Rapid technological developments only make the debate of high-tech, high-touch more relevant than ever [1]. Yet, in the travel sector, existing research addressing both high-tech and high-touch is scarce. The authors conducted 13 interviews to gather opinions from thought leaders and analyzed the data through theme identification and inductive coding and synthesis. The theme identification showed that “people,” “data,” and “digital” are the most prominent topics. The inductive coding and synthesis concluded that human nature is fundamental even in the digital age, and travel is a social activity. Human centricity aims to be both customer- and employee-centric. Employees will be assisted by technology and free from repetitive and transactional activities to engage with customers. Customer data helps companies provide hyperpersonalization services. Small and medium enterprises should collect the best possible data to leverage AI. High-tech and high-touch are not mutually exclusive but complementary. Despite the growth of digital technology, human centricity should be the core concern of the travel business, realizing the promise of high-tech for high-touch.
