among those under 29, this share is 27 percent.
- The age composition of organized-travel customers shows the market is not dominated by older generations: 18–29-year-olds make up 31 percent of that group, while those over 60 account for 9 percent.
Zakar noted that technological development will reshape the industry, but Invia already operates on three channels: online sales, a physical agency network and increasingly technology/AI-based solutions. He also argued that even major tech players such as Google are not able to link every platform and service needed for travel into a single full-service solution.
Booking habits and digital adoption
- For organized trips, 53 percent prefer booking online. Twenty-three percent are happy to purchase via an app (especially younger travelers), while 36 percent still handle bookings in person at a travel agency.
- Only 13 percent categorically reject online booking; among those aged 60 and over this rises to 37 percent.
While the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily increased the value of in-person service, the market is moving back toward online channels.
The role of AI in planning
- Twenty-five percent of respondents have already used AI to plan a vacation, and another 28 percent are interested and would like to learn how to use it for that purpose.
- AI is mainly used for gathering inspiration, comparing offers, finding reviews and creating itineraries. Typically, users do not delegate the entire organization to AI; they treat AI recommendations as a starting point and supplement them with further searching and verification.
This practice helps explain why rapid AI adoption does not automatically mean the end of travel agencies: the technology eases information search and comparison but the actual linking of different services, booking them and managing related administration remain separate tasks.
What matters to Hungarian travelers and where they go
- For choosing a foreign summer trip, price is the most important factor (30 percent), followed by safety (16 percent) and location (15 percent).
- Among organized trips, Mediterranean beach destinations dominate (36 percent), 25 percent choose city breaks, and 25 percent selected Egypt, Tunisia or Turkey.
- Travel agencies play a particularly strong role for exotic trips: 25 percent of those traveling in organized groups chose Egypt/Tunisia/Turkey, while only 6 percent of independently traveling respondents chose those destinations. By contrast, Mediterranean European beaches appear more often among individual travelers (47 percent) than among organized travelers (36 percent).
- In autumn and winter, European city breaks, exotic trips and wellness stays come into focus. Ski holidays are also more popular among organized travelers (7 percent) than among individual travelers (2 percent).
Booking timing and ancillary services
- The travel market is increasingly less bound to the classic summer high season: 31 percent of Hungarians plan an organized foreign trip for autumn–winter, and 42 percent are already considering summer 2027 bookings.
- Regarding timing, 25 percent typically book in January–February and 36 percent between March and May.
- One competitive area for travel agencies is selling ancillaries: travelers most often buy travel insurance, excursions and optional programs, and seat selection. Car rental is more popular among independently organized trips.
Invia’s market role and ownership
Invia acts as a broker on the market: it makes offers from different tour operators comparable and sells them, while the actual organization of a trip is the responsibility of the respective tour operator. Since 2025 the company has been part of the tourism assets of the Polish Wirtualna Polska Holding; the group’s regional portfolio also includes brands such as Wakacje.pl and Szallas Group.
Zakar emphasized that technology will shape the industry, but the complexity of services and consumer preferences — especially demand for personal advice — mean travel agencies will remain relevant.
