Build or Buy? The AI Dilemma for Travel Tech Teams

The travel industry is at an inflection point. AI-driven automation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for agencies looking to stay competitive. From deflecting repetitive inquiries to optimizing support workflows, AI-powered solutions are transforming how contact centers operate.

But as tech teams at travel agencies plan their AI strategies, a crucial question emerges: Should we build our own AI agents in-house, or leverage a specialized third-party provider like Acai?

As Cofounder & CTO of Acai Travel, I’ve worked closely with global travel agencies, airlines, OTAs, and corporate TMCs. I’ve seen the benefits—and pitfalls—of both approaches. Here’s what tech leaders need to consider when making this critical decision.

Building AI In-House: What It Takes

At first glance, building a custom AI solution might seem like the best option. You get full control, tailor every detail to your organization’s needs, and keep intellectual property in-house. However, the reality is far more complex.

Development Costs & Expertise

• AI isn’t just another software project—it requires deep expertise in natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), and travel-specific data models.
• Recruiting top AI engineers is expensive, and maintaining an in-house AI team adds long-term overhead.

Time to Market

• Building a basic AI prototype with a ChatGPT wrapper can take a week, but transforming that into a production-grade system that is accurate, reliable, and cost-effective is a long-term effort. AI systems require continuous improvement that may include prompt tuning,, fine-tuning, training and extensive integrations. Expect at least 12-18 months to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) and even longer for a fully scalable solution.
• Meanwhile, third-party solutions can be deployed in weeks.

Integration Challenges

• Building AI is only half the battle—it must integrate seamlessly with reservation systems (GDS, NDC), customer support platforms (Genesys, Zendesk), and internal workflows.
• Many agencies (and even travel tech providers) underestimate the complexity of aligning AI with airline policies, refund rules, and supplier data.

Ongoing Maintenance & Model Training

• AI performance degrades without ongoing training. Travel data changes constantly—new airline policies, visa rules, and dynamic pricing models require continuous AI retraining.
• Maintaining accuracy across languages and geographies adds another layer of complexity.

Using a Specialized AI Partner focussing on Travel

Instead of reinventing the wheel, travel agencies can partner with an AI provider that has already built, trained, and optimized AI agents for the industry. Here’s why working with a partner offers a clear advantage:

Faster Deployment, Immediate ROI

• A 3rd party’s AI solutions are pre-trained on millions of travel-specific interactions, allowing agencies to launch automation in weeks, not years.
• Instead of building from scratch, agencies can focus on customizing AI to their unique workflows.

Cross-Sector Intelligence: Airlines, OTAs, and TMCs

• You can find a partner who works with a diverse set of travel players—from airlines and online travel agencies to corporate TMCs.
• This means the AI isn’t just learning from one agency’s data—it continuously improves by analyzing trends across the entire industry.
  
  • One major caveat here is that I would say find a partner who doesn’t train their AI on your data and there is no cross pollination of customers

Seamless Integration with Existing Systems

• No need for an IT overhaul. You can find AI’s that integrate with GDS, NDC, other airline APIs, and contact center platforms (Genesys, Five9, Salesforce, Zendesk), knowledge bases (Confluence, Guru), etc.
• Agencies can keep their existing workflows while adding AI-driven automation.

Regulatory & Compliance Handling

• Further to my comment on data, travel agencies operate in highly regulated environments. If you find an AI partner who ensures compliance with data security, GDPR, and airline-specific policies—this saves your tech teams from navigating legal complexity.
  

Continuous Learning & Performance Optimization

• Instead of agencies retraining models manually, Acai continuously refines its AI with real-time industry data.
• Travel agencies benefit from the latest AI advancements without additional development costs.

Making the Right Choice: Build vs. Buy

When should a travel agency build AI in-house?

✅ If they have a large, AI-specialized engineering team and a multi-year budget.

✅ If they need AI for a unique, proprietary use case beyond customer support automation.

✅ If they are willing to invest in ongoing AI training and regulatory compliance.

When should a travel agency partner with a third-party provider like Acai?

✅ If they want a faster, cost-effective AI deployment with proven ROI.

✅ If they need industry-wide intelligence rather than relying on their own dataset.

✅ If they want seamless integration with GDS, contact center platforms, and travel supplier systems.

The Future of Travel AI: Scale Smarter, Not Harder

Building AI in-house may seem appealing, but for most travel agencies, it’s a costly, time-consuming distraction from their core business. Instead of investing years in AI development, agencies can partner with Acai to deploy best-in-class AI solutions today.

The future of AI in travel isn’t just about automation—it’s about scaling smarter. By leveraging an AI provider that understands the travel ecosystem inside and out, agencies can focus on delivering faster, better service while keeping costs under control.

At Acai, we’re helping travel agencies modernize their operations without the headaches of in-house AI development. If your team is weighing the build vs. buy decision, let’s talk—because the right AI strategy could be the difference between playing catch-up and leading the industry forward.