Email and Customer Experience in travel: why it’s no longer enough to respond

Customer Experience in the industry in 2026 requires understanding, anticipating, and improving every step of the way using integrated data, technology, and processes. Modern healthcare systems must be able to respond quickly to patient needs, reduce wait times, personalize communications, and ensure continuity of care in a landscape where operational efficiency is as important as service quality.

In the travel industry, thecustomer experience begins long before departure. It often takes shape in a seemingly simple moment: an email sent to a travel agent with a request, a vacation idea, some scattered information. It is in this very first contact that customer trust is created-or broken.

In 2026, the travel agency market is increasingly focused on personalization and speed. Travelers expect tailored proposals, quick responses, and continuity across channels: about 66 percent require customized packages and more than 70 percent expect a consistent experience throughout the contact journey. This makes every interaction, even the simplest, a critical point in the customer journey.

Despite the evolution of chat, apps and digital channels, email remains a central hub in travel. According to industry research (Wifitalents, 2025), 70 percent of customers prefer to receive quotes and confirmations via email because it allows for traceability, security of information, and the ability to review details at their leisure. For agencies, however, this also means handling large volumes of often incomplete requests, with the risk of slowdowns, errors, and frustration for both the customer and the operators.

In this scenario, tools such as Mail Assistant from INGO become instrumental in turning email requests into fast, accurate and frictionless processes, freeing up operators’ time and improving customer satisfaction.

Why emails remain important

Despite the explosion of chat, apps and social, email remains one of the most widely used channels for official communications, reservations and complex inquiries.

In the travel sector, email is still the main tool for reservations, flight and hotel confirmations, sending vouchers and update communications about changes or cancellations.

In this regard, 70 percent of consumers prefer email confirmations and quotes to have traceability and security of information.

In practice, for travel agencies, email is a central channel because it allows them to combine speed, security, and personalization, and remains critical to building a consistent and frictionless experience.

How Mail Assistant works

Mail Assistant functions as a digital assistant that reads and understands customer emails to manage them quickly, accurately, and securely.

When a customer submits a request, the system automatically analyzes the content, identifies essential information (such as dates, times, destinations, or services requested), and assesses whether it is sufficient to provide a complete response.

If some information is missing, Mail Assistant automatically sends a guided message to the customer, asking for clarification or additional details, so as to avoid mistakes or misunderstandings.

When all the necessary data are present, the assistant generates an immediate and consistent response, such as a quote, confirmation, or useful information.

In the case of more complex, sensitive, or particularly personalized requests, Mail Assistant automatically passes management to a human operator, who can intervene competently and attentively, ensuring uninterrupted personalized support and preserving the human contact fundamental to the Customer Experience.

The main advantages of Mail Assistant

1. Reduced response time: quick handling of requests even after hours.
2. Less errors and friction: guided collection of missing information.
3. Increased customer satisfaction: consistent, accurate and personalized responses.
4. Resource optimization: staff focus on strategic and complex activities.
5. Personalization of interactions: language, offers and content tailored to the customer’s profile.
6. Tracking and reporting: all interactions recorded for customer journey analysis and optimization.
7. Scalability: handles large volumes of email without increasing staff.
8. Consistency in service: uniformity of responses across operators and channels.
9. Strategic support: data that can be integrated into dashboards and CRM for informed decisions.
10. Data security: utmost attention to privacy and GDPR compliance.

Why Mail Assistant is essential in 2026

With the increasing complexity of reservations, high demand for personalization, and the need for quick responses, Mail Assistant enables travel agencies to reduce friction, optimize resources, and increase customer satisfaction.

In the competitive environment of 2026:

• travelers expect immediate and error-free responses;
• agencies must ensure consistency and traceability across multiple channels;
• staff can focus on strategic activities while AI handles repetitive tasks.

Conclusion

Email remains a key channel in the travel industry, and managing it intelligently and securely is critical to delivering a frictionless experience.

With Mail Assistant, travel agencies can turn every email into an effective, fast and personalized interaction by combining technology, data and human support.

Gestire le email non basta più

Trasforma ogni richiesta in un’esperienza efficace e immediata

Nel settore travel, le email rappresentano ancora il canale principale per prenotazioni, conferme e informazioni. Mail Assistant consente di rispondere in modo rapido, coerente e personalizzato, riducendo errori, tempi di attesa e frustrazione dei clienti, liberando tempo prezioso per attività a maggiore valore.

RICHIEDI MAGGIORI INFORMAZIONI